# Does your computer still go to the OLD bbs server?



## Makai Guy (Apr 9, 2006)

[NOTE: This thread no longer applies as we have moved from the server mentioned here to another one.  Please see this thread instead:
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28902]


We moved from the old server to the new server at IP 208.97.140.207 about 11 pm EDT on Friday April 7.  We entered this change into our domain registrar's system at that time.  

It takes a finite amount of time for this change to trickle its way down through the DNS system to get to all the name servers used by the internet providers all over the world.  When your nameserver gets the update, www.tugbbs.com will take you to the new server at IP 208.97.140.207 instead of the old one at 82.165.192.112.

The update hit the name servers for my BellSouth account sometime around 4pm on Saturday April 8 and all was well.  Then for some reason my nameservers returned to the OLD ip number for tugbbs.com a few hours later.  It has switched back and forth a couple of times since then.  I don't know if this is net-wide or something unique to my BellSouth servers.  Either way, it's a pain for me because when the nameserver has the old IP number, normal links and bookmarks/favorites to the bbs just take me to the old, shut down, bbs and I have to click the temporary link to get here.

Here's what I've done to handle this situation on my computer, and you can do the same thing if you need to:
Locate the file on your computer simply named _hosts_ (with no filename extension).  Note that this may be in a hidden directory on your computer, so you may have to search in hidden and system files to find it.
Open the _hosts_ file in any plain text editor like Windows Notepad.
If you've never done anything with this file before, it will probably only have one line in it:
127.0.0.1    localhost​although there may be some additional comment lines above it.  Directly under the localhost line, add the following in its own separate line:
208.97.140.207    www.tugbbs.com​
Save the file back to its original location.  _IMPORTANT_: If you're using an editor that gives you a choice of formats in which to save, be sure to save as _plain text_.

Now, when you try to go to any address on www.tugbbs.com, your computer will find the correct IP right there in the hosts file and won't even check with your internet provider's name server.

Note that, should our host server ever change our IP number, your hosts file will now be wrong.  Should that ever happen, just delete that line from the file.

Here's a link to an article about hosts files, including their default locations on various operating systems: 
Hosts file - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


----------



## ladycody (Apr 9, 2006)

For the first day...it kept going to the original ...then I deleted it from my favorites and resaved to my favorites from the new page.  No problems now.


----------



## Makai Guy (Apr 9, 2006)

ladycody said:
			
		

> For the first day...it kept going to the original ...then I deleted it from my favorites and resaved to my favorites from the new page.  No problems now.



If you saved a favorite after getting to the bbs _via the temporary link at the old server_, you've saved a link to the tugbbs.*net* domain address.  This is OK for the short term but may present some difficulties for you long term, so you should switch back to using the tugbbs.*com* address as soon as it starts working for you.  

Either tugbbs.*net* and tugbbs.*com* will work for you _at the moment_, although you may run into problems with tugbbs.net.  Many internal links to other parts of the bbs will reflect whichever address you connected through, but there are some (especially posted links to threads) which may be hardcoded for tugbbs.*com* addresses.   All the links to the bbs from all over the rest of the TUG site (and the rest of the net, for that matter) send you to the tugbbs.com address.

Once www.tugbbs.com takes you to the current bbs, it means your internet provider's DNS server has received the update, and you can safely save a new favorite to use (or go back to using your old one if you still have it).

If, in a day or two, www.tugbbs.com still doesn't take you to the active board, you might consider the workaround suggested in the first post.


----------



## Kay H (Apr 9, 2006)

How do I know if I get the new or the old?  I log on thru favirites and I get the bbs but it doesn't look any different.  The posts are current though.


----------



## Pat H (Apr 9, 2006)

Kay H said:
			
		

> How do I know if I get the new or the old?  I log on thru favirites and I get the bbs but it doesn't look any different.  The posts are current though.



I was going to ask the same question as Kay but then I noticed that the address says tugbbs.com not net so it is the new location. I'm still using my old favorite link though. Do I have to change it?


----------



## Kay H (Apr 9, 2006)

At the very top of the page after Timeshare User's Group mine says www.tug2.net.  Am I still on the old board?  Am I still in left field?


----------



## Makai Guy (Apr 9, 2006)

Kay H said:
			
		

> How do I know if I get the new or the old?  I log on thru favirites and I get the bbs but it doesn't look any different.  The posts are current though.



If you are reading this, you are on the new and active server.

The bbs on the old server is shut down.  If you are taken there, you'll just see a page that gives you a temporary link to go here to the active board.


----------



## Makai Guy (Apr 9, 2006)

Kay H said:
			
		

> At the very top of the page after Timeshare User's Group mine says www.tug2.net.  Am I still on the old board?  Am I still in left field?



If you mean what's shown above the red link bar at the top of the page, that's just a graphical image file, and the address shown on it refers to the main TUG homepage.  It has not changed with the bbs switch to the new server.


----------



## Makai Guy (Apr 9, 2006)

Pat H said:
			
		

> ... I noticed that the address says tugbbs.com not net so it is the new location. I'm still using my old favorite link though. Do I have to change it?



No, if your favorite brings you here, and the address shows as being at tugbbs.com, then your internet provider's DNS server is up to date and you can continue to use the same favorite.


----------



## Kay H (Apr 9, 2006)

Yhanks, Doug.  I like to be on the same page as everyone else.


----------

