By The 21st century has been marked by an unprecedented rise in the use of the internet. A world full of endless possibilities at the disposal of your fingertips is, by far, the peak of technological advancements. However, there seems to be a problem.
Maybe you visited an illegal website, or some malicious virus wreaked havoc on your system, regardless, your IP address is blocked. Your privilege of using the internet has been revoked, and you are in a serious difficulty.
IP addresses are blacklisted more often than not when an email sender operating with the address is marked and identified as a spammer. Blacklisted IP addresses will not be able to send or receive mails, thereby ensuring the internet’s integrity and security.
If your IP address has been blacklisted and you believe that you have not indulged in any malicious activity, then rest assured, here are five things you can do if your IP address is blacklisted.
Table of Contents
1. Locate Your IP Address On A Blacklist
Before you attempt to reinstate your IP address, the domain responsible for blacklisting your IP address must be identified. There is no single supreme body that governs all IP addresses. Instead, there are local DNSBLs (Domain Name System Blocklists) that detect such spammers and stop their activity.
You need to find the DNSBL that manages your IP and lookup your IP address on their blacklist. You can find out more on IP login i.e. username and password using the given link. This may be a slightly tedious process, but it is crucial to locate the blacklist your IP address resides in. There are websites such as MXtoolbox or MultiRBL that help you determine the DNSBL governing your IP address.
2. Determine The Cause For Your Blacklisting
Once you have discovered your IP address in a blacklist, it is crucial to understand why you got blacklisted in the first place. The most common reason innocent users get blacklisted is due to the presence of a virus.
These viruses often enter your system through illicit downloads or malicious emails. Once in your system, they broadcast themselves until your DNSBL detects the virus’ activity and blocks your IP.
It is imperative to locate this virus and remove it from your system to resume normal internet activity. If you are certain that no virus was involved in corrupting your system, then you need to cross-check all the mails that you have received or sent.
There is a possibility that in the plethora of emails you receive every day, there was hidden spam that you accidentally forwarded, resulting in your IP getting blacklisted. Furthermore, there are certain software and websites that trigger a response from the DNSBL. If you have operated such software or visited suspicious websites, your DNSBL could have falsely recognized you as a spammer.
3. Request A Delisting
The safest and most effective way to get your IP address off the blacklist is by being honest and sincere while requesting a delisting. The cause of your Blacklisting, as determined in the previous section, will help you develop a strong argument as to why you and your IP address are innocent.
Before requesting a delisting, it is essential to rid your system of any software, mail, or virus that could have gotten you blacklisted in the first place. Getting blacklisted once can be excused, but your IP address could be blocked for a long time if a virus acts up again.
4. Be Patient
Getting your IP address blacklisted can be a painful and annoying experience, especially when it happened by no fault of yours. Nevertheless, as internet users, we must understand that IP addresses are blocked to make the internet a safer place.
Chances are your address has just gotten a timed ban and would automatically be delisted within a certain period. In the meantime, you can ensure that such an incident never occurs again by strengthening the security on your computer and your router. Most DNSBLs respond to delisting queries within 24 hours.
5. Utilize A VPN Service
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) service is a reliable and effective way of working around blacklisting. Check Increditools to get access to some of the VPN services for Facebook. A VPN assigns a virtual IP address to your system, different from the original one. This would allow you to operate from a different IP address and resume your work.
However, while a VPN service will help you continue your work during your blacklisted period, it should not be employed as a permanent solution. Most reliable VPNs are too expensive for an average user, and sooner or later, you would have to return to your original IP address. That said, a VPN is an ideal temporary solution.
As annoying and troublesome as it seems, blacklists play a crucial role in maintaining the internet’s safety and probity. When an IP address gets blocked, it is ideal that one does not panic and jump to conclusions.
Identify and remove the corrupt files before requesting a delisting. DNSBLs have no intention of keeping you away from the internet. They merely wish to prevent spams and make the internet a secure and reliable platform.
