* * * WARNING * * *

BotBanish is designed to modify your root and SMF .htaccess file. Upon installation, BotBanish will automatically create a backup of the existing .htaccess, SSI.php and index.php files as well as the Source and Themes folders and the setting table for recovery. As a best practice, it is recommended to initiate the process with a clean .htaccess file and then carefully reintegrate your custom entries following the installation.

The individual tasked with overseeing BotBanish for SMF must possess a robust understanding of PHP, FTP, and essential .htaccess commands. With the introduction of BotBanish version 5.0.00, featuring an interface exclusively accessible to administrators, the maintenance of BotBanish table entries, which are instrumental in governing the functionality of the system, will be significantly facilitated.

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Introducing the BotBanish Firewall Client: A Robust, Cutting-Edge Solution for Superior Network Protection:

BotBanishClient is a sophisticated software solution designed to safeguard your digital infrastructure. It diligently monitors bot and user activity, effectively identifying and mitigating malicious attempts to compromise your system. This entails thwarting brute force attacks, preventing the creation of illegitimate user accounts, and detecting vulnerabilities that could be exploited. Furthermore, BotBanishClient provides a robust defense against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, curtails unauthorized data extraction, and prevents bandwidth exploitation, ensuring comprehensive protection for your website from a multitude of cyber threats.

How BotBanish Works:

BotBanish continuously monitors every attempt to access the system, identifying specific URL phrases indicative of attempts to exploit vulnerabilities. Upon detecting such activity, BotBanish swiftly responds by updating the .htaccess file to block the offending IP address, preventing further attacks from that source.

Recognizing that IP addresses can be dynamic, this proactive measure may inadvertently block legitimate users. To address this, it is recommended to establish a clear process for users to contact the system administrator and request an unblock should they be affected by a shifted IP previously associated with a malicious entity. System administrators can then promptly remove the IP address from the BotBanish blacklist. For lasting protection, legitimate IP addresses should be added to the BotBanish whitelist, ensuring uninterrupted access. To unblock an IP, administrators simply need to remove the entry from the BotBanish blacklist.

Uses:

BotBanish seamlessly integrates providing automatic detection and termination of bots identified as malicious or counterfeit users. BotBanish efficiently logs such incidents for administrative review. By continuously monitoring and restricting access to unauthorized entities, BotBanish enhances system security without burdening resources, a proactive measure allowing your website to focus on performance rather than defense against repetitive bot incursions.

For optimal functionality, please ensure that the following line is removed from your .htaccess file as it may disrupt the processing of user agents:

RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} ^(.+)$

Limitations:

This software is exclusively engineered for the PHP, MySQL, and Apache environments. It is optimized for PHP 8.1.x, Apache 2.4.x, and MySQL 5.7.x, ensuring peak performance and stability. To maintain compatibility, the minimum required versions are PHP 7.4.x, Apache 2.2.x, and MySQL 5.6.x.

Analytics:

BotBanish meticulously gathers data on visitor interactions, tracking page views and file downloads from your website. Access these valuable insights by choosing 'Analytics' from the BotBanish dashboard. For optimal analytical performance, we recommend utilizing SEO-friendly URLs.

Installation Instructions:

BotBanish is seamlessly integrated through the Package Manager included with SMF software.

Administrator-exclusive settings are nestled within the BotBanish->Settings main menu, ensuring that only those with administrative privileges can access and modify them.

By default, BotBanish communicates through the SMF error log file. Administrators have the option to switch notification delivery to email by altering the relevant parameter in the Settings. The installation of this package introduces modifications to the default theme templates "Packages.template", "index.template", and "Register.template" that may not translate correctly to other themes. Manual application of these changes is necessary for themes other than the default.

Disregarding these changes on alternative themes will result in the interoperability of login and registration page BOT detection for those themes.

Installation errors can occur if pre-existing modifications from other MODs conflict with the code BotBanish is programmed to modify. Should you face such issues, we request you inform us of the conflicting MODs to facilitate an updated release of BotBanish. Assistance would be enhanced by providing screenshots of your current MODs in the Package Manager. For this purpose, please visit our support forum at https://randemsystems.support/support/ and navigate to the BotBanish section to post your information.

Languages:

BotBanish is presently equipped to offer support in these languages:

English
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Spanish
Swedish

Before installing the new version, it is imperative to uninstall the previous version. Rest assured, no functionality will be compromised, provided you opt not to remove data during the uninstall process.


To install new version you MUST uninstall old version first (complete with all data). If you are re-installing version 5.0, no functionality will be lost if you DO NOT select to delete data on uninstall.


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// BotBanish Website: https://botbanish.com
// BotBanish Support: https://randemsystems.support
// Release History: https://randemsystems.support
botbanish-release-history/
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License.txt 1.33 KB

BotBanish_Client_SMF_v5.2.01.zip 1.27 MB v5.2.01 2.1.3, 2.1.4

BotBanish_PreInstall.zip 111.33 KB

Manual installation info 2.1.3 2.1.4