Users having problems logging in

[at1]

Once or twice a week, I get an email from a user (always angry, of course) that goes something like this: "Today I can't get into your site!!! I am getting conflicting messages. One was, "Thank you for logging in, [username]." The other was a continual return to the registration form with the news that I wasn't logged in. What's going on?"

Neither I, nor any of the moderators, have ever gotten this message, so I don't know what to tell them, except "Nothing wrong on this end. Try logging out, closiing your browser, and trying again."

Does anyone have any ideas? We're running version 2.2.6 and otherwise have no problems.

Thank you.

[Steve Machol]

Are these AOL users? This appears to be an issue with AOL users. The AOL proxy server is changing the IP addresses with each access. From this thread:

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showt...threadid=47996

"The problem is that AOL runs its users through a proxy and therefore changes IPs on each access, thus preventing the user from keeping the same session."

Also there is a problem with the AOL browser as well:

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showt...threadid=50833

The only suggestion we have at this time is to have users use a browser other than AOL.

[at1]

We have many aol users, including several moderators, who do NOT have this issue. Some of the users who do have aol, some don't.

That doesn't seem to be our problem, but I have to say that just saying "have them use a different browser than aol" is hardly a seriously solution. Many can't (don't know how, don't want to) And there are a gazillion aol users out there.

Any other ideas, since it doesn't seem to be an aol problem for us? It's a cookie problem, I suppose, but what should we tell them to do?

[Steve Machol]

I have many AOL users myself and only one has reported a problem like this. I was just sharing with you the information and solutions that have been posted countless times on these forums.

You can always ask people to manually sdelete their cookies. To do this in IE 6.0:

Tools -> Internet Options -> Temporary Internet Files -> Settings -> View Files

Then search for the individual cookies for your domain and delete them all. The name should be in the form of:

Cookie:[email protected]
and
Cookie:[email protected]www.yoursite.com

...and any derivatives of the above. Then highlight the individual cookies and delete each one found. After this, close all browser windows and restart IE.

By the way, I believe vB 2.2.7 is supposed to correct some, if not all, of these cookie problems.

[at1]

Thanks. I've done that, and it works for some, but unfortunately we have many users who don't know what a cookie or a browser is. It seems odd for the board to selectively note recognize cookies -- but thank you. I'll look forward to the upgrade.

[doubletroublevb]

I have the same problem. I have a mix of users...mostly not AOL who have this problem. Unfortunately they are also mostly not computer savvy. I got a note from one today saying the board was "too complicated". The way I've fixed it so far is to turn off browse with cookies for each person who complains.

[at1]

Thank you -- my problem users are the ones who aren't computer savvy, too, and I knew there had to be a connection, but couldn't figure out what since these are the ones who wouldn't know how to do anything to their cookies if they had to.

To be sure I understand, do you mean you go into their user profile and turn off browse with cookies? And does this have any negative effect?

What's odd is that none of them complain twice, and I do see them reading. Also, sometimes when they complain that they can't log on, I go to the board, look at Who's Online, and there they are.

[CeleronXT]

AOL == teh sux0rz O_o

Why can't they just be a normal hosting company? A normal browser.. or not one at all. I hate how all the windows open up like inside the main window. I like how Internet Explorer and Netscape etc do it all having their own window....

There... I don't know why I said all that.... Yeah.......

[doubletroublevb]

So far I've only had one complaint from a user who had her cookies turned off...she couldn't see a private board. She logged in everything was okay. In my case I know I haven't been able to get some people back and because these are new users & a new board it's a problem to lose them. I'm going to have to give them something to log in.