OpenDNS won't stop blocking a website

[threehappypenguins]

For some reason Snapchat is blocked and I can't figure out why. When I try to access it, I'm blocked and it states, "This site was categorized in: Instant Messaging, Chat, Video Sharing, Photo Sharing"

NONE of those categories are checked off (I have custom settings). I tried ipconfig /flushdns and it's still not working. It's been hours. What is going on?

[threehappypenguins]

I need very comprehensive settings. I have DD-WRT firmware in the router, and port 53 blocked because the user was setting their own DNS. Blocking the port fixed the problem. So as you can see, Safe Search is not going to solve anything. This is at a friend's house. I use safe search at my house because I have small children and I want to protect their little eyes. They aren't going to go out of their way to look for porn. Safe Search is great to prevent accidental exposure. But it's not good to stop an addict who is seeking it out.

[cindelicato]

Plus, the user can simply download another browser as a workaround.

Ah, now I see your problem.  If your users have ADMIN privileges then everything you're doing with respect to OpenDNS is for naught; the user will be able to defeat your efforts and see whatever content they want.

Trust me: no one should surf as ADMIN. Ever.

[cindelicato]

Safe Search is great to prevent accidental exposure. But it's not good to stop an addict who is seeking it out.

If you're trying to protect an addict, step one is to disconnect the device. THAT will be the only way to ensure compliance.

Then, if you really believe that person needs online access, you MUST remove ADMIN privs.  

Otherwise you're fooling yourself if you think you're stopping an addict.

[threehappypenguins]

My husband has gotten me to block all devices that connect the internet (it was his request). It depends on the level of addiction. However, in my friend's case, I believe he is trying to prevent getting to that point. There are some issues, but not to the point of what it's like in my house. I may just convince him to have his kids sign into a separate profile.

But even with taking away privileges, a standard user can still delete cookies. So how would I stop that?

[cindelicato]

Assuming you are correct about deleting cookies to defeat Safe Search -- I've successfully locked down more than 6 desktops using this method, and the teens have tried in vain to beat it, so I can't verify your claim -- I suggest you raise your concern with Google, as it is their product.

Kids SHOULD have their own profile.  Again NO ONE should be ADMIN while surfing; that's an invitation for malware.  It's also horrible practice that leads to system changes that the owner (the parents) do not want, including inappropriate (but not malware) software installations (i.e. Opera).  You need to minimize the attack vector that addicts, kids and malware authors have, and allowing users to be ADMIN is clearly detrimental to that cause.

At this point, we're way into the weeds, far from OpenDNS specific.  Best of luck to you.

[rotblitz]

"Then I experimented by clearing the cookies."

Yes, as admin, right?  The same applies here.  Regular users cannot delete this persistent cookie for Google SafeSearch.  Your experiments simply don't apply with regular users.

I fully agree with cindelicato: start your efforts by configuring user accounts and user rights correctly.  It saves you lot of time and efforts then, e.g. in conjunction with disabling Google SafeSearch, unwanted system settings changes (like DNS settings), installing unwanted programs and much more circumvention strategies and attacks.

Also, addiction problems cannot be solved technically, but just therapeutically.  You'll have to wait another hundred years or so until you can switch on a machine to get rid of an addiction.....

[threehappypenguins]

You're right that addiction problems cannot be solved technically... but porn is something that once is seen, cannot be unseen. And I know there are a lot of people that disagree with me on this, but each time porn is viewed the worse the destruction on a person gets. But I'm not trying to get in a debate. I'm just trying to help keep porn out of people's mind's for our family and for a friend and for anyone else who wants to do so.

[threehappypenguins]

Oh, and in case anybody else reading this also wishes to do something similar to what I did:

whitelisting googlevideo.com will enable the videos to stream, and whitelisting ytimg.com will enable the thumbnail previews in YouTube. :)

[threehappypenguins]

Yes, as admin, right?  The same applies here.  Regular users cannot delete this persistent cookie for Google SafeSearch.  Your experiments simply don't apply with regular users.

Did a little experiment. I went into a Standard User account, enabled Google Safe Search, locked it; and then I went to (in Internet Explorer) Tools > Internet Options, clicked on Delete... and then deleted everything (including cookies). Google Safe Search was wiped as if I never set it. All as a Standard User. No password protected UAC... nothing. So a Standard User can very easily delete it. I figured this would happen (since I have worked with Standard User accounts), and it's pretty easy to delete cookies (even 'persistent' ones).

Google Safe Search is the way to go with small children who aren't trying to get around things and just protect them from accidental exposure.

[rotblitz]

Hmm, I believe you followed https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/144686 only, right?

Well, the next steps are to visit the location (directory / folder) where this cookie is as an admin.  Right-click it and apply the following properties:

1. Set the cookie to read-only (or in a CMD window: attrib +r cookie.name).
2. Security tab: set to modify for administrators only, and set to read-only for the rest of the world.

Now try again to delete it as regular user.

[opendnsbro]

i forgot i had dns router changed

[rotblitz]

What?

[opendnsbro]

how does one open a new topic as i cant, also i set it up for my home network but it was interfering so i deleted it, i set it back up and none of the categories are blocked which i chose 

[mattwilson9090]

Go to the top of the browser windows, click on "Community Help", which will display a list of topics in this forum, and if a thread doesn't already exist for your problem, click "Ask  a Quesiton" to start a new thread.

In your new thread provide full details of the problem you are having, including error messages, and if useful, screenshots, as well as full detail of what you did for setup as well as attempts at troubleshooting and repair.

[opendnsbro]

nevermnd i was using family shield dns numbers instead of regular open dns, is it possible to unblock family shield preset websites like you can do with open dns?

Also when i plug directly into ethernet cable (without router attached) it doesn't work with open dns but it does with family shield