Charter.com redirects me to search page...

[The_Shooter]

I use Charter cable internet and have never had/noticed this problem until today. I accidentally typed google.coim instead of .com and it redirects me to:
Cannot find server - google.ciom

I currently use openDNS to for my DNS requests. I have the DNS addresses plugged into my wireless router. It seems to have been working just fine. I have it block certain sites and categories.

I really do not like my ISP redirecting my misspelled websites. I prefer openDNS. I did a quick google search and someone pointed out that I can opt out of the charter 'service', but I have to have cookies enabled. The problem is that I have 16 computers/devices that use the internet and I do not want to have to 'opt' out for each one.

Does anyone know if there is a way I can go back to having openDNS keep in control of my DNS requests?

[ShyguyXPC]

its been doing that for quite a while, same thing happens here on occasion when i mistype an address or something.

[The_Shooter]

Do you know if there is a way that I can get them to stop this? My understanding was that if you used a different DNS server, then you would not run into this redirect from your ISP, is that not true? It ticks me off when they push something at me that I do not want. It's like adware!

[ShyguyXPC]

nope, no idea, I just retype the address with out the typo in the box and try again.

[RobRich]

Actually, ads for misspelled domains is breaking DNS, but many ISPs are doing it anyway. You can search around for DNS servers actually conforming specifications for failed queries, though I suggest verifying any unknown third-party DNS server for legitimacy.

BTW, does not OpenDNS do the same thing to make money? Been awhile since using OpenDNS.

[Nude_Lewd_Man]

Personally, I set my IE up in such a way that it doesn't bother to check any search engine if I was to enter the details incorrectly...

Tools --> Internet Options --> Advanced tab --> about three-quarters of the way down (between 'Printing' and 'Security') there is an option for what you want to be done - mine is shown as being "Do not search..."






(I was going to attach an image, but the pop-up window isn't working for some reason...)

[RobRich]

That is Internet Explorer's own integrated feature. It can be annoying as well, but the setting does nothing to address the issue of ISPs returning search pages for failed DNS queries. Many ISPs are now using DNS redirection to deliver search/advertisement-related pages for failed DNS queries.

[The_Shooter]

Well I just discovered something interesting. I went to the openDNS site and went to their test page, and it says I am not using openDNS. I compared my IP with what is in the settings and it's the same. I re-verified my DNS settings on my WRT54GL router, and they are set for the openDNS servers. I even reset the router and checked, but its still not using openDNS.

Is there something that I am doing wrong? I did an ipconfig /all and it shows my DNS servers: 192.168.1.1 as being my router that would forward the request.

[Nude_Lewd_Man]

Your computer is prolly best left pointing to the router, unless you like playing with Static IP addressing.....

If a computer can't resolve a name to an IP, then it will forward to the DNS server specified (in the IPCONFIG/ALL command) which will advise the computer where to go. If the DNS server (or any device with that role installed and in use) doesn't know, then it will check with the DNS server/s it has listed.

I haven't used OpenDNS, so can't be 100% certain, but it sounds like the router isn't using OpenDNS for things it can't resolve. I would log into the router to see what it thinks it should be using.....


Let us know how it goes...

[The_Shooter]

Here are my settings for my router:

Static DNS 1: 208.67.222.222
Static DNS 2: 208.67.220.220
Static DNS 3: 0.0.0.0