Problem with GeoIP plugin

I have the same problem (Update failed. Forbidden).

But uploading manually is only a temporary solution as the DB needs to be updated regularly. Otherwise, you risk that a growing number of your customers are falsely located. And that will become a problem one way or the other.

Are there any hints on how to resolve this issue permanently?

@farbspiel – is your web hosting set up to forbid outgoing HTTP connections? Check with your web hosting provider – it would be good to have the problem properly confirmed. In @buhlig’s original report (in another channel, he said “it reports, that the server to import the data is not available”). I’m not sure that’s the same thing (your error does not mention anything about a server not being available), so I think at this stage we need more analysis of the specific issue, to confirm the cause.

David

@david I can do a test GeoIP lookup from the settings page. I can populate the VAT table with your plugin, and the query for the exchange rate in your plugin seems to work.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that indicates that external connections are possible from my server. Right?

So, where is it that you’re seeing the message “Update failed. Forbidden” ?

A screenshot would be handy. I’m not clear on what is failing yet (or whether it’s the same problem as @buhlig).

@david I am referring to the “Update Now” button in the GeoIP Detection screen (Tools > GeoIP Detection)

I have just tested it again three times, and I received three different results in that order when I pushed the button:

“Connection reset by peer”
“Forbidden”
“Updated successfully”

The third result answers the question: Network seems to be working.

It appears that something else is causing sporadic problems. Maybe the server that’s being queried. Hard to diagnose, I guess. I will keep an eye on it.

@david & Farbspiel
I’ve verified with my iNet provider (strato.de) to make sure there is no firewall or any other security meassure which might cause this issue …

So most obviously it’s connected to the GeoIP plugin …

Uploads folder for main site (wp-content/uploads) as well as blogs (wp-content/uploads/sites/) are writeable …

After I’ve manually added the database, i was able to “update” the db with no further error …

Hi,

@farbspiel: In the GeoIP plugin, the database file is downloaded from maxmind.com (which is basically the source of all free GeoIP data used in various products, AFAIK). I’d guess that they had, or are having, either a temporary problem – or that there’s a temporary problem on the specific network route from your webserver to there. It seems unlikely to be a problem which will persist, given how long-running (I remember using MaxMind data in the 1990s) and big a business MaxMind is – unless it’s a problem at the end of your web hosting provider.

David