I realize it's only fediverse adjacent, but recently I've been unable to access catbox links. It seems like a prefered platform for the fediverse and it just seems to have disappeared.

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[–] synae@lemmy.sdf.org 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Perhaps this, from their FAQ (question and answer copied in their entirety so you can actually read it)

Connectivity Issues

Why can't I access Catbox/access files on Catbox (files.catbox.moe)?Good question! It turns out certain governments in the world hate freedom of information, don't have net neutrality, don't see online service providers as legally exempt entities, or a combination of the three!You will have issues accessing Catbox/files on Catbox if you are connecting from the following countries or providers:

Austrailia

Why? - The Australian government had a heart attack after the Christchurch shooting, and decided that Catbox was a terrorist propaganda spreading website, and has instructed multiple Australian ISPs to implement DNS blocks of Catbox's domains.

How to resolve? - Changing your DNS servers to a public server (i.e. 8.8.8.8, 76.76.2.0, or 208.67.222.222) or utilizing DoH should mitigate this problem.

Ireland/UK

Why? - Unfortunately the love of footy has overtaken the sensibilites of the British and Irish governments, and they have decided to implement an IP level block on Catbox's primary IP address, due to clips of games being uploaded to Catbox..

How to resolve? - You will need to utilize a VPN in order to evade this traffic hijack.

Iran

Why? - Unknown, but I'm sure you can probably make some pretty accurate guesses.

How to resolve? - You will need to use a VPN to bypass the IP-level block.

Afghanistan

Why? - Unknown, but I'm sure you can probably make some pretty accurate guesses.

How to resolve? - You will need to use a VPN to bypass the IP-level block.

Comcast/Comcast Business

Why? - Comcast Business' "SecurityEdge" hijacking attack intecepts traffic going towards Catbox. Residential customers are blocked by "xFi Advanced Security" I have been unable to determine if this is a DNS level block, or an IP level block.

How to resolve? - Comcast Residential: Disable the "xFi Advanced Security" hijack on your router. Comcast Business: Disable the "SecurityEdge" hijack on your account. See here.

Spectrum

Why? - Spectrum's "SecurityEdge" hijacking attack intercepts DNS requests for Catbox for an unknown reason.

How to resolve? - Spectrum Residential customers should disable the "SecurityEdge" hijack in their router/account settings, or use a VPN to bypass the hijack.

Rogers

Why? - Unknown. It appears to be dynamically filtering web traffic to Catbox.

How to resolve? - Disable the "Advanced Security" hijack attack in your Rogers settings

Verizon

Why? - Unknown. This is a DNS based block, which means Verizon's DNS servers are returning no result for catbox.moe.

How to resolve? - Changing your DNS servers to a public server (i.e. 8.8.8.8, 76.76.2.0, or 208.67.222.222) or utilizing DoH should mitigate this problem.

Quad9

Why? - Quad9 actually pulls an aggregate list of URL blacklists and uses them for their filtered DNS service. Catbox is frequently added to no-name blacklists for various reasons.

How to resolve? - Use Quad9's alternative DNS server 9.9.9.10, or switch to another public DNS server.

[–] HeyJoe@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Thank you! I use Quad9 and have noticed these links stopped working about a week or 2 ago. The problem was I redid my network at that time and kept thinking it was something on my end. I have a firewall with recursive DNS setup and I was able to add my own entry for it, but I'm guessing the IP changes because it only lasted a few days. Now that I know why I'll see what else I can do since I do enjoy Quad9 otherwise.