geonap
lolatidiots
join:2005-12-14
Glendale, CA | nice
respectable that they offer an easy removal |
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S_engineer
join:2007-05-16
Chicago, IL | Comcraptic
it will be easy to switch DNS servers, this shouldn't be that big a deal. However, it follows a trend being set by ISPs to advertise you to death.
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BF69~~~Please stop suffocating gerbils! |
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jlivingood
Premium,VIP
join:2007-10-28
Philadelphia, PA
| If you statically-configured our DNS IPs, you are OPTED OUT
Important to also take note of this, since some readers may have statically-configured our DNS IPs.
Since a number of our expert customers have statically-configured the IP addresses of our DNS servers, we have added this DNS redirect functionality to NEW DNS IP addresses. As a result, customers who have statically-configured their DNS IP addresses to our DNS servers are by default OPTED-OUT.
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JL
Comcast |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | reply to geonap
Re: nice
TWC offers removal as well.... you just have to do some searching for it.
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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bsoft
join:2004-03-28
Boulder, CO
 ·Comcast
| Cheesy
Well, it's nice that you can opt out of the service, and that it's right on the ad ("search") page. But I'm still going to change my DNS servers.
I have to say, this is pretty cheesy. I know it brings in additional revenue, but come on. One reason I don't have the Comcast DVR is that it has ads in the guide (of course, so does the TiVo I do use, but they are less annoying).
Unfortunately I'm pretty sure that Qwest does this to, as do many other ISPs. |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
3 edits |  reply to S_engineer
Re: Comcraptic
There is nothing wrong with these services and for most users it is actually a help. For the few users that see this as a problem, it is easy to opt-out. And pointing you to web sites that may have been what you really wanted anyway is not a negative.
OpenDNS, which many use as an alternative to ISP DNS servers, also provides that same functionality by default. It can also be opted out of easily.
And the browsers now used by most (IE & FF) also redirect as part of their toolbar functions. And if you use the Google Toolbar in either of those browsers, they also, by default, do this as well.
As for me, I just point my router to OpenDNS servers and I use all the security features that service provides. And for the rare times I mistype a domain name, the error page that OpenDNS provides is more handy than a 404 msg.
The extra features supplied by these DNS helpers can actually be very useful. And by pointing to them in a router, you can actually protect device like smartphones, Wii's, Playstations, etc from dangerous web sites.
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My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page |
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Matt
Take me down to the paradise city
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
 ·North State Commun..
| reply to jlivingood
Re: If you statically-configured our DNS IPs, you are OPTED OUT
said by jlivingood  :Important to also take note of this, since some readers may have statically-configured our DNS IPs. Since a number of our expert customers have statically-configured the IP addresses of our DNS servers, we have added this DNS redirect functionality to NEW DNS IP addresses. As a result, customers who have statically-configured their DNS IP addresses to our DNS servers are by default OPTED-OUT. I'm not in a Comcast area, but as a technology professional, please accept my kudos for publicly announcing this, making it easy to opt out, and taking the effort to file an IETF draft to standardize this. |
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ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL
| Opting out
I read the Comcast blog, but I see no explanation of the opt-out process. How does it work? If you choose it, does it ensure that you are never again assigned a broken DNS server, or does it simply add a cookie to your browser that does nothing to address the issue of broken DNS?
And yes, you can statically assign DNS to Comcast servers, and that's fine for a desktop user, but laptop users may change the networks they connect to frequently, and they might want to use a DNS server that's on the local network, since it will often respond faster.
And I'm wondering if Comcast will allow you to choose whether you want this crap when you set up service. They ask you what you want your e-mail address to be, they ask for the MAC address of your cable modem, so it would seem logical that they ought to ask about this as well. After all, if I'm the person paying them, shouldn't they give me the option to set up the service the way I want it from the outset? |
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bsoft
join:2004-03-28
Boulder, CO | Options for Denver
FYI, for those of you in Denver, Level3's nameservers seem to be a good option (I consistently see 10ms, which is as good if not better than Comcast):
4.2.2.1
4.2.2.2 |
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cheeseball
@comcast.net
 from:
dadkins
| reply to bsoft
Re: Cheesy
You just cant please some people... |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
1 edit | reply to ISurfTooMuch
Re: Opting out
said by ISurfTooMuch :I read the Comcast blog, but I see no explanation of the opt-out process. »https://dns-opt-out.comcast.net/
»tools.ietf.org/html/draft-living···irect-00 |
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iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO | reply to bsoft
Re: Options for Denver
4.2.2.1-4.2.2.6 in fact. I think I use 4.2.2.4-6 |
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jlivingood
Premium,VIP
join:2007-10-28
Philadelphia, PA
| reply to ISurfTooMuch
Re: Opting out
said by ISurfTooMuch :I read the Comcast blog, but I see no explanation of the opt-out process. How does it work? If you choose it, does it ensure that you are never again assigned a broken DNS server, or does it simply add a cookie to your browser that does nothing to address the issue of broken DNS? And I'm wondering if Comcast will allow you to choose whether you want this crap when you set up service. They ask you what you want your e-mail address to be, they ask for the MAC address of your cable modem, so it would seem logical that they ought to ask about this as well. After all, if I'm the person paying them, shouldn't they give me the option to set up the service the way I want it from the outset? One of the things a new sub does is uses the account management system to do stuff like setup email addresses and the like. The opt-out function will eventually be in that system.
In the meantime, here is how opt-out works:
- The link at the top of the search results page goes to the opt-out site, or you can visit it directly now, at »https://dns-opt-out.comcast.net/.
- You enter your email address and MAC address. The MAC addr is used so that we apply the opt-out for the entire household and not just a computer. The email address is used to have a user validate the request and for us to send you an email confirming that it was completed.
- The current promised opt-out turnaround time is 2 business days, but that's just to give us some padding. In most cases, the turnaround is same day or one business day at most.
- Once you have been opted out, your DHCP assignment changes. You can then either wait for your DHCP lease to renew automatically (generally a few days) or power cycle your cable modem to see the change immediately.
- When the temporary opt-out system is replaced with the one in the account management system, the opt-out is essentially immediate or within 5 - 10 mins at most (you could opt-out and restart your modem and see the change).
Jason
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JL
Comcast |
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DJSHosting
@cavtel.net | ISP DNS Redirect solution
The best thing to do for home users is config your home router to use »www.opendns.com/ They are free and offer filtering which really help if you have children. |
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PapaMidnight
join:2009-01-13
Baltimore, MD
| said by DJSHosting :The best thing to do for home users is config your home router to use » www.opendns.com/ They are free and offer filtering which really help if you have children. Been personally using OpenDNS myself for the past year. Haven't looked back. |
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funchords
Hello
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-11
Washington, DC
·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Skype
| We are the net purists here...
I expect that reaction from DSLReports readers is going to be nearly universally bad. My guess is that the other 99.8% of Comcastdom won't care.
Although I hate the idea, I appreciate the thoughtfulness in this particular implementation and in getting the conversation into the IETF. Great job, guys.
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Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- District of Columbia -- KJ7RL
Evil does seek to maintain power by suppressing the truth, or by misleading the innocent. --Spock and McCoy stardate 5029.5 |
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maartena
Stacked.
Premium
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA | OpenDNS FTW
I have my router configured for OpenDNS. Not looking back.
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"I reject your reality and substitute my own!" |
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majortom1029
join:2006-10-19
Lindenhurst, NY | hmm
Why is it when opendns does it its a good thing but when an isp does it its bad even though they are doing the same thing? |
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dsless
join:2001-05-16
Pittsburgh, PA | reply to geonap
Re: nice
Why not just default 404. If you actually want the service you can opt-in!  |
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lordofwhee
join:2007-10-21
Everett, WA | Level3 DNS
I've been using Level3's DNS servers for over a year now (4.2.2.1-6). I got tired of Comcast's DNS servers going down or just being generally slow, and now I have yet another reason. |
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