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CajunWon
join:2005-12-30
Cary, NC
 ·ViaTalk
| RoadRunner intercepted & changed my FireFox experience. How can they do this and how can I prevent it from happening again? I'm using Firefox, not a RR browser -so a little peev'd that they changed FireFox to send me to a RR search page.
Began occurring this week:
Used to type simple site name and Firefox would bring up the requested site by adding the .com, .net, .org as well as the www or http characters.
e.g. used to simply type firefox and www.firefox.com would load immediately. Now when I type firefox the following page appears »ww23.rr.com/index.php?origURL=http://firefox with "Sorry, we couldn't find firefox" and a roadRunner search page displays. This issue is consistent, yet never worked this way previously.
There is a link "Why am I here" that allows me to disable this RR dis-"Service". So all is back to normal, but I feel this is was an unnecessary intrusion.
Any ideas? | |
|  k22
join:2002-02-27 | Re: RoadRunner intercepted & changed my FireFox experience. could this be a DNS redirection? try changing your DNS server to 4.2.2.1 and see if the behavior continues. | |
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CajunWon
join:2005-12-30
Cary, NC
·ViaTalk
2 edits | Re: RoadRunner intercepted & changed my FireFox experience. Thanks, New to DNS
Currently set to "Automatic from ISP"
4.2.2.1 is Level 3. I do use a Level 3 IP (4.71.124.1) for speedy/reliable VoIP routing, though I assume these are totally unrelated.
Would like to set a good one -then forget it.
How does one figure which DNS is best to avoid intrusions, or is DNS purely a service which does not facilitate snooping/spying on me?
Edit: OpenDNS is a step back, exactly the same as my initial redirect issue (redirects to a search page "did you mean to type firefox.com?" instead of simply taking me to the site). 4.2.2.1 does work like I am used to, so far.
Open DNS site suggests my DNS setting can affect my LAN security. So how to pick the best? | |
| | | NormanS
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
 ·Pacific Bell - SBC
| Re: RoadRunner intercepted & changed my FireFox experience. said by CajunWon  :How does one figure which DNS is best to avoid intrusions, or is DNS purely a service which does not facilitate snooping/spying on me? Anybody running a DNS server can, in theory, snoop, or spy on you. The Internet is not a private medium, and privacy is a very scarce commodity on the Internet.
Open DNS site suggests my DNS setting can affect my LAN security. So how to pick the best?
I can't envision how DNS can affect LAN security, outside of the possibility of being redirected to a malicious site. But that would be more a problem with computer security, I think.
Unless they are referring to the nature of running a 'ping' command (or the like) against a NetBIOS computer name. If you run 'ping local_machine_name', the command initiates a lookup in the 'hosts', or 'lmhosts' file. If no match is found, then the lookup goes to the DNS server configured for your computer. This will, usually, fail because most people don't use a host name with a DNS record for the 'local_machine_name'. But you have just sent a DNS request outside of your LAN with 'local_machine_name' in that request. Moreover, a redirecting DNS server, such as Road Runner, or OpenDNS operates, will send you to a web page, so your 'ping' command will either fail, or just ping the redirect web site.
With a free OpenDNS account, you can add your 'local_machine_name' to an exception list, and OpenDNS will not redirect on that name. Or, if you are using a router which allows IP address reservation, or you are willing to manually set up static IP addresses on your LAN, you can just add your 'local_machine_name' to your 'hosts' file (or, if you know how to set it up, your 'lmhosts' file).
In the case of your 'local_machine_name' listed in your 'hosts' file, your network commands, such as 'ping', will always find the LAN IP address without going off to the DNS servers.
You need to be able to set up your LAN so your computers always have the same IP address (either IP address reservation in a router, or manually configured static IP addresses0 for your 'hosts', or 'lmhosts' file to work properly.
--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum | |
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hobgoblin
Sortof Agoblin
Premium
join:2001-11-25
Orchard Park, NY
clubs:
| Re: RoadRunner intercepted & changed my FireFox experience. He did that if you read the original post!
Hob
--
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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evilt00l
join:2003-03-20
Winchester, KY
clubs: | Re: RoadRunner intercepted & changed my FireFox experience. is the pref saved on a cookie in FF or on RR end? as I keep FF settings to clear private data each time its closed... | |
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Lowtarget
Premium
join:2003-12-22
Alger, OH
clubs: | My self I never used the ISP dns servers. I all ways used the free dns servers from opendsn.com | |
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hobgoblin
Sortof Agoblin
Premium
join:2001-11-25
Orchard Park, NY
clubs:
| Re: RoadRunner intercepted & changed my FireFox experience. said by Lowtarget :My self I never used the ISP dns servers. I all ways used the free dns servers from opendsn.com Which does the same thing I believe.
Hob
--
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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| | | kshymkiw
join:2004-12-21
Columbus, OH
| Re: RoadRunner intercepted & changed my FireFox experience. said by hobgoblin :said by Lowtarget :My self I never used the ISP dns servers. I all ways used the free dns servers from opendsn.com Which does the same thing I believe. Hob I use opendns and have not had any issues with the RR redirect. | |
| | | | NormanS
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
·Pacific Bell - SBC
| Re: RoadRunner intercepted & changed my FireFox experience. said by kshymkiw :I use opendns and have not had any issues with the RR redirect. hobgoblin is referring to the OpenDNS error redirect. Instead of being redirected to an ad-laden Road Runner error page, you are redirected to an ad-laden OpenDNS "Guide" page. The only difference is in who gets paid for your error.
You can set up a free account with OpenDNS and turn off "Typo correction". The question remains, though; are they collecting "anonymous, aggregate statistics" on the typos you make?
--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum | |
| 
pL86
@cogentco.com
| This isn't a DNS issue. This is a Firefox configuration issue. The Firefox setting that automatically added .com somehow got turned off. This is how you turn the feature on or off:
1. enter "about:config" in the address bar (without the quotation marks). This will bring up a long list of Firefox configuration settings that are not normally accessible through the menu.
2. Find the setting titled "browser.fixup.alternate.enabled". Start typing the name in the filter box and Firefox will automatically narrow down the settings.
3. When you locate the setting, you will see that the value of the setting is set to either True or False. If you want this feature on - that is, you want Firefox to automatically add .com - then set the value to True. Double click on the setting to change it.
4. Voila, you're done. | |
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CajunWon
join:2005-12-30
Cary, NC | Re: RoadRunner intercepted & changed my FireFox experience. Thanks,
Mine was and is set to 'true'.
Although hadn't thought to look there since the change occurred out of the blue last week. | |
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