Recent forumload

Swede · 15th December 2025, 15:18

There has been an incredible increase in guests (anonymous accounts and bots) recently! The number of guests used to be something like a thousand or so with peeks at ~2000 but now it's more like +12.000 with the extreme of >32.000 the other day.
Well, since my server couldn't cope (of course) I had to add a dedicated sql-server to my collection of things that costs me not only time and purchase but also in electricity.
For now things are looking ok, both servers are humming, the internetcables are glowing and the temperature is rising.

So, for the first time in 20 years, I'm setting up a PayPal donation account (forum@doom9.org) so anyone that feels they want to contribute to the cost of running this can send me a couple of $ or so.

Anyway, I'll be keeping a close eye on the load for a couple of days (until santa arrives).

Rgds,
Swede

Columbo · 15th December 2025, 16:21

How did you mitigate the guest/bot overload?

Swede · 15th December 2025, 16:38

I moved the sql-database to a new, dedicated server... The old one that used to do everything is now 'just' a webserver and the new 8 core i7-7700T takes care of all sql-stuff. So far it seems to be powerfull enough.

Sunspark · 15th December 2025, 16:47

Are these actual viewers or bot crawlers or some kind of weird DoS?

microchip8 · 15th December 2025, 17:05

These are AI scrapers most likely. Many busy forums and git repos have been suffering from them, some even implementing things like Anubis browser checks https://anubis.techaro.lol/

Swede · 15th December 2025, 17:05

I'm sure it's not real users. The main part now is probably just someone with a botnet wishing us harm. There are a lot of AI-bots nowadays but not this many.

Columbo · 15th December 2025, 18:05

So you upped your server juice and just let the bots do as they please? Forums I am associated with use Cloudflare with a little extra pixie dust to cut them off at the pass.

Columbo · 15th December 2025, 18:35

I just sent you $50 to get the telethon started. Happy to help and thank you for all you do.

GeoffreyA · 15th December 2025, 18:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by microchip8

These are AI scrapers most likely. Many busy forums and git repos have been suffering from them, some even implementing things like Anubis browser checks https://anubis.techaro.lol/

Yes, the Anubis checks are increasingly used of late, as these things get worse.

SirMaster · 15th December 2025, 21:25

What about just putting the site behind Cloudflare like most people do these days?

kurkosdr · 15th December 2025, 22:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by microchip8

These are AI scrapers most likely. Many busy forums and git repos have been suffering from them, some even implementing things like Anubis browser checks https://anubis.techaro.lol/

The problem with Anubis is that it makes the website not indexable by search engines, so you have to manually exclude the IPs of the search engine crawlers so they aren't hit by an Anubis challenge. Does such a public list of search engine crawler IPs exist?

Swede · 16th December 2025, 09:00

..and it looks like we're back online. That was a *huge* DDos-attack. (Going to try Cloudfare)

Z2697 · 16th December 2025, 12:04

What a harsh environment...

Jamaika · 17th December 2025, 08:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by microchip8

These are AI scrapers most likely. Many busy forums and git repos have been suffering from them, some even implementing things like Anubis browser checks https://anubis.techaro.lol/

I'm not familiar with forum congestion. If I specify the page playback speed of the forum.doom9.org, will the forum crash?
https://tools.pingdom.com/

Jamaika · 17th December 2025, 08:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swede

There has been an incredible increase in guests (anonymous accounts and bots) recently! The number of guests used to be something like a thousand or so with peeks at ~2000 but now it's more like +12.000 with the extreme of >32.000 the other day.

I'm guessing 2,000 views now. It might be 15,000 views of something unspecified during the holidays.

Jamaika · 17th December 2025, 08:59

Strangely enough, the Programming and Hacking thread is currently invisible to non-logged-in users. Was I to blame?

Swede · 17th December 2025, 11:13

Hehe, no.. That was just me forgetting to reopen that section.

Z2697 · 17th December 2025, 19:15

What does it cost to run the Doom9 forum?

real.finder · 19th December 2025, 07:35

I cant browse the doom9 without a VPN since few days, my ISP IPs is banned or something?

Swede · 19th December 2025, 09:43

Well, since you're using a VPN I cant check your real address but drop me a PM and I'll check.

15th December 2025, 15:18	#1 \| Link
Swede Deputy Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Sthlm, Sweden Posts: 1,496	Recent forumload There has been an incredible increase in guests (anonymous accounts and bots) recently! The number of guests used to be something like a thousand or so with peeks at ~2000 but now it's more like +12.000 with the extreme of >32.000 the other day. Well, since my server couldn't cope (of course) I had to add a dedicated sql-server to my collection of things that costs me not only time and purchase but also in electricity. For now things are looking ok, both servers are humming, the internetcables are glowing and the temperature is rising. So, for the first time in 20 years, I'm setting up a PayPal donation account (forum@doom9.org) so anyone that feels they want to contribute to the cost of running this can send me a couple of $ or so. Anyway, I'll be keeping a close eye on the load for a couple of days (until santa arrives). Rgds, Swede

15th December 2025, 17:05	#5 \| Link
microchip8 ffx264/ffhevc author Join Date: May 2007 Location: /dev/video0 Posts: 2,059	These are AI scrapers most likely. Many busy forums and git repos have been suffering from them, some even implementing things like Anubis browser checks https://anubis.techaro.lol/ __________________ The Cyberpunk Database \|\| NTP & NTS Time Server \|\| Mirror Services ffhevc \|\| ffx264 \|\| ffxvid

19th December 2025, 07:35	#19 \| Link
real.finder Registered User Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Mesopotamia Posts: 2,694	I cant browse the doom9 without a VPN since few days, my ISP IPs is banned or something? __________________ See My Avisynth Stuff

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15th December 2025, 16:21	#2 \| Link
Columbo Registered Developer Join Date: Sep 2025 Location: Chi-town Posts: 148	How did you mitigate the guest/bot overload?

15th December 2025, 16:38	#3 \| Link
Swede Deputy Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Sthlm, Sweden Posts: 1,496	I moved the sql-database to a new, dedicated server... The old one that used to do everything is now 'just' a webserver and the new 8 core i7-7700T takes care of all sql-stuff. So far it seems to be powerfull enough.

15th December 2025, 16:47	#4 \| Link
Sunspark Registered User Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 719	Are these actual viewers or bot crawlers or some kind of weird DoS?

15th December 2025, 17:05	#6 \| Link
Swede Deputy Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Sthlm, Sweden Posts: 1,496	I'm sure it's not real users. The main part now is probably just someone with a botnet wishing us harm. There are a lot of AI-bots nowadays but not this many.

15th December 2025, 18:05	#7 \| Link
Columbo Registered Developer Join Date: Sep 2025 Location: Chi-town Posts: 148	So you upped your server juice and just let the bots do as they please? Forums I am associated with use Cloudflare with a little extra pixie dust to cut them off at the pass.

15th December 2025, 18:35	#8 \| Link
Columbo Registered Developer Join Date: Sep 2025 Location: Chi-town Posts: 148	I just sent you $50 to get the telethon started. Happy to help and thank you for all you do.

15th December 2025, 21:25	#10 \| Link
SirMaster Registered User Join Date: Feb 2019 Posts: 240	What about just putting the site behind Cloudflare like most people do these days?

16th December 2025, 09:00	#12 \| Link
Swede Deputy Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Sthlm, Sweden Posts: 1,496	..and it looks like we're back online. That was a huge DDos-attack. (Going to try Cloudfare)

16th December 2025, 12:04	#13 \| Link
Z2697 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2024 Location: Between my two ears Posts: 1,003	What a harsh environment...

17th December 2025, 08:59	#16 \| Link
Jamaika Registered User Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 954	Strangely enough, the Programming and Hacking thread is currently invisible to non-logged-in users. Was I to blame?

17th December 2025, 11:13	#17 \| Link
Swede Deputy Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Sthlm, Sweden Posts: 1,496	Hehe, no.. That was just me forgetting to reopen that section.

17th December 2025, 19:15	#18 \| Link
Z2697 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2024 Location: Between my two ears Posts: 1,003	What does it cost to run the Doom9 forum?

19th December 2025, 09:43	#20 \| Link
Swede Deputy Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Sthlm, Sweden Posts: 1,496	Well, since you're using a VPN I cant check your real address but drop me a PM and I'll check.