Is Charter blocking OpenDNS?

[pcrepairlobo]

I can't get openDNS to work with my ISP (Charter). I'm pretty sure they are blocking it, and forcing me to use their DNS. I've tried every configuration possible, not only within my routers settings, but on individual devices as well. Still get the same results...which is no results. It took me a few minutes to figure why they would do this, but then I realized something.

"Oh, they want me to lease one of their routers, duh" Apparently their routers will play nicely with OpenDNS.

Is it just me? Can anyone else confirm this?

[rotblitz]

"Can anyone else confirm this?"

Yes, you by yourself.  Execute the following command:

     nslookup -type=txt which.opendns.com. 208.67.220.220

and if this comes back with "I am not an OpenDNS resolver", then your ISP redirects your DNS lookups to their own service, else not.

[tuckerdogavl]

When to Utilities>Terminal on my Mac. Cut and paste the above and I get this back:

Non-authoritative answer:
which.opendns.com    text = "3.ash"

Authoritative answers can be found from:

Mac-mini:~ [computername]

[rotblitz]

Fine, then your DNS queries are not being redirected, and you can use OpenDNS.

[tuckerdogavl]

WIsh I could figure out why Apple Mail and Charter do not play nice. I can get the Charter mail; I just have to close and reopen the app. I"ve had Open DNS up for some time and I've set it thru the Router. Also, I did OpenDNS's check up the other day and the check mark showed. So, I guess I'll continue working on the issue from another angle. Thanks for the update.

[rotblitz]

You may want to check your blocked domains stat to find domain names related to Apple or Charter.  You had to remove the block via category or you had to whitelist them.
https://dashboard.opendns.com/stats/all/blockeddomains

[guiguy]

OK. I ran the test proposed by rotblitz. And, sure enough, Charter is redirecting. Is there ANY way to get around this and use OpenDNS?

[rotblitz]

You'll have to talk to your ISP.

[guiguy]

I talked to them and they say that I MUST use their DNS. "It's part of the T&C." In other words, they won't do anything to help me. When I asked if this was an impossibility due to policy or technology, the answer was POLICY. I HATE them, but they're the only game in town.

Again, Is there ANY way to get around this and use OpenDNS?

[rotblitz]

Yes, there is possibly a way around.  Try with running that dnscrypt-proxy from http://dnscrypt.org/
Most redirecting ISPs do not recognize the DNS queries any longer, so they cannot redirect them.

You can also run a pre-test to possibly see already if the dnscrypt-proxy can help:

   nslookup -type=txt -port=443 which.opendns.com. 208.67.220.220

   nslookup -type=txt -port=443 -vc which.opendns.com. 208.67.220.220

And even if these return "I am not an OpenDNS resolver", there are still chances that the dnscrypt-proxy does it.

[tuckerdogavl]

Odd. I simply went into my DNS settings (Apple: Open Network Perferences>Advanced>DNS> and added 208.67 etc. Rebooted and then ran the test and got "Yes, you're running OPEN DNS." However, I am running my own Netgear Router and extender, not theirs.

[rotblitz]

Well, then you did something wrong the last time.  And your ISP doesn't redirect your DNS queries either...

"they say that I MUST use their DNS... the answer was POLICY"

LOL, this missing expertise is typical for many front-line / first level supports...

[guiguy]

Actually "they say that I MUST use their DNS... the answer was POLICY" was from a SUPERVISOR! I had escalated the call because I never trust first level support.

Anyway, I ran the above pre-tests and got, respectively "3.sea" and "11.sea" Unfortunately, I have no clue what those responses mean.

Rotblitz, can you decipher for me? I still want to use OpenDNS, but Charter seems to keep putting their big fat bazoo into the mix.

[maintenance2]

This means you are receiving responses from OpenDNS resolvers in the Seattle area. The important bit is that the response isn't "I am not an OpenDNS resolver". :)

So you may use dnscrypt on computers or on your router if it has installed (or can have installed, and it is something you would care to do) an open source firmware.

[rotblitz]

@guiguy
You even don't need the dnscrypt-proxy, because your ISP does not interfere with your DNS traffic.  I would think you just didn't configure the OpenDNS resolver addresses correctly, or your router has a problem to ignore the configuration.

Further, reviewing the whole thread again, it is now evident that Charter does not block OpenDNS.  All cases turned out to be false reports.  It was always the user's error, never Charter.