What is the “Your IP has been temporarily blocked” error?
“Your IP has been temporarily blocked” is an error that informs users that their IP address can’t access a particular website or network. This situation often happens when the website detects unusual activity coming from the IP address. The block is usually temporary but can last longer if the issue isn’t resolved or if the activity continues.
Why is your IP address blocked?
When your IP address is banned or blocked, a website flags it for a specific reason. Every website and platform creates its own list of criteria that trigger a site's security to block or ban an IP address from its site.
IP address blocked due to malicious activity
Your IP address may be marked and blocked due to suspicious activities. Malicious or suspicious activity include unsuccessful login attempts, a high volume of page requests, or other patterns that indicate automated bots or scripts are in use. An IP address may be blocklisted due to suspected malicious activities such as phishing, spamming, or sending malware.
How do sites catch this suspicious behavior? A website or platform's software may have antivirus programs or firewalls that flag any suspicious IP addresses if labeled as a threat. Using these programs, they can also add IP addresses to a blocklist.
IP address blocked due to geo-blocking restrictions
Your location may be the reason your IP address is blocked. Geo-blocking is the act of preventing devices from accessing content due to their geographical location.
Services and sites will use your IP address to pinpoint your location. With this information, a website may choose to restrict or block access to its content. Geo-blocking occurs regularly because countries have different rights and legal restrictions. For example, some countries have strong firewalls, and when browsing the internet, you may notice that your IP address is blocked from popular sites.
IP address blocked due to network issues
Network issues, such as packet loss, high latency, or routing problems, do not directly cause a website to block an IP address. However, if an internet service provider (ISP) detects suspicious traffic originating from a specific IP or if malware or misconfigured devices cause abnormal traffic, the website may block the IP temporarily or permanently. Websites typically block IP addresses due to suspicious activity like excessive requests, automated traffic, or bot-like behavior rather than general network congestion.
How to check if your IP address is blocked
If you’re unsure if your IP address is blocked, you can check its status in a few ways:
Clear browser cache and cookies
When a website or network reports that your IP address is blocked, the first step is to clear your web browser's cache and cookies. While clearing the cache and cookies won't unblock your IP address, it can help if the website mistakenly identifies your device as a threat due to stored session data. If the block is related to cookies rather than an IP ban, clearing your cookies may restore access.
Restart your router
If clearing your browser’s cache and cookies doesn’t help, the next step is to restart your router. Power down the device completely before turning it back on. For routers without a power switch, unplug the power cord for at least ten seconds before plugging it back in.
Restarting your router can assign a new dynamic IP address if your ISP uses dynamic IPs. If your ISP provides a static IP, restarting the router won’t help, and you’ll need to request an IP change. Some ISPs also use long lease times, so a reboot might not give you a new IP right away; in such cases, leaving the router unplugged for several hours or overnight may be needed.
Check if your IP address is blocklisted
If you keep receiving an error message saying your IP address is blocked, your IP may be blocklisted. To check if your IP address is blocklisted, you can visit an Email Blacklist Check tool. This tool checks your IP address against mail server DNSs to see if it's flagged, but note that this is unrelated to website accessibility and won’t confirm whether your IP is blocked by websites.
Run an anti-malware scan on your computer
You should also run an anti-malware program to clean your device and network and ensure everything works properly. Malware scanner checks your device for malware or computer viruses that may be causing suspicious activity from your IP address.
How to unblock your IP address
Ready to unblock popular websites and resume your browsing session? Here’s how you can unblock an IP address.
Change to a different network
If your device and IP address cannot connect to a website or platform, try switching networks. This method may include connecting to a different Wi-Fi network or using your cell phone's data to turn on an internet hotspot and tether it to your device for connectivity.
Contact your ISP
If you’ve tried all the above and still haven’t resolved the error message, contact your ISP. If your IP address is blocked because your ISP is experiencing network issues, they may be able to fix the problem.
Contact the website or service provider
Are you unable to visit a site or service, and other methods aren’t working? The site's security measures may have blocked your IP address. Contacting the website’s support team may help. If you explain the situation and your desire to access the site, they may be able to unblock your IP address and tell you how to prevent the issue from occurring again.
How to prevent your IP from getting blocked
Shield your IP address from getting blocked by following standard security practices:
- Keep your IP address secure and free from suspicious activity by using a VPN like NordVPN to protect your online security.
- Connect only to networks you trust. Be wary of public Wi-Fi networks, and turn on your VPN when using them.
- Run regular antivirus software to keep your devices free from malware. Do this occasionally to ensure your device's security.
- Don’t engage in suspicious behaviors or violate popular sites' terms of service.
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