Distrowatch Down here
- Thread starter kc1di
- Start date
Brickwizard
Well-Known Member
Down from the UK as well
It looks like they maybe forgot to register their domain name?!?
I'm getting a page 'not secure page' and then a page that says "This domain name has been registered with Gandi.net"
This means it's not pointed at a server but using the default nameservers.
This could be bad. This could mean they no longer own the domain name. The new owners would be the rightful owners as there's a brief period when the original owners can recover a domain name after it has expired. They can charge whatever they want to sell it for.
Let's hope this is not what is going on.
I'm getting a page 'not secure page' and then a page that says "This domain name has been registered with Gandi.net"
This means it's not pointed at a server but using the default nameservers.
This could be bad. This could mean they no longer own the domain name. The new owners would be the rightful owners as there's a brief period when the original owners can recover a domain name after it has expired. They can charge whatever they want to sell it for.
Let's hope this is not what is going on.
Code:
whois distrowatch.com
Domain Name: DISTROWATCH.COM
Registry Domain ID: 74649860_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.gandi.net
Registrar URL: http://www.gandi.net
Updated Date: 2023-10-04T13:47:00Z
Creation Date: 2001-07-03T20:36:16Z
Registry Expiry Date: 2028-07-03T20:36:15Z
Registrar: Gandi SAS
Registrar IANA ID: 81
Registrar Abuse Contact Email: [email protected]
Registrar Abuse Contact Phone: +33.170377661
Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited https://icann.org/epp#clientTransferProhibited
Name Server: NS-197-C.GANDI.NET
Name Server: NS-231-B.GANDI.NET
Name Server: NS-57-A.GANDI.NET
DNSSEC: unsigned
It's going to be the same across the globe (until it isn't), as the domain name is pointing at the registrar's default nameservers.
Then, if they do change the nameservers to point back at the correct server, it'll take a while for those changes to propagate - up to 72 hours is the suggested wait time. When that happens, if that happens, some folks will have DNS servers that update faster, so it will be sporadic and some folks will see the site as up while others report the site is down for them still.
DNS isn't magical and they only update so often with new records. Some DNS servers are pretty good at updating quickly. Others? Not so much.
(I deal with this sort of stuff on a daily basis, owning way too many domain names as it stands.)
With a whois like that, it looks like they lost control of the domain name. (See the updated date and time.)
This could be the result of hacking (but they should have measures in place to make that extremely difficult). With the right sort of trickery, you can transfer a domain name to a new registrar. It should have been locked, disallowing transfers, as a basic security step.
This could also be a result of not paying the domain name registrar, which would mean a legitimate loss of the domain name. Registrars tend to give you like a week-long grace period where they won't let anyone else register the domain name.
Hmm... One of us should find a site that freely shares WHOIS history and see if there are any clues.
EDIT: See the comment below this one. It may not be nearly as dramatic.
Then, if they do change the nameservers to point back at the correct server, it'll take a while for those changes to propagate - up to 72 hours is the suggested wait time. When that happens, if that happens, some folks will have DNS servers that update faster, so it will be sporadic and some folks will see the site as up while others report the site is down for them still.
DNS isn't magical and they only update so often with new records. Some DNS servers are pretty good at updating quickly. Others? Not so much.
(I deal with this sort of stuff on a daily basis, owning way too many domain names as it stands.)
With a whois like that, it looks like they lost control of the domain name. (See the updated date and time.)
This could be the result of hacking (but they should have measures in place to make that extremely difficult). With the right sort of trickery, you can transfer a domain name to a new registrar. It should have been locked, disallowing transfers, as a basic security step.
This could also be a result of not paying the domain name registrar, which would mean a legitimate loss of the domain name. Registrars tend to give you like a week-long grace period where they won't let anyone else register the domain name.
Hmm... One of us should find a site that freely shares WHOIS history and see if there are any clues.
EDIT: See the comment below this one. It may not be nearly as dramatic.
Last edited:
Hmm... I was thinking I might be jumping the gun and did some looking.
I double-checked the WHOIS history and it looks like they've been using GHANDI nameservers for a while - so this could be a much simpler issue where their server(s) are all just offline - but with such a large organization I'd think they'd have a backup.
Importantly, the nameservers are different than they were on the 13th of July.
So, it could be something other than a lost domain name. Could be...
One of the WHOIS providers is now showing this:
I double-checked the WHOIS history and it looks like they've been using GHANDI nameservers for a while - so this could be a much simpler issue where their server(s) are all just offline - but with such a large organization I'd think they'd have a backup.
Importantly, the nameservers are different than they were on the 13th of July.
So, it could be something other than a lost domain name. Could be...
One of the WHOIS providers is now showing this:
Code:
Name Server: BUFFALO.EZOICNS.COM
Name Server: CARACAL.EZOICNS.COM
Name Server: MARKHOR.EZOICNS.COM
Name Server: WHIPPET.EZOICNS.COM
Condobloke
Well-Known Member
Just on the lighter side....I find it quite fascinating that a site as big and well regarded as distrowatch can basically disappear in a puff of smoke....there one minute...kapoof ! the next.
If this was an "error" on someones part there...someone is going to get a solid kicking to the end opposite their face
If this was an "error" on someones part there...someone is going to get a solid kicking to the end opposite their face
distrowatch.com is online here in Australia. Time is:
Code:
Local Thu Oct 5 09:29:16 +1100 2023 AEDT
Melbourne Thu Oct 5 09:29:16 +1100 2023 AEDT
Los Angeles Wed Oct 4 15:29:16 -0700 2023 PDT
Eagan Wed Oct 4 17:29:16 -0500 2023 CDT
Paris Thu Oct 5 00:29:16 +0200 2023 CEST
UTC Wed Oct 4 22:29:16 +0000 2023 UTC
Tasmania Thu Oct 5 09:29:16 +1100 2023 AEDT
Adelaide Thu Oct 5 08:59:16 +1030 2023 ACDT
Perth Thu Oct 5 06:29:16 +0800 2023 AWST
Auckland Thu Oct 5 11:29:16 +1300 2023 NZDT
Hawaii Wed Oct 4 12:29:16 -1000 2023 HST
New York Wed Oct 4 18:29:16 -0400 2023 EDT
Vancouver Wed Oct 4 15:29:16 -0700 2023 PDT
Brazil Wed Oct 4 19:29:16 -0300 2023 -03
Malaysia Thu Oct 5 06:29:16 +0800 2023 +08
Japan Thu Oct 5 07:29:16 +0900 2023 JST
London Wed Oct 4 23:29:16 +0100 2023 BSTAttachments
Yup. It appears that, for some reason, they changed nameservers. My DNS doesn't have it propagated yet, though I could maybe clear cache and try again.
Also, the nameservers eventually forward me to https://www.ezoic.com/ which is an interesting site.
Alas, my DNS server still has the old nameservers. The change will take time to propagate, I suppose.
Alas, my DNS server still has the old nameservers. The change will take time to propagate, I suppose.
wendy-lebaron
Active Member
Is this in Minnesota? Had to look it up, didn't know about this town. :/
Distrowatch has been down for nearly two days at my end. Travelling to the page gives me a totally white page saying "Origin error". Funny thing was, yesterday in the morning (Eastern U.S.A. time zone) I visited it for the last time, then about 15 minutes later I visited this site and forum and noticed this topic was started. I shrugged.
Code:
_ _ ___ ___
| | | |/ _ \/ __|
| |_| | __/\__ \
\__, |\___||___/
|___/
... and that included Brisbane (not on
Brisbane Thu Oct 5 08:29:16 +1000 2023 AEST
I found it down for a few minutes 3 days ago, but no probs since.
Friday here in Oz so
Avagudweegend
Wiz
wendy-lebaron
Active Member
At about 4:30AM Eastern U.S.A. time for me, everything is OK. Thank goodness.
