Problems bypassing OpenDNS

confused_in_uk · ‎11-01-2016

Hi,

I have turned to the community here first but let me know if I should be asking my isp (Vodafone in UK) (or "Networking for Dummies"...). My issue is of trying to set filtering in general and then "bypassing" this for some computers.

Setup = Broadband -> Vodafone router (Huawei HHG2500) -> TP link router (WDR3600 with DD WRT) -> Home network

I have tried all i can to setup OpenDNS at the router level (as per all DD WRT wikis) but filtering never happens. The only way to get filtering was to set the modem to use the OpenDNS addresses and logging/filtering works fine.

However, I now want to bypass the filtering for my own laptop and despite putting in the Google DNS servers into the wireless settings (on the laptop) it still comes up as blocked pages. I have

1) Flushed caches

2) ipconfig /all shows the DNS servers as Google's (8.8.8.8 etc)

3) When I remove the blocked website in OpendDNS dashboard I'm able to view it; blocking it in the dashboard reblocks it to my laptop

4) if I put in the ip address of the blocked pages into Chrome it still returns as blocked with the OpenDNS block message

I am lost, probably because I'm a bit new to all this! How can I not access a website, even when I put in the ip address? I thought OpenDNS just blocked the looking up of websites and not actually the access to them?

thanks, confused

Paul

rotblitz · ‎11-01-2016

"The only way to get filtering was to set the modem to use the OpenDNS addresses and logging/filtering works fine."

Is this the Huawei device? It seems this does its job very efficient, redirecting every DNS traffic to OpenDNS now.

"How can I not access a website, even when I put in the ip address? I thought OpenDNS just blocked the looking up of websites and not actually the access to them?"

Many top sites do not accept to be accessed via IP address but attempt a redirect to a URL with their domain which causes a DNS lookup, and this again is being blocked by your OpenDNS settings.

Copy & paste the complete plain text output of the following diagnostic commands from your laptop when you have configured another DNS service on it:

nslookup -type=txt debug.opendns.com.

nslookup -type=txt which.opendns.com. 8.8.8.8

confused_in_uk · ‎11-01-2016

rotblitz - thank you for responding.

nslookup -type=txt debug.opendns.com gives

Server: google-public-dns-a.google.com
Address: 8.8.8.8

Non-authoritative answer:
debug.opendns.com text =

 "server 6.lon"
debug.opendns.com text =

 "flags 20 0 50 1950000510000000000"
debug.opendns.com text =

 "originid 60142425"
debug.opendns.com text =

 "actype 2"
debug.opendns.com text =

 "bundle 9279015"
debug.opendns.com text =

 "source 90.254.156.157:30063"

nslookup -type=txt which.opendns.com. 8.8.8.8 gives

Server: google-public-dns-a.google.com
Address: 8.8.8.8

Non-authoritative answer:
which.opendns.com text =

 "7.lon"


Best wishes,

Paul

confused_in_uk · ‎11-01-2016

rotblitz - I don't know if it's relevantbut here's the first part of ipconfig/all showing that the laptop is set to Google's DNS servers

thanks again,

Paul

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : connect
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6235
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : *****************
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.6(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 01 November 2016 19:51:43
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 02 November 2016 20:00:42
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

confused_in_uk · ‎11-01-2016

Could it be a modem specific issue as this post may be relevant? It mentions a different model but it is a Huawei.

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=66&topicid=195853

thanks

Paul

rotblitz · ‎11-01-2016

Yep, as can be seen from your outputs and the other thread you linked to, your Huawei device does its job very efficient, redirecting every DNS traffic to whatever DNS service is configured on it, in your case OpenDNS, and regardless of what DNS service is configured on the end user devices, in your case Google's.

A solution can come only from Huawei, not from OpenDNS. I'm afraid that you need to use another router.

This issue (or feature) is also the reason why configuring OpenDNS on your DD-WRT router was ineffective, because the Huawei device directed the DNS traffic to whatever DNS service was configured on it at this time. This has always priority over everything else.

confused_in_uk · ‎11-02-2016

rotblitz - thank you so much for helping. I'm disappointed but at least know that it wasn't anything silly I was doing. Sums up why ISP supplied modems are useless.

Paul

rotblitz · ‎11-02-2016

Well, this is your view. I have seen contrary requests here that OpenDNS users wanted to have all DNS traffic redirected to OpenDNS, exactly as your device does, so that there is no way for circumventing OpenDNS. Good to know at least one or two devices which suffice these users too!