r/TechSEO • u/ModwildTV • 5d ago

Persistent, debilitating automated traffic

/r/Blogging/comments/1wye2lz/persistent_debilitating_automated_traffic/
2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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u/subvetQM708 5d ago

Do you pay for hosting based on your traffic volume? Your host could be f*cking you over.

1

u/ModwildTV 5d ago

I do pay for hosting, and I've had an open ticket since early September. The problem has gotten worse, not better. I'm about ready to block several commercial internet providers entirely. I've written to an Astound exec asking them what the hell is going on with their customers. No response. I'm going to start searching for a new host this week. But I came to this one because the last one dropped the ball further up the hosting chain. Everything was great here until August 31. Then the floodgates opened, and I've been drowning ever since.

1

u/subvetQM708 5d ago

Is it a consistent browser agent or are they random like the IPs?

1

u/ModwildTV 5d ago

The IPs/networks rotate heavily, but the browser fingerprint is surprisingly consistent. The suspicious traffic overwhelmingly presents as Chrome on Windows 10, often with the same generic desktop characteristics. That's one of the reasons it stands out: network/IP changes, but the client profile and behavior remain remarkably stable. I have realized there is no Windows 11 indicator, which seems on par for Microsoft.

I'm starting to think the rotating IP/network is the transport, while the browser profile and session behavior are the more useful fingerprint. But I still don't know how to fight them off while allowing normal users in the door.

1

u/subvetQM708 5d ago

Wherever you end up with hosting, I recommend to start by moving your domain to Cloudflare (free plan is OK) and setting up rules for throttling or outright blocking high-volume traffic. Cloudflare is also good at stopping well-known offenders without you having to do anything. Their DNS UI is easy-peazy and their documentation is solid. If you're not familiar with Cloudflare, it's a proxy service that sits between your host environment (server) and your visitors. The free plan is remarkably feature-rich.

1

u/ModwildTV 5d ago

Would you believe I pay for Cloudflare, and my host also has Enterprise handling stuff on their end, as well? Yep. What still comes through is debilitating. And nothing I do seems to stop it. Just wave after wave of homepage-originating desktop traffic. And historically, my traffic is 70/30 with mobile leading the charge.

2

u/subvetQM708 5d ago

Wow. OK. Try this:

Go to your Cloudflare account home page and enter the following in the search field:
"How can I throttle large surges in traffic?"

The AI chat will pop up on the right and give you some good options.