Spam registrations

[lhna]

I have my forum setup so the administrator (me) must activate all new users. So, I don't get any spam posts, but I still get spammers signing up.

I have the SFS mod, which is supposed to check the registering user's IP address, email address and username against the banned list at StopForumSpam.com. However, I'm still getting lots of spammers signing up, and it's annoying to have to manually delete all the new users every day.

So I have several questions.

1.) For the SFS mod, do I need an API key for it to work? I didn't see any place for a key in the mod installation instructions.
2.) I know I can ban IP addresses myself or submit them to StopForumSpam.com, but how can I see a users's IP address anyway? I can see the IP address of a user when they post, but I don't see where I can see the IP address of a user who just registered.
3.) Our forum is for a neighborhood association in the US. Is there a way I can do a blanket ban for all non-US IP addresses?

Thanks!

[Patrick]

Hello lhna,

Does anyone have any thoughts on SFS?

But, regarding your other question, this site promises that it can give you an .htaccess file that will deny access to the countries you select or, alternatively and possibly more simply, give only U.S. based IPs access. http://www.countryipblocks.net/

Thanks,

Patrick

[Sylver Cheetah 53]

I'm using The Humanizer and it seems very effective.

[Wicher]

i am using phpbb antispam for phpbb2 at all my boards and until now not any spammer has been seen at my boards.
http://www.phpbbantispam.com/viewtopic.php?t=1