Cloudfare lockout?.

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Don't know if this is the right bit of the site but earlier on today i tried to access UKP but was locked out by Cloudfare. It came back after a while. However if i try to access anyone on say AW from UKP  it goes through the cloudfare access, i check the box it throws it out whereas if i take a reference already on the site i.e. someone who has a series of reviews that goes throught fine without going through CF.

Now this thing is coming up on some other non punting websites it does let the request through after a while OK with that but can anyone expalin why CF is used ? i notice on a lowly site like say Toolstation the buiding bits one ! that has going throuth a security check exchange.

Anyone know why this cloudfare system exists at all?..

[RandomGuy99]

**Cloudflare** is a **web infrastructure and security company** that provides services to improve the performance, security, and reliability of websites and internet applications.

---

### 🔐 What Cloudflare Does

1. **Content Delivery Network (CDN)**
   It caches your website content on servers all around the world, making it load faster for visitors by serving it from a nearby location.

2. **DDoS Protection**
   It protects websites from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks that can overwhelm and crash servers.

3. **Web Application Firewall (WAF)**
   It blocks malicious traffic, bots, and hacking attempts before they reach your server.

4. **DNS Management**
   Cloudflare operates one of the fastest and most secure Domain Name System (DNS) services, helping translate domain names (like `example.com`) into IP addresses.

5. **SSL/TLS Encryption**
   Automatically provides HTTPS encryption for your site (free SSL certificates), keeping data secure between the visitor and the server.

6. **Bot Management & Rate Limiting**
   It detects and manages bad bots or scraping tools, and can limit traffic spikes.

7. **Zero Trust Security**
   For enterprises, it offers access controls, identity management, and internal app protection through its **Cloudflare Zero Trust** platform.

---

### 🌐 Who Uses Cloudflare?

* **Millions of websites** – from personal blogs to Fortune 500 companies.
* Platforms like Shopify, Discord, Udemy, and even government agencies.
* Often used as a first line of defense and performance boost.

---

### 🛠️ Example Use Case

If you run a WordPress site and add it to Cloudflare:

* Your site loads faster worldwide.
* You get free SSL (HTTPS).
* You're protected from common attacks like SQL injection or brute force.
* Bots and spammy traffic get filtered.

---

### 🆓 Is It Free?

Yes, **Cloudflare has a free plan** suitable for most small websites. Paid plans (Pro, Business, Enterprise) offer advanced features like:

* Custom WAF rules
* Image optimization
* Load balancing
* Analytics
* 24/7 support

---

### ⚡ Summary

| Feature         | What it Does                                    |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| CDN             | Speeds up site globally                         |
| DDoS Protection | Blocks massive traffic attacks                  |
| SSL             | Secures traffic with HTTPS                      |
| DNS             | Fast and secure domain resolution               |
| WAF             | Filters malicious requests                      |
| Analytics       | Insights into traffic, threats, and performance |

[scutty brown]

The Cloudflare message was just a symptom of a server issue

See Head1's post in the "Forum issues" thread...

Apologies for downtime today, this was out of our hands.
We are going to get a new more reliable provider next week 

[Xtro]

Always 2 sides to a coin....

Cloudflare concerns about content and security.

Providing services to potentially harmful websites:
Cloudflare offers services like DDoS protection and content delivery to a wide range of websites, including some that are controversial or even illegal. This includes websites accused of spreading misinformation, hosting hate speech, or engaging in illegal activities.

Balancing security and free speech:
Cloudflare has faced criticism for its decisions to block or terminate services for certain websites, while also being accused of not doing enough to block others. This raises questions about its role in determining what content is acceptable online and who decides.

Potential for government overreach:
Cloudflare's infrastructure and data handling practices raise concerns about potential surveillance and government access to user information. There are claims that Cloudflare could be compelled to cooperate with law enforcement or intelligence agencies, potentially impacting user privacy.

Criticism of Cloudflare's policies:
Some critics argue that Cloudflare's policies on content moderation and data sharing are inconsistent or lack transparency. For example, a report from Nova Southeastern University found that Cloudflare turned over identifying information about users who complained about the neo-Nazi website "The Daily Stormer," leading to further harassment of those users.

Impact on privacy and security:
Cloudflare's use of TLS termination (decrypting traffic to scan for threats) can raise privacy concerns, as it means Cloudflare can potentially see unencrypted traffic.

Cloudflare embroiled in child abuse row - External Link/Members Only

U.S. Tech Giant Cloudflare Provides Cybersecurity For At Least 7 Terror Groups - External Link/Members Only

Cloudflare: The “Now You See Me, Now You Don’t” of the Internet  - External Link/Members Only

[Engl1shmuff1ns]

Don't know if this is the right bit of the site but earlier on today i tried to access UKP but was locked out by Cloudfare. It came back after a while. However if i try to access anyone on say AW from UKP  it goes through the cloudfare access, i check the box it throws it out whereas if i take a reference already on the site i.e. someone who has a series of reviews that goes throught fine without going through CF.

Now this thing is coming up on some other non punting websites it does let the request through after a while OK with that but can anyone expalin why CF is used ? i notice on a lowly site like say Toolstation the buiding bits one ! that has going throuth a security check exchange.

Anyone know why this cloudfare system exists at all?..

Ditto. The phrase used from memory when I was locked out of UKP was "you have been banned", which felt rather alarming but resumed later. I use Opera for Android for my UKP browsing and AW links often go to a Cloudflare landing page saying an unknown error was returned. I end up searching or copy/pasting links into a Firefox for Android browser. EM

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Well somethings chaged its all fine now don't get asked to click on the are you human box all gone..

Did the site chage hosting provider or something that i've missed?..

[RandomGuy99]

The Cloudflare message said DNS was ok, CloudFlare was ok and the server hosting the site had the problem. Head1 has said the site had a host issue and they were looking to move to another one, so perhaps that has now happened.

[Head1]

The Cloudflare message said DNS was ok, CloudFlare was ok and the server hosting the site had the problem. Head1 has said the site had a host issue and they were looking to move to another one, so perhaps that has now happened.

Not yet but will be