Safesearch inconsistently enforced

[#1]

@CuriousSideny - thanks, seems you're hitting the same servers/data centres as me so I'm unsure why I'm not seeing what you are 🤔

With the lookups, could you modify the command to specify the DNS server address so we know for sure that's what it's hitting (or just use the nslookup command I suggested)?

@Townman - no, not aware. Is it the error banner that pops when modifying settings? I was seeing that myself when trying to replicate this issue and assumed it was something specific to my account.

[#2]

Hi Bob,

In my first response I was using the same command you specified to capture them:

     "nslookup -type=TXT -class=CHAOS id.server 213.120.234.42"

Is that okay or do you want me to try something else?

Thanks!

[#3]

I don't know if it's relevant but I've seen some really weird Safesearch behaviour in recent weeks.

In Google searches I would notice that it had been turned on and that there was a message saying I couldn't turn it off as it was enforced externally via an administrator (wording guessed from poor memory).

Yet closing the browser (usually Edge) and reopening it would remove Safesearch.

After the recent DNS problems I changed away from router (Hub2) i.e. PN-supplied DNS to independent services. This weirdness no longer happens. It's consistently off as my Google accounts specifies.

The interesting thing here is NOT ONLY that Safesearch was inconsistent BUT it was being imposed when NOT ASKED FOR!

Not sure which is worse, censorship you've not asked for or censorship that is inconsistent........

[#4]

@HPsauce - thanks for sharing your experience. Those symptoms are exactly what we're trying to get to the bottom of.

@CuriousSideny - it's the website (or Google Safesearch) lookups that would be handy rather than the server ID ones. i.e: -

> nslookup pof.com 213.120.234.42

Above assumes that you have dating websites blocked. Substitute pof.com for another website that falls into a category you do have blocked if not.

Specifying the Safeguard DNS server address just removes any ambiguity around what DNS server is replying to your lookups.

[#5]

Thanks @bobpullen but unfortunately I can't really give you any more useful information. I must say I did find it really quite weird and inexplicable.

As a retired IT guy I could probably have given more detailed analysis with a bit of effort but it wasn't a significant annoyance to me and I've now bypassed it.

[#6]

Thanks @bobpullen I ran "nslookup pof.com 213.120.234.42" in a loop for ~5 minutes and got:

2488 : Server: indnsc92.bt.net Address: 213.120.234.42 Name: pof.com Address: 81.130.111.239
1342 : Server: indnsc92.ukcore.bt.net Address: 213.120.234.42 Name: pof.com Address: 81.130.111.239
633 : Server: indnsc92.bt.net Address: 213.120.234.42 Name: pof.com Addresses: 104.18.36.63 172.64.151.193
358 : Server: indnsc92.ukcore.bt.net Address: 213.120.234.42 Name: pof.com Addresses: 104.18.36.63 172.64.151.193

(The number at the start is just the number of times it returned that result.)