Re: The end of the Internet as we now it

[Christian Huitema <[e-mail]>]

On 10/15/2020 12:13 PM, Michael Thomas wrote:

>
> On 10/14/20 11:17 PM, Christian Huitema wrote:
>> I think there must be some side effect from my setup. What is really
>> weird is that it fails from 2 different computers.
>>
>> I know the RFC can be accessed elsewhere. In fact, the IETF datatracker
>> works. It is just an issue for me with the tool server. But it is really
>> weird.
>>
>> On 10/14/2020 11:10 PM, Mark Nottingham wrote:
>
> Don't you have a teen in the house that can help you with this stuff? 

I got much better than that, help from Henrik Levkowetz. It turns out
that the issue was caused by a DOS attack on the tool server -- or in
any case a traffic pattern that had the same effect as a DOS attack. To
keep the server operational, the tools team blocked a set of IP address
ranges from which the offending traffic appeared to come, and my own IP
address was caught in one of these ranges. Thanks to Henrik for
diagnosing and explaining the problem.

I know that my choice of subject line was a bit over the top, but maybe
it is not so wrong after all. Even sophisticated web site operators like
our tools team have difficulties dealing with spikes of traffic and with
attacks, and they have only blunt instruments at their disposal. So,
yes, the Internet is not working as it used too.

-- Christian Huitema