API Access Denied

[darxis 0]

Hello,

I have been using the API for 3 months. Today, it suddenly stopped working.

I receive an "Access Denied" error.

When I use a different computer with a different IP it works.

I think I have some DNS resolving issues, because when I manually browse to https://ciapi.cityindex.com/ on both computers, I am seeing different webpages (screenshot in attachment, valid.png is from the computer on which API is working, invalid.png is from the computer on which it is not working).

I have run the following command to query the Google/OpenDNS DNS servers for ciapi.cityindex.com and it is giving me different results.

nslookup ciapi.cityindex.com. 8.8.8.8

Which is giving me the following different results:
This one is the result on the machine where the API is not working:
 

C:\Users\Administrator>nslookup ciapi.cityindex.com. 8.8.8.8
Server:  google-public-dns-a.google.com
Address:  8.8.8.8

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    e13934.b.akamaiedge.net
Address:  23.43.121.124
Aliases:  ciapi.cityindex.com
          ciapi.cityindex.com.edgekey.net

C:\Users\Administrator>nslookup ciapi.cityindex.com. 208.67.222.222
Server:  resolver1.opendns.com
Address:  208.67.222.222

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    e13934.b.akamaiedge.net
Address:  23.43.121.124
Aliases:  ciapi.cityindex.com
          ciapi.cityindex.com.edgekey.net

And the following one is the result on the machine where the API is working:

C:\Users\Administrator>nslookup ciapi.cityindex.com. 8.8.8.8
Server:  google-public-dns-a.google.com
Address:  8.8.8.8

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    e13934.b.akamaiedge.net
Address:  104.96.153.135
Aliases:  ciapi.cityindex.com
          ciapi.cityindex.com.edgekey.net

C:\Users\Administrator>nslookup ciapi.cityindex.com. 208.67.222.222
Server:  resolver1.opendns.com
Address:  208.67.222.222

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    e13934.b.akamaiedge.net
Address:  172.227.187.138
Aliases:  ciapi.cityindex.com
          ciapi.cityindex.com.edgekey.net

As you can see, on the "not working" computer, OpenDNS and Google DNS gives me the same, invalid IP, and on the "working" computer it gives me two different IP addresses.

I have experienced once the same problem with Akamai when using the time.windows.com NTP server. I have not fixed it, and just switched to another NTP server.

Can anyone help me with this issue? I really don't know why the DNS servers are giving me wrong query results on this computer...

EDIT

I have read that the Access Denied error appears for Akamai websites when the website has policies to block the end user (https://community.akamai.com/customers/s/article/Why-is-Akamai-blocking-me)

Please see this thread and fix your blocking policies, so that I can access the API.

 

This screenshot below is taken on a machine with a IP which is not experiencing this problem.

 

And this screenshot below is taken on the machine with the IP experiencing the problem.

[Physicsman 25]

Hi Darxis,

The URL for the API is https://ciapi.cityindex.com/tradingapi/, all your calls should use this URL.

Please send some test API calls to this URL and see if it is working for you too.

Kind Regards, PM

[darxis 0]

42 minutes ago, Physicsman said:

Hi Darxis,

The URL for the API is https://ciapi.cityindex.com/tradingapi/, all your calls should use this URL.

Please send some test API calls to this URL and see if it is working for you too.

Kind Regards, PM

I know, I have been using the API for 3 months without problems.

I am manually browsing to https://ciapi.cityindex.com/ just to prove, that it is a Akamai policy that is blocking my IP.

Browsing to https://ciapi.cityindex.com/tradingapi/ returns the same "Access Denied" error as well as the endpoint to authenticate ("session").

EDIT:

See the below sceenshot. Try to manually browse to https://ciapi.cityindex.com/tradingapi/ and you will not see this error, just my IP will see this because it is blocked. You will get the "Ajax Test Harness" webpage, my IP won't.

 

[Physicsman 25]

Hi Darxis,

Reading the Akamai article, reasons for the "Access Denied" error could range from IP / location blocking to reputation based blocking. 

Due to client information being compartmentalised to only certain teams, please contact your account manager (should you have one) or client services and explain the issue. They can then have the appropriate technical team check whether there is an IP / location block on you, and if not investigate the issue further.

Kind Regards, PM!

[darxis 0]

Physicsman,

Thanks for your reply.

I have checked the client reputation lookup tool, and it reported that my IP is OK. So I assume it is a policy set by the website owner that has been triggered.

I have recontacted the client services, they told me that the tech team will contact me soon. I will update this thread when the issue is fixed.

 

[darxis 0]

I have been contacting the API support team through the "apisupport@gaincapital.com" for nearly 5 months, and they still haven't looked at this issue... I have reminded them several times about this issue, and they always responded that they will forward my request to the API team. They have done nothing about this issue... Very dissapointing

My IP is still blocked... I can't access the API at all for 5 months...

[Physicsman 25]

Hi Darxis,

Apologies for the delay in resolving this issue.

I'm assuming you are a FOREX.com client in the US? I would suggest instead of "apisupport" that you contact FOREX.com US client services:

Toll Free: 1.877.367.3946
support@forex.com

Since client services use a ticketing system for every client query then this won't be "lost" or left unresolved but is tracked in the internal ticket. 

Kind Regards, PM

[darxis 0]

Hi @Physicsman

I am not a US customer. On the chat support they told me to contact the "apisupport" email so I have done so. When emailing it I receive a ticket reference number, so I assume it is tracked.

Regards

[Physicsman 25]

Hi Darxis,

I would suggest that you insist on speaking with one of the Client Services supervisors to expedite this issue - as waiting months to resolve is not really acceptable. The website for the brand where you are a customer should have contact information to get in touch with client services. 

Kind Regards, PM

[darxis 0]

It turned out that my support tickets were already handled by the Client Services supervisor, he said that the only thing he can do is to write follow-ups to the IT team, and he done that already many times, and they just ignore this issue...

It is still unresolved, 4 months later, nice Forex.com support...

[Physicsman 25]

Hi Darxis,

I have escalated your query to the global head of client services to look into so we should have a resolution sooner rather than later. 

Kind Regards, PM

[darxis 0]

Thank you very much Physicsman

[darxis 0]

Hi again @Physicsman

I am experiencing the same issue again, could you please help me again with escalating this issue so I don't have to wait months until my IP is unblocked?

Thanks

[Physicsman 25]

Hi Darxis,

I'll send you a private message on this forum with further contact information to progress this problem. 

Kind Regards, PM