4
I've noticed that ISPs have started hijacking DNS errors and show their own error pages instead (complete with annoying graphics and ads). Is there any way to fix this, or are they doing it on their network outside of my control?
Note that I've not installed any of their software, and it is very much network dependent. I've seen it with Verizon FiOS and Comcast.
7
You can opt out of Comcast's DNS hijacking
Verizon simply instructs you to change your DNS server
EDIT: That was very odd, I could not for the life of me get that VZ link to work, so I did a tinyurl and that works.
prestomation
Posted 2009-10-04T22:14:54.667
Reputation: 985
The Verizon link is giving me a blank page. But +1 for the Comcast link. – Sasha Chedygov – 2009-10-04T22:53:31.687
@musicfreak: Try it again – prestomation – 2009-10-04T23:14:18.633
You can opt out of Time-Warner's hijacking as well. I assume it records your modem's MAC in a whitelist. (blacklist?) – quack quixote – 2009-10-04T23:25:22.027
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Rich Bradshaw
Posted 2009-10-04T22:14:54.667
Reputation: 6 324
4
The quickest way is probably to put OpenDNS's IPs in your router as its DNS server-
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
You should then see OpenDNS's page instead of your ISP's. (I would trust OpenDNS more!)
(You can also do this directly on your computer, however you may loose the ability to access other computers on your lan via their FQDN / Computer name)
Other than that, the only solution I can think of is setting up your own DNS server that has no recursion apart from the root servers - but I don't think you would want to do this.
William Hilsum
Posted 2009-10-04T22:14:54.667
Reputation: 111 572
3Level3 also provides open DNS servers (not part of the OpenDNS project). If you want to mix, you could also add one or more of 4.2.2.1, 4.2.2.2, 4.2.2.3, and 4.2.2.4. The advantage is that if one IP block goes down, the other DNS server will keep working.
I also like the 4.2.2.x servers because it's really easy to remember their addresses. :) – CarlF – 2009-10-04T22:35:27.197
it must be noted that opendns does dns hijacking as well. was very disappointed to find this out. – Andreas Petersson – 2009-10-11T08:59:39.630
Apparently this can be turned off. Doing so also turns off some of the content filtering (i.e. phish protection and such) too, though which is only an issue if those features are important to you. – David Spillett – 2009-12-03T17:51:22.037
1
For FiOS, you can just change the last octet of the Verizon-supplied DNS server from 12 to 14.
If you are using OpenDNS, you can to create a (free) account and opt out of the error page.
Frank Szczerba
Posted 2009-10-04T22:14:54.667
Reputation: 505
Time Warner Road Runner is doing this again. Its bad enough they are a monopoly and I dont get to choose another cable internet / television provider but to also hijack 404's? FAIL. – Taptronic – 2011-06-29T20:00:15.777
Are you seeing this consistently with FiOS and Comcast? – CoffeeBean – 2009-10-04T22:27:14.233
Yes. At work we have FiOS, and all of the computers see FiOS errors. I get Comcast errors at home where we have Comcast (and I've never installed any Comcast software). – None – 2009-10-04T22:29:32.903