s2-server-scanner redirect failure fix

I have a VPS at ServInt and the s2-server-scanner script failed the redirect to itself test (fopen/curl) even though everything on the server is installed. After some searching, and then opening a support ticket with ServInt, they fixed it by added the domain name to the server’s /etc/hosts file on the 127.0.0.1 line . This caused the s2-server-scanner script to pass. I have yet to install S2Member on the domain as I’m still learning my way around it with a local development on computer. (ServerPress)

Two questions regarding the scanner script failure:
1. Is the /etc/hosts file fix really a fix or is there something else broken?
2. I have a server wide htaccess modification that causes Apache to prompt for a login and password whenever wp-login.php is accessed. This effectively stops bot hack attempts and DDoS storms. But, could this be causing the s2-server-scanner script to fail the redirect test? I am not protecting anything but the wp-login.php script. In other words, wp-admin is still accessible unimpeded.

A third question, but slightly unrelated:
3. I would like to keep the wp-login.php protection in place, but also have a copy of that script under a different name (e.g. my-login.php) so that I can use that instead of wp-login.php. Will this cause problems with S2Member?

Thank you for any assistance.

Thank you for your inquiry.

And thank you for your patience with us over the weekend.

1. Is the /etc/hosts file fix really a fix or is there something else broken?

This error is because of something with your server being off. s2Member needs to be able to connect back to your server, which was not possible until your server providers changed this. I would consider this the fix in your case, but it might not be for everyone that has this issue.

2. I have a server wide htaccess modification that causes Apache to prompt for a login and password whenever wp-login.php is accessed. This effectively stops bot hack attempts and DDoS storms. But, could this be causing the s2-server-scanner script to fail the redirect test? I am not protecting anything but the wp-login.php script. In other words, wp-admin is still accessible unimpeded.

No, I don’t think that this would be causing any problem with s2Member. As long as you’re not password protecting anything that s2Member or PayPal would try to access programmatically, this would be fine.

3. I would like to keep the wp-login.php protection in place, but also have a copy of that script under a different name (e.g. my-login.php) so that I can use that instead of wp-login.php. Will this cause problems with S2Member?

As long as you’re the only one using it, this should be fine. s2Member will not notice this file’s existence, and will always redirect to your main wp-login.php file.