Wikipedia:Advice to T-Mobile IPv6 users

Why are T-Mobile IPv6 users often blocked?
Wikipedia's software, MediaWiki, identifies users either by a Wikipedia account username, or by a device's allocated IP address. Unregistered users (those not using an account) are identified by their IP address alone.

When you access Wikipedia from an IPv6-compatible device on the T-Mobile network, a proxy server (with its own IPv6 address) retrieves and sends data to Wikipedia's servers on your behalf rather than your mobile device doing so directly. However, a T-Mobile IPv6 user editing Wikipedia without an account cannot be uniquely identified as their IP address rapidly changes. T-Mobile has also configured their IPv6 servers in such a way that a single user may have their IP address change each time they restart their phone. These factors all make it nearly impossible for us to block a single vandal without causing some "collateral damage" by inadvertently range-blocking innocent users.

In order to stop an ongoing vandalism spree from a T-Mobile user(s), it is often necessary to block not just one IPv6 address, but an entire range of them. Since neither our software nor our administrators can easily distinguish an innocent user from an anonymous vandal, we strongly encourage you to create an account on a desktop or laptop computer and then log in with your phone. This gives you your own contribution history, which administrators can use to determine if you are a trustworthy user.

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:


 * 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. Have them select the "Use a temporary random password and send it to the specified email address" option.

See Why create an account? for a full list of benefits that come with registration.

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 phone via WiFi, rather than via the mobile phone connection), the IP address that Wikipedia's server will see is one that is owned by your desktop ISP, rather than that of T-Mobile. Note that this may not work if you use T-Mobile 5G Home Internet as your desktop ISP, or you are using your T-Mobile device as a personal hotspot.


 * Instead of editing Wikipedia using the T-Mobile cellular connection, try using your WiFi connection.
 * 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.