AOL users getting "Not permitted to use board", Try some of the following steps Options

[buzz]

If you're using AOL and getting this exact error message: "You are not permitted to use this board", your account is NOT necessarily banned from IDF, but one of the IPs that the AOL proxies use, might have been blacklisted by us.

Here are some steps to try to ensure you can reliably connect to IDF w/o experiencing such errors:

1. Don't use the AOL browser, use Microsoft Internet Explorer or Firefox ( http://www.getfirefox.com/ ).

2. In IE, goto Tools menu, Options, Connections tab, LAN settings button, ensure everything is unchecked on that screen. You may wish to write down any settings that may be there to go back to it later.

3. In Firefox, goto Tools menu, Options, General tab on left pane, Connection Settings button, ensure "Direct connection to the Internet" is selected.

Remember, the instructions above are only good if you experience the exact "You are not permitted to use this board" error intermittently on AOL (ie: shows up every once in awhile or for a few hours at a time during the day).

If you are still seeing that error, please help us fix it by doing the following:
1. Once you get that error on IDF, goto this website: http://checkip.dyndns.org/ and write down the IP shown.
2. After you can access idolforums.com again, please post that IP to this Questions & Comments forum topic: AOL err: "You are not permitted to use this board".

Please only report things to us if you are using AOL and getting that message. If you are not, chances are that you are indeed banned. Do NOT create additional accounts if you are getting that message. Just try logging in a few hours later.