198.18.1.x address problems

[#1]

Quote from: ejs

Unfortunately it's a rather inaccurate explanation, but there's no telling some people.

It's NOT an inaccurate explanation, it's a "simplistic" explanation. The majority of those encountering this issue do not have tech backgrounds and do not wish to know about the detailed whys and wherefores, they just see the symptoms and want to know how to fix it. As simplistic explanation is all that's required, not semantics.
I'd love to know the reason why Plusnet have decided to suddenly do a lot of remote firmware upgrades, the first time Ive ever know them do that, and as WANDownSpoofing was present in the 8.4 firmware, what is it in the 10.2.5.2.EO & FO firmware in particular that causes this to become a more prevalent issue.

Quote from: Kelly

I'm flagging it up with Matt again today though.

I see that produced some wonderful explanation - not!

[#2]

@AO,
Indeed, I got 'Mr fit it extraordinaire' Bob Pullen to look at this one.  As a result there are some internal fixes available in the auto-config service.  I'm given to understand that the symptoms of this issue were also made known to the front-line support staff. 

[#3]

Those "fixes/changes" push the relevant Telnet commands to disable WANDownSpoofing.

[#4]

Quote from: Anotherone

Quote from: ejs Unfortunately it's a rather inaccurate explanation, but there's no telling some people. It's NOT an inaccurate explanation, it's a "simplistic" explanation. The majority of those encountering this issue do not have tech backgrounds and do not wish to know about the detailed whys and wherefores, they just see the symptoms and want to know how to fix it. As simplistic explanation is all that's required, not semantics.

Saying it's a bug in the router firmware which causes it to dish out these spoofed IP address for no good reason would be a simple explanation. Adding inaccurate details about it serving up a spoofed IP address every single time a DNS lookup fails does not simplify it.

[#5]

Oh I do apologise ejs, but I just don't recall saying it happened with EVERY failed DNS lookup. I suppose if you want to twist

Quote from: Anotherone

The Spoofed addresses that appear in the TG582n cache are just the TG582n's way of dealing with a failed DNS lookup.

Yes "a" failed DNS lookup   And I think as we both know it's not quite as simple as the 582n dishing out a spoofed address for no good reason.

[#6]

Quote from: Anotherone

it will spoof whenever it gets a failed DNS lookup.

[#7]

Yeah well, badly phrased, but nothing like you quoting out of context just to score points is there -

Quote from: Anotherone

In fact the name is really misleading, it should have been called DNSDownSpoofing because it will spoof whenever it gets a failed DNS lookup. WANdown is dealt with by "Web Page Interception" another setting, but you can find that one in the GUI - also a good one to turn off as otherwise it can cause loss of data you may be entering on a webpage.

I was making the point about the name being misleading, even you've admitted  it's not specific to WAN Down

Quote from: ejs

Yes, "WAN down" should be when the PPP connection is down. The problem could be that the 582n incorrectly determines that the WAN / PPP connection is down when it isn't, for some unknown reason / firmware bug.

nor are you consistent. There you clearly say "for some unknown reason / firmware bug" yet in reply #123 you claim it just to be a firmware bug. Well we know that there is some unknown interaction between what is undoubtedly some shortcoming in the firmware and some obscure issue with Plusnet's DNS. None of us know exactly what.
You seem intent on just making personal attacks over trivia, no such thing a polite "I'm sure you didn't mean "whenever" it gets a failed lookup" . No I didn't. That's the trouble when sometimes when one's trying to explain things in a hurry, things don't always get phrased in the best way. Yes it was a mistake, I do occasionally make one, but you never do of course. None of this is of any consequence, the fact is that the firmware fails to do anything useful with the spoofed address - as I've said before

Quote from: Anotherone

Well to be quite honest I found that this "feature" and the 'Web browsing Interception' "feature" to be two of the most unhelpful "features" of the TG582n's default settings. Even with the various firmware upgrades they never seem to have directed towards anything helpful. I have both turned off. As far as I'm concerned they have no practical purpose whatsoever.

and jelv (spoon whittler) also said

Quote from: spoon

Before diving in to the depths of investigating why spoofing is not working correctly, ask yourself one question: Why the hell would you want spoofing in the first place?

which saved me repeating what I've just quoted above.
The solution to this problem is turn off the spoofing and clear the caches as already mentioned by me and you in previous posts. Endof.

[#8]

You gave a similarly incorrect explanation back in reply #102
You were "making the point about the name being misleading", but that's based on your incorrect assessment about it spoofing "whenever it gets a failed DNS lookup". Obviously they weren't going to call it WANDownAndFirmwareBugSpoofing. However, you seem intent on ignoring any evidence that doesn't fit with how you think it works.
And once again, I'll repeat, the WAN Down spoofed IP addresses are used by the web browsing interception feature, which re-directs you to a router page when the Internet connection is down. If you have web browsing interception set to Automatic, the default, and have WANDownSpoofing disabled, the web browsing interception does not work. Enable WANDownSpoofing, and the web browsing interception then works.

Quote from: Anotherone

None of this is of any consequence, the fact is that the firmware fails to do anything useful with the spoofed address - as I've said before

Presumably I'm supposed to assume you repeatedly didn't really mean this, or I'll be accused of making personal attacks, twisting your words, quoting you out of context, or some other garbage. It's quite simple to test if WANDownSpoofing is required for the web browsing interception to function, which I just did, and it is. You seem to be under the impression that the Technicolor firmware does nothing with these spoofed IP addresses, but they are used for the web browsing interception. Oh, you don't think the web browsing interception counts as something useful, well the firmware does have a use for them.
You say that everyone makes mistakes, but it doesn't seem very sincere considering the way you react if I dare to comment on something you say. Presumably I'm supposed to autocorrect whatever you say until it's correct, not comment on it, and it doesn't matter if it gives everyone else the wrong impression. Then we can all just keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again.

[#9]

Quote from: ejs

....but it doesn't seem very sincere considering the way you react if I dare to comment on something you say

Maybe it has something to do with the manner in which you comment ejs, as I'm sure Townman would agree, you having had a go a some of his posts in a similar manner in the past.

Quote from: ejs

Oh, you don't think the web browsing interception counts as something useful, well the firmware does have a use for them.

Instead of making bland statements like that, which you frequently seem to do,  why don't you explain exactly what you think the firmware does with web browsing interception and what benefit there is to the end user.
I stand by what I said before

Quote

As far as I'm concerned they have no practical purpose whatsoever

until such time as either you (or someone else) manages to explain exactly how it benefits the end user.

[#10]

I'd rather have bland factual statements than endless unsubstantiated and unchallengeable opinion.
Here's a screenshot of what the firmware does with the web browsing interception. I expect the designers of the router intended it to be helpful in some way.

[#11]

Considering this is an ADSL thread, and Townman who started it, is on an ADSL connection, that's really helpful. I don't recall it providing anything useful like that on ADSL and certainly no more informative than the lights on the TG582n anyway, all of which are explained in the manual.

[#12]

Can we get this thread on topic and stop the bickering please.'

[#13]

Chris
Has the Plus Net team or Technicolour been able to nail down the cause of this problem?  It is driving me absolutely nuts.  I have devices running Win 8.1 and Win 10.1 and they both have regular problems of not resolving DNS names and slow responses when connected to some sites.  Surely there is enough data available now to nail it? Or should we all be supplied with an alternative router if the Technicolour one is not fit for service?
Tony

[#14]

We haven't pinned down the exact cause Tony, but there are workarounds available if it's inconveniencing you.

[#15]

@tonys3
As Bob says, there are workarounds. See the detail in this post to turn off WANDownSpoofing and clear the caches.
As has been mentioned elsewhere, this config change will not survive a factory reset should anyone ever do one. The best option would be to Backup the configuration after making the changes. This would of course also backup any configuration changes of your own that you may have made.
To do a Backup, when logged into the TG582n on the main LH menu select >Technicolor Gateway >Configuration and at the bottom of the page select >Save or Restore Configuration. On that page then click Backup Configuration Now....   you will be prompted to save the configuration with a default file name of user.ini which you can change subsequently when eventually prompted for the folder and filename.
You can then restore that configuration at any later point by simply using that file.