Open DNS evidently blocking torrent sites

[bill_214]

(Forgive me if this isn't the correct category or it's been posted before. It seems appropriate and I didn't find it posted anywhere but perhaps I've missed it. It does seem unlikely that I'm the first person to notice this.)

It appears opendns is blocking at least some torrent sites.

I've been using the opendns DNS servers for years, ever since someone here years ago posted doing so as a workaround for some countries and ISPs blocking websites just because it seemed like a good idea anyway.

I often do Google searches for .torrent files using the hash (because I like the actual.torrent) as well as searching for torrented content by name/title.

The last few days I've noticed that on most (read that as "nearly all") results I get a Firefox error message "the page isn't redirecting properly" and following the listed fixes for this such as deleting cookies, accepting all cookies, clearing the cache, etc listed on the Mozilla support site for Firefox wasn't helping.
Note that this was happening both when connecting directly through Google, on third party sites like torrentz.pro where you might get results listed for several torrent sites for a particular search, and also when I would attempt to download a .torrent file from several torrent sites that may or may not be storing .torrent files at TheTorrent.org or other similar sites.

I also should mention that I was getting the same error message for duckduckgo, and that is resolved using my ISP's DNS server as well.

I noticed that the error message always has an opendns web address so I checked t see if my manually entered DNS servers were still entered and they were. After fiddling with different solutions a bit more to no avail I unchecked the "use these DNS servers" and reverted to "obtain DNS servers addresses automatically" so I'm using my ISP's DNS servers and now am able to connect to those pages I was unable to connect to before.

I have several questions...

Is opendns blocking sites or have I missed something?

If I'm using my ISP's DNS servers does this make me more vulnerable that I was before? Does this configuration mean that perhaps my ISP can see my surfing habits now or could they see that all along anyway as I expect they could?

Is there an alternative to opendns's DNS servers I can enter manually as I did before with opendns's servers so I don't have to use my ISP's DNS servers?

Am I the only one that's noticed this?

I expect this isn't an issue for those that are in love with magnet links but I prefer actual.torrent files as they let me view what's in the torrent and also list the file size in my client as I tend to load .torrents into my client and DL them later if I'm low on HDD space. I only use magnets when I can't find a .torrent file by searching the hash either by getting it off the site's page or ripping it out of the magnet link. (I'm sure you guys already know that everything between the ":" and the "&" is the hash in a magnet link)

Any thoughts or suggestions?

(BTW, I had to re-register with my same username on this board as my account was deleted, perhaps for non-usage as I don't visit here all that often)

Update: I went back to opendns to get their DNS server addresses and re-entered them as my DNS servers and the problem has reappeared. Earlier I did erroneously state that I was getting the same error message for duckduckgo as the torrent sites however that was incorrect.
The error message for duckduckgo is "this connection is untrusted" while the torrent site related error is "The page isn't redirecting properly. Firefox has detected that the server is redirecting the request for this address in a way that will never complete."

(edited (again) for clarification and additional information)

[kjf]

I use OpenDNS and haven't experienced anything like that. But seeing as how you didn't actually list what sites weren't loading properly, I can't confirm or deny there is any problem.

If I'm using my ISP's DNS servers does this make me more vulnerable that I was before? Does this configuration mean that perhaps my ISP can see my surfing habits now or could they see that all along anyway as I expect they could?

Not using their DNS server just means it is a little more difficult for the them to create a history of lookups. Unless you are using a VPN, they can still see where all your packets are going.

Is there an alternative to opendns's DNS servers I can enter manually as I did before with opendns's servers so I don't have to use my ISP's DNS servers?

http://www.opennicproject.org

https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/

I expect this isn't an issue for those that are in love with magnet links but I prefer actual.torrent files as they let me view what's in the torrent and also list the file size in my client as I tend to load .torrents into my client and DL them later if I'm low on HDD space. I only use magnets when I can't find a .torrent file by searching the hash either by getting it off the site's page or ripping it out of the magnet link.

Any decent client should treat magnet links and torrent files the same. Perhaps instead of jumping through hoops locating torrent files, you should be looking for a better torrent client.

[bill_214]

        [attachment=200][attachment=201]I appreciate you getting back to me.

I think you confirmed what I already figured on the DNS servers being about the same vulnerability as it's been my understanding that the primary vulnerability is someone in the swarm getting your IP when actually torrenting.

I reinstalled the opendns servers and the problem returns.

I had this happen on several torrent sites however I can get through on others but when I choose the .torrent link I get the same problem on most like at: http://kickass.to/movies/genre/news/ and the KAT mirrors... on KAT I can get to the page but the .torrent links are at http://torcache.net and I am unable to get those .torrents at all. (getting the "the page isn't redirecting properly" Firefox error message and the very long http://guidetest.a.id.opendns.com/?url=guidetest%2E (goes on forver) URL

I'll post a few links that I've tried just to see if they work below.

http://www.torrentz.eu/ - can't see the page at all, I get the "the page isn't redirecting properly" Firefox error message and it redirects to the URL: http://guidetest.a.id.opendns.com/?url=g...Ecom%(goes on for something like a couple of hundred characters)

Same issue with several other torrent sites...

lazypirate.net I can't get through at all - same issue

http://extratorrent.cc/ - no problem with pages or .torrents

http://isohunt.to/ - again no problem with pages or .torrents



Particular torrents I get the:"the page isn't redirecting properly" Firefox error message and it redirects to the URL: guidetest.a.id.opendns.com/?url=guidetest%2Ea%2Eid (blah blah forever) are:


http://thetorrent.org/A5F7D7D92D8CDE2576...9B.torrent : (getting the "the page isn't redirecting properly" Firefox error message and the very long http://guidetest.a.id.opendns.com/?url=guidetest%2E (goes on forver) URL

I can go on to list individual .torrents but I think you get the idea...


I've had this issue with more than a few torrents over the last couple of days and can't remember them all but further checking does seem like it's either particular torrent sites I can't access at all or on sites I can access but store their .torrent files on either torcache.net or thetorrent.org so there seems to be mixed issues, being able to see some pages but not get .torrent files from those sites if they're stored somewhere else.

On duckduckgo I get the "this site is untrusted" error.


Again, when I abandon the opendns DNS servers I've been using for years and go to "automatic" both of these issues disappear with no other changes. and I've done that several times just to verify the problem and even confirmed that the opendns server addresses are corect, which they are the same ones I've used for years.

I've emailed opendns and described the issue and they haven't gotten back to me yet and even though this doesn't seem to be a Firefox issue I'll probably post it there as well.

As far as magnets go, I can click on a magnet and get the file as always, I just don't like those as is doesn't input the file size or let me see what files are actually actually in the torrent until it downloads a bit and unless something has changed about that I don't think that's any different on any client. Reading on this it seems to be a .torrent vs magnet issue, not a client issue. As seems to be the magnet issue of not being able to change the DL location on a file until it downloads a bit.
I am using an older utorrent (1.8.5) as for some reason the last time I upgraded the interface was "jerky" and intolerable although I did like the newer features, so I went back.

Although this doesn't seem to be a Firefox or a Windows issue, I'm using FF 28.0 on win XP Pro SP3, legal OEM copy.

I appreciate the links and will look at those. I distrust Google over privacy issues and thus don't want to use their DNS servers but if opendns is going to be a pain I might have limited choices

Update: it's definitely an opendns issue. Using both my ISP DNS servers and those of opennicproject.org work fine. I also noticed at least one of the pages at Java's site don't load (https://java.com/en/) although others do, the ones that don't load giving the same "untrusted" error as duckduckgo and a page or two over at Mozilla.... interesting that details of that error shows that the certificate belongs to opendns which may be a clue as to what's happening as the two issues seem to be related. Perhaps it's inadvertent but both issues go away using everyone else's servers from what I can see.

Thanks again for the links opennicproject has servers very close to me so I think I'll use those from now on and forget about opendns awhile.

(edited to add screenshots, more info).

[SectorVector]

Since you mention the problem started in the last couple of days, think back on what you installed, websites visited etc (along those lines).

If you are very particular about finding the cause, view your http traffic to debug the problem. Here are some tools that could help.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/80930...se-headers

duckduckgo site seems safe. The security certificate is good. Not sure why you get that error.

Try to isolate the problem.
Use different browser, PC (if possible).
Give bittorrent client a try if you are uncomfortable with utorrent. Interface is similar.
During installation be watchful and opt out (uncheck) installing "extras".

[kjf]

torrentz.eu

lazypirate.net

Both those domains are properly resolved by OpenDNS.

I stopped testing after those two.

I am guessing it is something you configured OpenDNS to do for you as I have none of the problems you are experiencing.

[Reading on this it seems to be a .torrent vs magnet issue, not a client issue. As seems to be the magnet issue of not being able to change the DL location on a file until it downloads a bit.

I am using an older utorrent (1.8.5) as for some reason the last time I upgraded the interface was "jerky" and intolerable although I did like the newer features, so I went back.

It is a client issue. You are using a client version with limited magnet link support. The only difference between a torrent file and a magnet link is how the torrent metadata gets loaded into the client. Either way the data itself is identical complete with file list and sizes. Don't fault the protocol because the client doesn't handle it properly.

[SteRipper]

It pays to use the current versions of your Bittorrent Client.
Don't let the little things (Design, Ads, etc) stop you from getting a proper download.

[bill_214]

The problem absolutely doesn't exist unless using opnendns free DNS servers, it simply has to be their issue.

Again, I've confirmed the issues by switching back and forth between their DNS servers and either using automatic settings or using other DNS servers and the issues only exist with the opendns free servers.

I've begun using the opennicproject's servers and none of these issues exist using their DNS servers either. I think I'll stick with those as there is one very close to me and all the links that don't work with opendns work with opennicproject.

I think I mentioned it before but one clue as to what's going on is the details on the "untrusted" errors at duckduckgo and java show that the certificates belong to opendns rather than the specific sites so I expect their code is screwed up and inserting their cert rather than the proper one.... and since both issues only happen when using their servers I expect the issues are related somehow.

At any rate I'm sticking with the opennicproject DNS servers, at least for now and as always, digging into this problem has lead me to new learning experiences as I tend to go off on tangents when exploring stuff like this when I find something interesting.

I can see no other explanation other than some sort of opendns issue when it only happens using their servers and on none of the other DNS servers I've used when testing this in the last couple of days.

Thanks for the responses. As far as I'm concerned this issue is "solved" by using other DNS servers. opendns will have to fix their issues as it appears no one else has it and I don't seem to have any infections or settings misconfigured.

[kjf]

opendns will have to fix their issues as it appears no one else has it

You have no idea how ridiculous that statement is. Carry on then.

[bill_214]

Again, I'm not having the problem with other DNS servers and don't see any way to configure other than simply entering the servers into the appropriate dialog boxes.

I'll have to try updating utorrent again. the last time I updated the interface had a "jerky" feel as when I would move my cursor around I got all sorts of pauses/flickering and such. I'm assuming that issue was either coding or my system not being able to handle the updated client. I did like some of the newer features but I also understand utorrent has begun adding some bloat in newer versions so perhaps I'll try something else.

Don't get me wrong, I can use magnets and do when I can't get a .torrent after searching a few minutes using the hash but I'm unable to see/choose the individual files or the file sizes until the magnet begins to download.... it's really not that big of a deal, I just like .torrents better but yes, obviously I still get the same files.
After some DLing begins (a small amount, maybe a kb or so I'm guessing) it's exactly like having a .torrent and I can see/change as with a .torrent.

If it's an OS issue, I'm going to upgrade soon anyway as XP Pro support has ended but I hang on to stuff forever as I see no reason to throw away perfectly useable stuff and I'm willing to put up with certain things to squeeze every last bit of "worth" out of my whatever.
For instance I have to reset my screen resolution here as I'm using a CRT monitor from the '90s on this machine and the page goes off to the right and using the normal screen resizing option in the my browser doesn't solve that issue as it only resizes the text.
I still have Win 98 machines I use for print servers and such, LOL.

At any rate using opennicproject's servers (or anyone else's) solves the issue I posted on so I've followed this about as far as I'm going to. Perhaps it is some setting that's misconfigured on my end but I'm just going in circles and I'm at a loss to find it.

---

opendns will have to fix their issues as it appears no one else has it

You have no idea how ridiculous that statement is. Carry on then.

Again, no other DNS server seems to have it, ALL the other ones work. I've use my ISP's, Google's, opennic's and the problems only occur with specific sites using opedns's free servers and again, the site certificate details indicate the offending certificate is opendsn's certificate rather than duckduckgo's or java's (and others). (details on the error message)

Perhaps you have another explanation as to how I'm getting opendns's certificates rather than the specific sites certificates? Hey, I'll admit to being wrong sometimes like everyone else but in the absence of a complete alternative explanation I'm blaming it on them. Seems reasonable to me.

Appreciate the links, one solved my issues.

[SectorVector]

I see you have marked the status as solved. Wish the riddle had an answer. :-)

Answer to your certificate problem can be found here.
http://forums.opendns.com/comments.php?D...49#Item_20

OT: Your conclusion (blaming it on OpenDNS) reminds me of the topic of "fallacies" in logic. There are many types of fallacies.
I believe it is this one you may have committed. For casual/light reading :-)
http://www.logicalfallacies.info/presump...e-dilemma/