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Open DNS users....

stoswald
Grafter
Posts: 249
Thanks: 6
Registered: ‎14-03-2014

Open DNS users....

Hi
Any Open DNS users out there?
I have a question which may or may not be a security issue?
I block all the adult, gambling, tasteless, illegal websites to protect my kids.  But have noticed over a month that someone is trying to access these sites.
I have reset the router password, renamed the router to make it hard to find, yet they still come through.on the Blocked Domain Log.
I did notice that most of the blocked sites occurred when my children are at home, but I have checked the laptop, mobile & kindle and can find nothing to indicate it is them.
Having checked the last 2 days (kids with mum) for blocked domains, I find 2x gambling websites and a webcam site that hosts nudity. 
I use Startpage on the PC & Dolphin on my tablet, both with family filter on.
Could this be a problem with OpenDNS or Plusnet dynamic IP's; or is it simply there is in app advertising causing the problem,
Home PC runs ABE; Laptop runs the same.  Both Windows phones don't run any ad blocking sapp.  Kindle has ABP installed & my Tab has nothing as ABP screws up the wireless on it.
Any advise welcome as usual!
9 REPLIES 9
southerner
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 632
Thanks: 65
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎27-11-2013

Re: Open DNS users....

Are you running the OpenDNS app on your PC that keeps OpenDNS upto date with your router's IP address? only if not and if you don't have a static IP every time your PlusNet dynamic IP changes (it will frequently) your OpenDNS account will become out of synch and so any blocks you've put in place won't work.
npr
Pro
Posts: 1,898
Thanks: 119
Fixes: 9
Registered: ‎21-01-2013

Re: Open DNS users....

OpenDNS can be defeated by changing the dns setting in the device so it points to say google dns.
You can prevent devices using their own dns settings by configuring  the routers firewall to block port 53 outbound.
dvorak
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 29,473
Thanks: 6,623
Fixes: 1,482
Registered: ‎11-01-2008

Re: Open DNS users....

Quote from: stoswald
I block all the adult, gambling, tasteless, illegal websites to protect my kids.  But have noticed over a month that someone is trying to access these sites.
I have reset the router password, renamed the router to make it hard to find, yet they still come through.on the Blocked Domain Log.

if they're on the blocked log then they are been correctly trapped, it's probably ad's on pages trying to connect.
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PeeGee
Pro
Posts: 1,217
Thanks: 84
Fixes: 3
Registered: ‎05-04-2009

Re: Open DNS users....

Quote from: woodm
Are you running the OpenDNS app on your PC that keeps OpenDNS upto date with your router's IP address? only if not and if you don't have a static IP every time your PlusNet dynamic IP changes (it will frequently) your OpenDNS account will become out of synch and so any blocks you've put in place won't work.

There is (always) a delay in updating OpenDNS when the IP address changes and the best way to keep in sync is with a device that has a custom option for dynamic DNS, which updates when PPP negotiation completes (no delay). The old TG585v7 had the capability (I edited the config file and reloaded it), don't know about the newer devices from Plusnet. TP-Link only have 3 "paid for" options and a "difficult to edit" binary config file Cry
Phil
Plusnet FTTC (Sep 2014), Essentials (Feb 2013); ADSL (Apr 2009); Customer since Jan 2004 (on 28kb dial-up)
Using a TP-Link Archer VR600 modem-router.
matthews
Rising Star
Posts: 145
Thanks: 8
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-08-2014

Re: Open DNS users....

I use OpenDNS and I'm the only person using my connection but I've experimented with blocking sites as well. Things are always appearing in that list and I've put it down to advertisements (I keep a close eye on my network and the router tells me about all connected devices, not just ones it's given out IP addresses to).
It's also possible that something is attempting to "prefetch" requests. For example if you search for something, Google Chrome will start issuing requests to what it thinks you might click on. It's possible that these requests (that aren't being clicked on) are triggering the blocks.
This is in addition to what people have said about the IP address taking a minute to update, although it would rely on the person who got your IP address after you to also be using OpenDNS.
KevinA
Rising Star
Posts: 159
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎07-02-2013

Re: Open DNS users....

I agree there most likely adverts hosted on other sites, just because you visit one site doesn't mean all the adverts and images are loaded on that domain name, often theres hosted on loads and if one is blocked using opendns it'll be listed as blocked.
As for using open DNS for blocking sites its useless except for the youngest of children, my 9 year old bypassed the filters within minuets to access his favourite minecraft site by installing an add-on to the chrome browser.
chenks76
All Star
Posts: 3,274
Thanks: 338
Fixes: 12
Registered: ‎24-10-2013

Re: Open DNS users....

parenting should solve the problem of the 9 year old installing add-ons.
a 9 year old really shouldn't have un-monitored access to any device that can connect to the internet - adult supervision at all times!
as has been mentioned already opendns will log lots of things that you may not be immediately aware of. all ads on websites are loaded from elsewhere so looking at the log might not necessarily tell you all that much about which particular site you were on at the time.
stoswald
Grafter
Posts: 249
Thanks: 6
Registered: ‎14-03-2014

Re: Open DNS users....

Thanks for all your help  Smiley Smiley Smiley
Jasmine
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎21-11-2014

Re: Open DNS users....

I'm a user of OpenDNS which is configured via the router, but could be easily changed at device-level.
If you're wanting this degree of control over your network then it may be best to upgrade your router from the box-standard Plusnet one.
You may also want to look at OpenDNS alternatives, here is Yandex (Russia's Google) - which has a 'family safe' offering straight out of the box.
You could also consider that it is some kind of advertising being blocked, and it is not happening through the intentions of anybody in the house, if that was the case - you could make sure home web browsers have such plugins installed as: Adblock, Ghostery (Available on both Google Chrome and Firefox).
It would be best to have the filtering done by some hardware or software appliance in the home (as I mentioned, get a better router) or setup a filtering proxy that users must go through such as Privoxy.
Goodluck!