Over the last 4 days I have been reworking the IP based access system for the site.  The over all result is the ability for any member to temporarily add their unique IP address to the system to grant themselves access in situations where they may find themselves connecting in a not previously allowed subnet.  Changes to the way the system verifies access and cleanup of a couple of problem child plugins has resulted in an increased speed of page access by 5x to 10x.

How it works: The system goes through a series of checks to determine if you have access.

  1. First it checks to see if your ip is part of an allowed list.  If you are, you are given a cookie which contains your validation and persists for 30 days.  On future visits or page loads the system checks if you have a cookie and if it does it bypasses checking the database which is faster.  If you are given a cookie you are given an approved “php server session” which is even faster to validate then a cookie.  This will persist until you close your browser at which time the system will check for a cookie again.
  2. Now if you did not validate in step one you will be redirected to the Lancet Fish page. You can now temporarily grant yourself access by going to the following page which will add your unique ip to the database until I can review and add your new subnet.

The access page is ldtlan.com/access.
Login: lanmember
Pass: Grantmeaccess99801

Post your replies if you have any questions.