Trying to understand a mobile redirect

Server Config
1

Hello. I was making some edits to this site http://www.ozitracker.info and I noticed that when I visit it on my mobile device that it redirects to a broken link, at mobile.ozitracker.info. I am not sure why it was set up and I don’t understand what causes this. The site is hosted by gate.com and it looks like the domain is registered at https://www.namejuice.com.

I checked the site files over FTP and there is no redirect set up in the htaccess files or in the index.php file. In the DNS records I did find the record: A 14400 mobile.ozitracker.info 207.150.212.106

So would the redirect be triggered by the DNS record? Or could there be something causing it where the domain is registered? Or is there perhaps something in the website files that I am overlooking?

Any help is appreciated, thank you.

2

No, DNS can’t redirect HTTP traffic

Unless they host it, or are proxying the domain, no.

There might be something in the PHP that does device detection using the User-Agent string to redirect.

1 Like
3

Hi @rpkamp thanks for the reply.

Do you have any suggestions as to what file might have that piece of PHP or should I just go through each file looking for it?

Also do you have any idea what the purpose of that A record would be in the DNS section?

Cheers,

4

@rpkamp

Actually I think I found the culprit. There was a folder called mobile in the site files and a separate index file in there. It had the code

<html>
<script type="text/javascript">
domain = location.hostname;
// For modification
var help = "http://help-sp.hostway.com/";
var sc = "https://sitecontrol-sp.hostway.com/";
document.write('<frameset rows="*,110" noresize="noresize" frameborder="no" border="0" framespacing="0"><frame src="http://www3.searchlabel.com/?o=cdl88ltj55khh61nde45_1_1&u=' + domain + '" /><frame src="http://css.searchlabel.com/bottom-construction.php?&help='+escape(help)+'&sc='+escape(sc)+'&d=' + domain + '" /></frameset>');
</script>
</html>

I deleted that file and now I am able to access the page on mobile! So I believe that is what was causing it.

I am still curious why that A record was set up if you have any ideas?

Thank you for your expertise.

5

The A record is just to link a domain name to an IP. It doesn’t do anything in and of itself. It just tells anyone who wants to connect to that domain name which IP they should actually connect to. There’s nothing more to it.

As to why it was set up, no idea :man_shrugging:

1 Like
6

Okay that makes sense. Thank you for your help I really appreciate it.

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7

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