IP address blocked

Your hosting is suddenly unreachable, website, email and FTP alike, while it works normally from another internet connection? In most cases this is not an outage but an automatic security block for exactly your IP address.

How to recognise an IP block

• The server does not respond to anything from your connection, requests simply time out.
• Using your phone without Wi-Fi (over the mobile network), everything works normally.

Why does this happen?

Our security system detects access patterns that look like an attack, for example many failed email logins in a short time. This often happens unnoticed: you switch email programs or change a password, and another device or an old app keeps trying automatically with the old password. After several failed attempts, the IP address is blocked as a precaution for all connections to the server, not just email.

What to do

• Check on all devices (PC, laptop, phone, tablet) that the current password is entered everywhere, including rarely used apps.
• Many blocks are lifted automatically after a while. After repeated failed attempts, however, a block may last longer.
• If you need access right away, open a ticket and include your current IP address. You can find it at firestorm.ch/ip. We will lift the block and, if needed, add the IP to an exception list.

How to avoid a block

When you change a password or set up a new email program, enter the new password right away on every device and in every app that accesses the same address. Remove old accounts you no longer use.