Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia anyone* can edit, blocks T-Mobile's entire IPv6 address space of 2607:fb90/32 from anonymous editing and account creation and has for years.[1] For reference, that is 79,228,162,514,264,337,593,543,950,336 or 2^96 IPv6 addresses. Most T-Mobile customers use native IPv6 without knowing it, so they have de facto blocked an entire nationwide ISP. Since they now sell home internet, this is not just limited to mobiles anymore. Wikipedia has published a sob story[2] where they justify these actions, claiming it's so difficult to ban IPv6 users because the addresses dynamically change when the device is restarted and the address space is so large, and T-Mobile's use of proxy acceleration, they are left with no choice but to ban the entire ISP's customer base, all 110 million of them. Their "advice" is to have a friend on another ISP create an account for you on a desktop computer. Why even allow access over IPv6 at all at that point, if they can't deal with the management of it? This is all especially hilarious and hypocritical given this quote:<p>"The Wikimedia Foundation believes that the principle of net neutrality is critical to the future of the open Internet."<p>[1] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&page=User%3A2607%3AFB90%3A0%3A0%3A0%3A0%3A0%3A0%2F32&type=block" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&page=...</a><p>[2] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Advice_to_T-Mobile_IPv6_users" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Advice_to_T-Mobile_I...</a>
Wikipedia has long done the same thing for Tor relays, anonymous VPNs, and other ISPs that do this kind of proxy acceleration.<p>It is a tricky issue, but I have a lot of sympathy for the folks at Wikipedia trying to deal with absolutely massive amounts of spam and malicious editing. I'm not an admin there, but I read it a lot and lurk a bit behind the scenes, and maybe fix a few typos every now and then. If you've ever moderated a forum or a comment section with even just a bit of popularity, you know how hard that can be. They're a top 10 website globally, so getting spam on a popular Wikipedia article even for just a few seconds can get you massive pageviews. Then to add to the challenge, Wikipedia is one of the only user-generated content sites that *do not require you to register an account.* Unthinkable in today's internet.<p>From what I understand, this is what the OP is concerned about: people editing without having to register an account. I have no idea why this is so important to some Wikipedia folks. You don't have to give your real name or personal info when you register an account. You don't even have to give an e-mail address, much less validate it. Editing without an account is incredibly generous in the first place. So I see the reason behind the restrictions on anonymous editing from IPs like Tor relays, VPNs, open anonymous proxies, and ISPs with proxy acceleration where large-scale long-term campaigns have been launched from across the /32 block. It might take a little work to find an internet connection on another ISP or to have a friend or family create it for you. But I don't see it as some huge injustice.
Isn't this just for non-logged in users? Needing to sign up to edit is a non-issue, you don't even have to provide an email address.<p>Almost no website, HN included, let you submit content without a form of registration, Wikipedia could block all non registered users and still be "the free encyclopedia anyone can edit".
From the second wikipedia link:<p>Solutions
Create an account
Blocks on T-Mobile IPv6 servers are set to "anon. only" (sometimes abbreviated as "AO" or "AB") meaning only registered users who have logged in can edit from this IP address. If you are currently blocked from creating an account, we suggest the following:<p>Create an account on a desktop or laptop computer and then log in with your phone.
Ask a trusted friend on a different network to create an account for you. You may use Wikipedia:Request an account.
Try again after the block on your IP address expires. Go to my contributions and follow the Block log link at the top of the page to find the length of the block.
See Why create an account? for a full list of benefits that come with registration.<p>Bypass T-Mobile's IPv6 servers
The easiest solution to avoid being blocked from editing Wikipedia while using T-Mobile is to bypass their servers altogether. By connecting to the Wikipedia servers from your desktop or laptop computer (or from your WiFi), the IP address that Wikipedia's server will see is one that is owned by your desktop ISP, rather than that of T-Mobile.<p>Instead of editing Wikipedia using the T-Mobile cellular connection, try using your WiFi connection. (This is increasingly a false dichotomy. T-Mobile is pushing into the home internet market with 5G cellular—to the tune of more than 640k US households at the close of 2021.)
Use a desktop or laptop, or WiFi only tablet computer. These computers are most likely not using T-Mobile, and therefore, do not route traffic through T-Mobile servers.
Autoblocked
If you have already logged into an account and your block message reads "Autoblocked because your IP address has been recently used by" followed by a username, or your block log (check via the Block log link at the top of your "my contributions" page) does not list any current blocks, then you have been autoblocked. Please go back to your blocked page and follow the instructions under the Autoblocked? section or alternatively here.
Isn't this an inherent problem when ISPs make it too easy for users to move between IP addresses? What other options do they have to stop IP-hopping vandals?
To whoever is annoyed at this, please use this space to discuss this instead of vandalizing the Wikipedia:Advice_to_T-Mobile_IPv6_users page in an incredibly childish way ('we are poo poo heads').
This is why you don't use IP endpoints as proxies for user bans.<p>IP != person.<p>What people want but aren't willing to admit is a UUID per person so that a person can be "written out" of or "safely excluded from" social systems.<p>The moment we make that technically feasible is the moment we've pretty much set up for having to embark on some of the most bloody tragic learning our species is likely to have to be faced with.
I honestly can’t wait for the day when we’re all only using IPv6. I know that day may never come but I’m curious how everyone would deal with being unable to block dynamically changing addresses.
Editing without logging in is setting you up for failure anyway (and honestly I think WP should join every other site on the internet in requiring an account to edit; it doesn't even require an email). Just request an account. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Request_an_account" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Request_an_account</a>)
Maybe they did this to thwart abuse from users on prepaid plans from TMUS MVNOs?<p>Either way, users can just WireGuard their way in (Mullvad supports IPv6 tunnels)