Comments on: OpenDNS is Wicked http://buffered.io/2008/08/18/opendns-is-wicked/ What would OJ do? Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:33:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Abhimanyu http://buffered.io/2008/08/18/opendns-is-wicked/comment-page-1/#comment-1259 Abhimanyu Sat, 02 May 2009 16:46:56 +0000 http://buffered.io/?p=508#comment-1259 Oliver, OpenDNS content filtering has a bug too with shared IP, check <a href="http://mwolk.com/blog/opendns-blocking-sites-unable-to-open-websites/" rel="nofollow">this post</a>, on shared IP, some sites may get filtered or blocked if someone else is using same IP and has set the settings to be high. Oliver, OpenDNS content filtering has a bug too with shared IP, check this post, on shared IP, some sites may get filtered or blocked if someone else is using same IP and has set the settings to be high.

]]> By: lLrdjlks http://buffered.io/2008/08/18/opendns-is-wicked/comment-page-1/#comment-1106 lLrdjlks Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:39:35 +0000 http://buffered.io/?p=508#comment-1106 How could you bypass its filters? Is there any possible way? How could you bypass its filters? Is there any possible way?

]]> By: OJ http://buffered.io/2008/08/18/opendns-is-wicked/comment-page-1/#comment-1104 OJ Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:47:13 +0000 http://buffered.io/?p=508#comment-1104 Therein lies one of the flaws of OpenDNS. In my view, it can be a bit of a show stopper. They have a solution to this, but I don't like it. The problem is that when you sign up with OpenDNS and set up networks with filtering rules (such as Proxy/Anonymizer) it applies those filters based on IP addresses. This is an issue when most of the people using the service do not have <strong>static</strong> IP addresses. They get their addresses via DHCP, resulting in constantly changing IPs. I think what's happening in your case is that somebody else out there, who uses the same ISP (and hence the same IP address range) as you is also using OpenDNS. They have an account which is configured to filter out Proxy/Anonymizer sites. If the user isn't diligent in keeping their IP address up to date with the OpenDNS service, the rules "cling" to the last address given. So someone's applied the rules to a certain IP and now you're unfortunate enough to have been given that IP address from the same DCHP server and hence you also cop the rules that come with it. OpenDNS's solution to this problem is to have a client application on your machine which logs in and updates your current IP address which is bound to your account. This makes sure that whatever rules/filters you have set up get applied to your current connection/address. I personally don't like this solution because it requires extra software on the machine and requires you to have an OpenDNS account set up with your own rules. It's not as simple as "change your DNS server and forget about it". So if you're keen to use this service, I think you'll have to create an account (if you haven't already) make sure that the filtering is set up properly to allow the sites you want access to, and make sure that OpenDNS knows that your current IP is yours and not somebody else's. If you feel like giving that a whirl, let me know the result :) Good luck! Therein lies one of the flaws of OpenDNS. In my view, it can be a bit of a show stopper. They have a solution to this, but I don’t like it.

The problem is that when you sign up with OpenDNS and set up networks with filtering rules (such as Proxy/Anonymizer) it applies those filters based on IP addresses. This is an issue when most of the people using the service do not have static IP addresses. They get their addresses via DHCP, resulting in constantly changing IPs.

I think what’s happening in your case is that somebody else out there, who uses the same ISP (and hence the same IP address range) as you is also using OpenDNS. They have an account which is configured to filter out Proxy/Anonymizer sites. If the user isn’t diligent in keeping their IP address up to date with the OpenDNS service, the rules “cling” to the last address given.

So someone’s applied the rules to a certain IP and now you’re unfortunate enough to have been given that IP address from the same DCHP server and hence you also cop the rules that come with it.

OpenDNS’s solution to this problem is to have a client application on your machine which logs in and updates your current IP address which is bound to your account. This makes sure that whatever rules/filters you have set up get applied to your current connection/address.

I personally don’t like this solution because it requires extra software on the machine and requires you to have an OpenDNS account set up with your own rules. It’s not as simple as “change your DNS server and forget about it”.

So if you’re keen to use this service, I think you’ll have to create an account (if you haven’t already) make sure that the filtering is set up properly to allow the sites you want access to, and make sure that OpenDNS knows that your current IP is yours and not somebody else’s.

If you feel like giving that a whirl, let me know the result :) Good luck!

]]> By: Ole Juul http://buffered.io/2008/08/18/opendns-is-wicked/comment-page-1/#comment-1103 Ole Juul Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:02:56 +0000 http://buffered.io/?p=508#comment-1103 Hi OJ, Thanks for responding! Yes that is the site and it works now. I removed the 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 from my router and did a dhclient (dhcp reset) on my computer so it works again. Just to check to make sure that I was not doing anything wrong, I put the numbers back in the router and reset my computer - it is blocked again! The server message is "Site blocked.www.archive.org is not allowed on this network. This site was categorized as: Proxy/anonymizer" Just now, after again removing the DNS entries from the router, the site is back. I guess  there is something else going on here that I don't understand. :( To me the OpenDNS site is putting in an unwanted block. I will look into it. Perhaps there is a previous filter set in place for my IP address, although I've had it for a long time now. Hi OJ,
Thanks for responding! Yes that is the site and it works now. I removed the 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 from my router and did a dhclient (dhcp reset) on my computer so it works again. Just to check to make sure that I was not doing anything wrong, I put the numbers back in the router and reset my computer – it is blocked again!

The server message is
“Site blocked.www.archive.org is not allowed on this network. This site was categorized as: Proxy/anonymizer”

Just now, after again removing the DNS entries from the router, the site is back. I guess  there is something else going on here that I don’t understand. :( To me the OpenDNS site is putting in an unwanted block. I will look into it. Perhaps there is a previous filter set in place for my IP address, although I’ve had it for a long time now.

]]> By: OJ http://buffered.io/2008/08/18/opendns-is-wicked/comment-page-1/#comment-1102 OJ Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:00:35 +0000 http://buffered.io/?p=508#comment-1102 @Ole Juul: <a href="http://www.archive.org/index.php" rel="nofollow">This</a> seems to work fine for me? Is that the site you're talking about? @Ole Juul: This seems to work fine for me? Is that the site you’re talking about?

]]> By: Ole Juul http://buffered.io/2008/08/18/opendns-is-wicked/comment-page-1/#comment-1105 Ole Juul Mon, 12 Jan 2009 02:39:11 +0000 http://buffered.io/?p=508#comment-1105 I had heard so much about OpenDNS that I thought I'd give it a try. The first thing that I noticed is that the Internet Archive is blocked. Perhaps that can be changed, but it startled me so much that I dropped the (open?)DNS from my router right away. It really surprised me that they would do any kind of filtering because I haven't had a problem with rogue sites in years. If I don't like a site I don't go there and someone telling me what I should or should not do is a bit distasteful. Just the thought bothers me. Perhaps I would have felt differently back in the 80s, but we don't need (so called) filtering nowadays. Certainly us old folks don't. I had heard so much about OpenDNS that I thought I’d give it a try. The first thing that I noticed is that the Internet Archive is blocked. Perhaps that can be changed, but it startled me so much that I dropped the (open?)DNS from my router right away. It really surprised me that they would do any kind of filtering because I haven’t had a problem with rogue sites in years. If I don’t like a site I don’t go there and someone telling me what I should or should not do is a bit distasteful. Just the thought bothers me. Perhaps I would have felt differently back in the 80s, but we don’t need (so called) filtering nowadays. Certainly us old folks don’t.

]]> By: David Cumps http://buffered.io/2008/08/18/opendns-is-wicked/comment-page-1/#comment-1101 David Cumps Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:43:10 +0000 http://buffered.io/?p=508#comment-1101 OpenDNS is great :) I've used it a year ago, but stopped it after a format, should have a look at it again. Luckily my ISPs DNS servers are quite stable, but without the extra features :p OpenDNS is great :) I’ve used it a year ago, but stopped it after a format, should have a look at it again.

Luckily my ISPs DNS servers are quite stable, but without the extra features :p

]]> By: OJ http://buffered.io/2008/08/18/opendns-is-wicked/comment-page-1/#comment-1100 OJ Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:27:09 +0000 http://buffered.io/?p=508#comment-1100 I have to admit it is quite startling that something like this would be free. Then again they do now have access to the browsing habits of anyone who uses the service and I'm sure that information would be useful in some way. Doesn't bother me if people know what I browse :) I would agree about the "not knowing it's there" bit. That is really good. Unless of course you are stuck running the IP update client, which is proving to be rather obnoxious. I have to admit it is quite startling that something like this would be free. Then again they do now have access to the browsing habits of anyone who uses the service and I’m sure that information would be useful in some way.

Doesn’t bother me if people know what I browse :)
I would agree about the “not knowing it’s there” bit. That is really good. Unless of course you are stuck running the IP update client, which is proving to be rather obnoxious.

]]> By: Rhys Parry http://buffered.io/2008/08/18/opendns-is-wicked/comment-page-1/#comment-1099 Rhys Parry Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:03:28 +0000 http://buffered.io/?p=508#comment-1099 To me the best thing about it has been that I forget it is even there. Its ability to pick up simple typos (like .com to .cmo) without having to splash a logo or ads is outstanding. Personally I'm amazed that it can be a free service. I guess people like to make up Urls and are quite likely to click on ad links they might see when they can't get the web site they are after. To me the best thing about it has been that I forget it is even there. Its ability to pick up simple typos (like .com to .cmo) without having to splash a logo or ads is outstanding. Personally I’m amazed that it can be a free service. I guess people like to make up Urls and are quite likely to click on ad links they might see when they can’t get the web site they are after.

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