Current Version of MX?

[KM]

that's because if you request https://www.winmx.com/ from that server, it redirects you to http://winmx.com/ (which did take you to the original site, until they turned it off) - certain other people deliberately turned www.winmx.com in to an advert, however i just redirected to winmx.com because nobody is trying to be frontcode here

[Mr. Chjitz]

that's because if you request https://www.winmx.com/ from that server, it redirects you to http://winmx.com/ (which did take you to the original site, until they turned it off) - certain other people deliberately turned www.winmx.com in to an advert, however i just redirected to winmx.com because nobody is trying to be frontcode here

that's because if you request https://www.winmx.com/ from that server, it redirects you to http://winmx.com/ (which did take you to the original site, until they turned it off) - certain other people deliberately turned www.winmx.com in to an advert, however i just redirected to winmx.com because nobody is trying to be frontcode here

More than I needed to know.
This is getting to be worse than pulling teeth.
Its amazing how what seems to me like a simple question can be so obfuscated.
Let's try one more time:
1. In my IE6 address bar I key "www.winmx.com"
2. I expect that the HOST file entry would cause the address sent out to be 212.227.64.159 (as if I typed that IP into my IE6 address bar)
3. I get an unexpected page not found.  Actually I just tried it and got "Sorry, no information is available for the URL www.winmx.com"
4. If I manually type the 212.227.64.159 IP into IE6 address box, I get the expected minmxgroup logo'd screen with links to dowload fixes.

So the HOST file entry does NOT (apparently) just substitute the IP for the name.
Yes I rebooted and flushed the dns cache.

Hopefully here's a second, hopefully simpler question: Where is the edit post or delete post key in this forum. The only way I can see to edit a post is to post it twice!!

[KM]

that's because most web servers handle multiple websites (that one is no exception) - if you ask the server for the website at http://212.227.64.159/ then you will get redirected to winmxgroup (or indeed any hostname it doesn't recognise it will send you there), however if you actually request https://www.winmxgroup.com/ then it sends the winmxgroup page (rather than a redirect), if you request https://www.winmx.com/ it redirects you to http://winmx.com/, and if for example you request https://www.winmxworld.com/ then it sends you the winmxworld website

the hosts file directs your browser (intended to only do the IE window in winmx, but unfortunately effects everything) to send any requests for the server at www.winmx.com to 212.227.64.159 instead, so it will still request the same URL, just from a different server

[Mr. Chjitz]

H E L P ... anyone here understand the above goooblygoook response???
where  is ME HERE who at least seemed to be intelligilble?

[nylly444]

lol - he's the guy who actually wrote the patch, don't expect him to be intelligible

I'ts pretty easy actually: Like KM said usually a webservers has ONE IP - but it can "react" to different domain names for the simple fact that several websites can be placed on the same server.
In this case KM's server is hosting both www.winmxgroup.com AND www.winmxworld.com
Now he's NOT hosting www.winmx.com, so he's redirecting any requests for that to http://winmx.com, which is down.
Only winmx (the program) is allowed to get that bar from his server.
So if you put in www.winmx.com you DO get to his server at http://212.227.64.159/ - but since it can't identify you as a winmx client it will then redirected you to the nonexistent original website.
All clear as mud now? 

[Mr. Chjitz]

lol - he's the guy who actually wrote the patch, don't expect him to be intelligible

I'ts pretty easy actually: Like KM said usually a webservers has ONE IP - but it can "react" to different domain names for the simple fact that several websites can be placed on the same server.
In this case KM's server is hosting both www.winmxgroup.com AND www.winmxworld.com
Now he's NOT hosting www.winmx.com, so he's redirecting any requests for that to http://winmx.com, which is down.
Only winmx (the program) is allowed to get that bar from his server.
So if you put in www.winmx.com you DO get to his server at http://212.227.64.159/ - but since it can't identify you as a winmx client it will then redirected you to the nonexistent original website.
All clear as mud now?

Thanks nylly444.  The mud is actually much clearer now.  Either your simpler phrasing OR maybe hearing the explanations more than once OR maybe I am just smarter today?

A few concepts that might help newbies to understand this more quickly are:

1.  The IP address, a number, is THE thing.  The IP number is what is causes whatever is sent OUTSIDE your computer to reach a specific location.
2.  The location reached is the SERVER.
3.  The HOST file (if you use one) can tell your computer what IP number to send out, IF there there is a line in the HOST file which provides an IP number for the URL name.
4.  Somehow the .dll in the WinMx directory accomlishes the same URL name to IP number translation, but iin a better, more dynamic manner, BUT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS MECHANISM IS or HOW IT AUTOMATICALLY CHANGES OVER TIME.
5.  UNFORTUNATELY, and most CONFUSEDLY, these re-directions are quite hidden from the casual user, ME , in the sense that no message is necessarily displayed on my screen that when I keyed www.winmx.com that my packet was sent to http://212.227.64.159/  and that this site then redirected my packet to winmx.com.  Apparently there is enough information in the packet initially sent to 212.227.64.159 so that that site (aka SERVER) can decide whether to UNDO my redirection (reverse my HOST file entries attempt at redirection).  It would be nice if 212.227.64.159 was kind enough to send me a message about what it was doing.  Something like 212.227.64.159 has redirected your packet to winmx.com.  Actually it would be nice if the whole system was designed to inform ME the user as to what redirections ocurred.  Something like winmx.com>212.227.64.159 (because of a HOST file entry in your computer)>winmx.com (because of ?? in SERVER 212.227.64.159)>back to you (because ??-DNS server could not resolve the URL name).  Is there any monitoring software I could run that would display exactly what has happened?

Lastly,

1.  Where in the packet is information placed as to the sender, so as to distinguish between stuff I type in my IE6 address bar and stuff that winmx.exe+olepro32.dll  sends?
2. As these packets are handled and re-routed, are the sites visited added to the initial packet(s).  That is, is there a complete record available as to what happened to the initial packet?  Is there anything that can be put in the initial packet to cause the originating computer to be informed of the history of the packet?
3.  I would like to play music in my home where the music in ROOM A and ROOM B would be the same and synchronized and the music played in ROOM C and ROOM D would be a different playlist but also the same and synchronized.  Can I create broadcast IP packet on my LAN that would do this?  How? URL reference?

Thanks for everyone's patience and help.

[KM]

4. by using different hostnames (it actually looks up the IP Address that a winmxgroup hostname resolves to, then that is the IP Address it uses thinking that is where the original winmx hostname resolves to when in fact it does not)
5. if your browser kept telling you everything it did...
Warning: you just typed winmxworld.com in to your address bar
Warning: to load winmx.com i am going to connect to 212.227.64.159
Warning: i am now asking 212.227.64.159 for winmxworld.com
Warning: 212.227.64.159 just told me to go to www.winmxworld.com instead
Warning: i am now going to connect to 212.227.64.159 to get www.winmxworld.com
Warning: i am now asking 212.227.64.159 for www.winmxworld.com
Warning: i have now received a page from the server, this has images in it
Warning: i am now going to load an image from https://www.winmxworld.com/logo.png
Warning: i am now asking 212.227.64.159 for https://www.winmxworld.com/logo.png
Warning: .....
ok, i think you get the picture

websites have more than one file on them, and servers almost always have more than one website on it - your browser tells the server which file it wants, and which website it is loading it from, for example it would ask the server for the file /logo.png from the website www.winmxworld.com

for the update bar in winmx internet explorer connects to the server in control of the website www.winmx.com (which the hosts file has told it is 212.227.64.159 so it doesn't need to look it up), then it asks the web server for the file /v353/mainbar/index.html (varies depending on winmx version) on the website www.winmx.com, which the server then sends back - if you type in https://www.winmx.com/ then it asks the server for the file / on the website www.winmx.com, which is of course a completely different file - and will result in the server saying "ahh, but that's not here, go to http://winmx.com/ to get it instead" so your browser will then start again but instead loading the URL http://winmx.com/

clear as a plank of wood? oh well, i give up then

1. it sends the same thing, just that it asks for a different file, you type in https://www.winmx.com/ which asks for that file, winmx doesn't ask for that it asks for https://www.winmx.com/v353/mainbar/index.html
2. it isn't redirected anywhere, your computer just gets the web page as normal, just that the hosts file saves it finding the server, instead of finding the right server it finds the wrong one and thinks it is the right one
3. probably best to use a different thread for that? but a streaming server (similar to used for web broadcasts) would probably be easiest

[nylly444]

* nylly444 has reached the depth of her knowledge now

But then I think as a user it's enough to understand just the basics and at least KM didn't seem to have to correct anything I've said so far - which is at least something, lol

[KM]

and at least KM didn't seem to have to correct anything I've said so far - which is at least something, lol

yes, it means I'm feeling kind today