Piedmont Triad/Greensboro Airport Wifi blocks Gunbroker etc.

I carry my own portable, battery powered LTE to wifi router everywhere. Whenever that's not feasible, I VPN to my own server and connect to whatever site I want. Restrictions are effective only if you're not prepared to circumvent them.

EDIT: there's also an easy, near zero-effort way to do it with a regular browser, using a proxy site like hide.me.

Another annoying but understandable thing that I have noticed....

While on vacation near Cancun, Mexico in February, I experienced firearm websites beginning to block/filter traffic coming from foreign IP addresses. I was trying to purchase extended choke tubes for my trap shotgun. I had to wait until I got back into the US to order.

The past few weeks I was in Singapore for work, same problem where some of the really large online firearm retailers are blocking their sites with a subscription to a filtering service that block traffic from outside the US. I am only looking to purchase my first revolver, not cause any trouble. I travel a lot and need to order and pickup in a short window while back home in the US.

Netflix and other online media has been blocked for Years, but this is going to get worse unless you are willing to find a way to work around this as described above.

SwaneeSR said:

I experienced firearm websites beginning to block/filter traffic coming from foreign IP addresses.

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That's unfortunately common. And highly annoying whenever you're just trying to find product information, reviews, read articles and so on. Just as an example, I've complained to GunsAmerica about half a dozen times; they're happy to keep me on their mailing list but all links in digest emails are inaccessible unless I use a US-based proxy. I can't imagine what they (and others) think they're trying to accomplish with this, maybe an ISP has succeeded in selling them an "enhanced security" hosting service for an additional monthly fee and they've bought into the bs, hook, line and sinker.

I've had some gun related websites blocked at GSP airport in SC before..
As mentioned, the easy solution around ALL such restrictions is a VPN to an unblocked server. Or use your own 4G connection on your cell phone.

One likely explanation: They have purchased a firewall/content-blocker product that comes pre-programmed (and updated via pushes from the vendor) with all kinds of "bans" and blocks built in. It may not represent any kind of affirmative decision by the airport at all.

I've experienced the same thing at local coffee shops. Suddenly I'll get "blocked--weapons content." The owner usually says they have no idea why it's happening and sometimes claims not to be able to control it. I make sure they understand why I'm not patronizing their business and all but one have managed to fix it. Clearly filters pushed from the manufacturer.

Yep. A lot of firewall-type services will come with a long menu of categories of things to block, and by default come with all of them activated. "JUST MAKE US SAFE!!!" is what the customer often says, and so they just keep all the switches flipped to max-protect.

hq wrote:
I can't imagine what they (and others) think they're trying to accomplish with this,...

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Just a guess, but they may be blocking all foreign IP addresses to ensure compliance with ITAR regarding international trafficing in arms.

Given the penalties for the unlicensed export of U.S. weapons and components to foreign countries, I suspect that rather than trying to work out whether or not you are a U.S. Citizen buying arms or components for delivery to a U.S. Citizen within the United States for which a foreigner was not a party, they just don't accept connections from outside the U.S.

Rather than sticking up a giant metaphorical red flag saying, "State Department, Come investigate me!", I'd certainly block every ping from outside the United States.

Ignition Override wrote:
Piedmont Triad/Greensboro Airport Wifi blocks Gunbroker etc.

...

Is the Left Coast steadily taking over North Carolina thinking about sporting rifles?

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Following on with post #12, it might have less to do with anti-gun prejudice than that the airport authority has contracted their WiFi service out to a company using servers in a foreign country and the gun-related sites are blocking the connection so as not to run afoul of international arms trafficing prohibitions.

The firewall/security system at my office blocks weapons sites, but allows users to click through. It shows a screen saying that "the site may be in violation of your firm's policy," but we have no policy against looking at pictures of guns or reading about them. Why, then, do we have that message? It came programmed that way from the security software vendor. Nothing to do with ITAR, nothing to do with international traffic (that kicks off a different message)... strictly what it came pre-programmed with. And the IT folks are just too risk averse and/or too busy to go fiddling with it.

hdwhit said:

Just a guess, but they may be blocking all foreign IP addresses to ensure compliance with ITAR regarding international trafficing in arms.

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That might actually be a part of their logic, but as websites are just bits of data. Credit cards and delivery addresses are scrutinized before shipment and thousands of manufacturers, shops, dealers and sites don't block foreign IP:s because there's no real reason whatsoever to do so. Those fairly rare sites that do just overreact to the point of their choice being uninformed and ridiculous. Not that they wouldn't have the right to filter IP:s if they want - or pressurized to do so by their ISP - but I can't imagine an average or even a computer savvy firearms dealer fully understanding how nonexistent the benefit is. And how easily it can be circumvented by anyone, anywhere if need be.

hq wrote:
...websites are just bits of data.

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And if those bits of data add up to a transaction resulting the unlicensed export of arms, ammunition or components the seller can not only be out of business, but everyone involved can be doing hard time. That's a steep price to pay for the commission off of a gun sale. And you have to bear in mind that since it is originating from a foreign IP address, the transmission is subject to government surveilence without a warrant until such time as it becomes clear that an American Citizen is involved.

Since American Citizens on business or vacation overseas ordering guns or gun parts for delivery to their home address is probably a miniscule part of any seller's business, you can call people who don't want a visit from some friendly Federal Agents for no real benefit "uninformed and ridiculous", but I would think of them a reasonable and prudent.

hdwhit said:

And if those bits of data add up to a transaction resulting the unlicensed export of arms, ammunition or components the seller can not only be out of business, but everyone involved can be doing hard time.

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Until a transaction is made and ITAR controlled goods actually leave the country without a valid export license, all of this is nothing more than speculation. No different than a US resident being able to browse the inventory of a German online candy store selling Kinder Easter eggs.

Wow, this is the first I've heard of this. As far as I know we're still good to go at PDX.

Simple solution: turn the WIFI off on your phone and use your LTE. Or get your own hotspot like hq.

I got a free Sonic Wall Firewall to play/test with from Dell. I don't have time at work to play with such things, so I took it home and installed it. It is interesting and I think has a higher learning curve than my ASA. Finally got it up and running and the NAT figured out. Heading to the "thehighroad.org" and it was blocked due to its content (guns). The content filter was on by default and someone/somewhere determined that firearms content was verboten. I turned off the content filter. Too intrusive. Will be testing an Palo Alto in another week. Favorite home firewall, the Cisco ASA5506X. Works like a champ and their AnyConnect VPN client using IPSEC and certificates. A safer way for remote access.

What I am trying to say is that some enterprises use web content filters from third parties that think guns are equivalent with porn and block it all. There is no way an enterprise can keep track of all the sites on their own so they use a company that does. They pay a fee and get an updated list on an almost daily basis.