Of course AOL had to fix it! They were issuing IP addresses which were registered as being in the USA when they were actually in the UK. They had two choices, either allocate different IP addresses so that only UK registered IP addresses were given to UK users or change the registration of the IP addresses they are allocating to say they were in the UK. Either way UK users end up with UK registered IP addresses.

Plusnet has already done that - the responsibility lies with Sky to check where the IP address is registered as being from the RIPE database.

There is no precedent because the reason for the issue is totally different.

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

What I'm saying is that when the BBC had a similar problem, it was AOL (the ISP) who had to fix it.
This time Sky TV has the problem and the precedent set means that Plusnet (the ISP) should fix it.

The BBC didn't have a problem. AOL had the problem. This time Sky has the problem.

This is getting quite surreal. I'm beginning to think I've stepped into a parallel universe where the normal laws of logic no longer apply...

You suddenly appear to know a great deal about the problems that the BBC had with AOL that doesn't appear online. I wonder where you're getting this information from?

I'm sure that everyone who is experiencing this problem with Sky TV would benefit from your guidance. Note, it's not just the OP and it's not just Plusnet.

I agree. Even more surreal when even the ISP says they're a soft touch!

In reply to a post by jelv:

The point is that the RIPE database said they were in the USA.

Actually, the RIPE database wouldn't even know about these AOL IPs.
They were registered on the ARIN database. All RIPE could say about them is "not in Europe".
Quite different from the current situation.

edit - ah found it, although it took some digging.
AOL browser used to use uk.proxy.aol.com as proxy server. However, the IP address of that proxy (205.188.146.146) has not been assigned by RIPE but by ARIN. And as I said, a query to the RIPE database returns: "If you see this object as a result of a single IP query, it means that the IP address you are querying is not managed by the RIPE NCC [...]". And of course ARIN reports it as US (Virginia to be precise).
So completely different from this case which is correctly registered with RIPE etc etc.

Edited by deleted (Thu 24-Jan-13 19:10:34)

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

You buy a horse. You go to ride it along a public bridleway, but the landowner has padlocked the gate shut.

In your analysis, the horse is not fit for purpose because the seller has not made the landowner open the gate, and you hold the horse-seller responsible.

Ah, but see, they are saying that somebody 10 years ago bought a 3-legged horse, and that couldn't go on the public bridleway either, and somehow they see it as evidence that any horse who cannot go on the bridleway, for whatever reason, must be missing a leg.

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

I assume the RIPE conversation never happened?

Plusnet asks RIPE for a block of UK IP addresses, RIPE complies. As far as RIPE's responsibility goes, that's it.

What happens when Plusnet purchases a block of IP's previously allocated to e.g. Nortel Networks?

In reply to a post by BatBoy:

What happens when Plusnet purchases a block of IP's previously allocated to e.g. Nortel Networks?

If the IP addresses were previously allocated by RIPE to Nortel Networks, the RIPE database would be updated to show they are now allocated to Plusnet.

Or to be more precise, there would be two updates, one showing as "unallocated" and the second one as "allocated to plusnet".
This could cause a different type of problem when some sited have seen the first update but not the second and decide you don't exist.
(/notes that about 13 ranges have gone from "allocated" to "unallocated" this week... you have been warned )