[ale] OpenDNS (was: Re: Comcast DNS)

[James Sumners]

*shrug* This is a result of their typo correction service. If you type
"http://www.example.cm" it would get corrected to
"http://www.example.com/". If it can't figure out how to correct the
URL, you typed "example.com" instead of "http://example.com/", then
you get taken to a page filled with possible suggestions. Nothing
wrong with that, and this service is explicitly described when you ask
for the DNS addresses for OpenDNS. If you don't like it, fine, but
some of us find it handy.

On Wed, May 27, 2009 at 6:09 PM, Michael B. Trausch <mbt at zest.trausch.us> wrote:
> On Wed, 27 May 2009 17:37:55 -0400
> William Witt <william at witt-family.net> wrote:
>
>> At least in Miami, Comcast's DNS server's are awful.  If you do decide
>> to use them, ensure the IPv6 is turned off or you'll only get valid
>> responses 50% of the time.  When I was with Comcast, I used OpenDNS.
>
> I would love OpenDNS if only they didn't return "valid" information for
> sites which do not (and in some cases, will never) exist:
>
> ==========
> Wednesday, 2009-May-27 at 18:04:23 - mbt at allspice - Linux v2.6.28.7
> Debian Lenny:[0-14/4678-0]:~> for opendns in 208.67.222.222
> 208.67.220.220; do nslookup linux.fsck $opendns; done
> Server:         208.67.222.222
> Address:        208.67.222.222#53
>
> Non-authoritative answer:
> Name:   linux.fsck
> Address: 208.67.217.132
>
> Server:         208.67.220.220
> Address:        208.67.220.220#53
>
> Non-authoritative answer:
> Name:   linux.fsck
> Address: 208.67.217.132
> ==========
>
> It'd be fine if it didn't break things, but if you try something like
> "telnet linux.fsck" on a network with sane DNS servers, you get:
>
> Wednesday, 2009-May-27 at 18:04:43 - mbt at allspice - Linux v2.6.28.7
> Debian Lenny:[0-15/4679-0]:~> telnet linux.fsck
> telnet: could not resolve linux.fsck/telnet: Name or service not known
>
> Whereas with OpenDNS you get:
>
> Wednesday, 2009-May-27 at 18:05:56 - mbt at allspice - Linux v2.6.28.7
> Debian Lenny:[0-16/4680-1]:~> telnet linux.fsck
> Trying 208.67.214.132...
> telnet: Unable to connect to remote host: Connection refused
>
> Now, this is clear with this fictitious domain, but if you typed what
> LOOKED like a correct domain name, you have the same issue.  For
> example, "alslpice.trausch.us" on OpenDNS also resolves to
> 208.67.217.132, instead of NXDOMAIN as it should.  So if you make a
> typo, the "connection refused" message is *not* what you expect to
> see.  You expect to see "name or service not known."  And if you use
> scripts which have resolution provided by OpenDNS, and one of the
> systems goes away, that can alter what the script does.  (It'd be
> pretty weird to take a machine off a network, remove it from DNS, and
> have a monitoring script still say "host's alive, but all these
> services aren't running on it!")
>
>        --- Mike
>
> --
> If you are a professional writer ... Emacs outshines all other editing
> software in approximately the same way that the noonday sun does the
> stars. It is not just bigger and brighter; it simply makes everything
> else vanish.                --- Neal Stephenson
>
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>



-- 
James Sumners
http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/

"All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."

Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
CH:D 59