Since 23 Dec 2023, many customers told us they can’t access our site. We found those customers are on Optus Networks including other telecom companies that retail Optus networks. These companies are: Amaysim, ClubTelco, Dodo, Exetel, iiNet, Internode, Live Connected, ONEmobile, People Telecom, Primus, Savvytel, TPG, Virgin Mobile, Woolworths Mobile.
Amaysim, Dodo, iiNet, TPG, Woolworth Mobile, etc. are using Optus network
So if you or your friend’s mobile phone or home internet is with one of the above companies, when you access our site you will get an error message saying:
Your connection is not private
Attackers might be trying to steal your information from vapedfoaustralia.com (for example, passwords, messages or credit cards). Learn more
NET::ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID
How did we find out Optus is blocking our website?
Our tech support did various tests and found Optus DNS server is pointing our website URL to a wrong IP address. In simple words, your phone or PC access websites by IP addresses not by the name or URL’s.
A DNS server is a translator that translate vapedfoaustralia.com to 172.67.184.183 or 104.21.36.39. Those are our correct IP addresses.
But now Optus DNS is pointing our site to a wrong IP address, which is 163.127.3.27
We and our customers did extensive tests and confirms as long as one is on an Optus network, they can’t open our website and are pointed to a wrong IP address by the Optus DNS server. But if the user defines the DNS server to a non Optus server in their device’s network setting, they can then access our site. We are yet to know why only Optus is pointing our site to a wrong IP address.
Solutions:
- Connect to a non Optus Network
You can try to connect to a non Optus network, then you can open our website for sure. Afterwards, you can also try to use Incognito mode or Private Mode of your browser or use another browser.
E.g If your mobile phone is with Optus, or Amaysim, etc. but your Home internet is with Telstra, you should connection to the home Wi-Fi to open our site.
If your home Internet is with Optus or TPG, etc. but your mobile phone is with Vodafone or Telstra, you should turn off your mobile phone’s Wi-Fi connection to open our site. - Change the DNS server address on your device
You can try to set your DNS server to 8.8.4.4 or 4.4.4.4, if you know how to do so. Those 2 servers are google DNS servers and they are currently pointing our site name to the correct IP addresses. - Use a PHP Proxy Site
Google ‘Australian PHP Proxy site’ then use one of them and type vapedfoaustralia.com into the page you just opened. Then you can access our site. (Some customers say they can open the site but can’t place an order) - Download a free VPN App (recommended)
Use your phone to search ‘VPN’ app in your Play Store or App Store and download the first or second ranked app. Once installed and turned on, the VPN app will help you unlocking any site that is blocked by any ISP (Internet service provider).
Hopefully, Optus will fix this bug soon. Leave a comment below and we’ll reply to you soon.