Comments on: Verizon Redirects Typo Traffic to its Own Search Service http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/ The Business of Technology Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:15:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: K Hill http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-899353 K Hill Mon, 15 Sep 2008 02:35:09 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-899353 By the way, the instructions say change the ‘Broadband Connection (Coax)’ DNS setting. However, I changed the ‘Broadband Connection (Ethernet)’ setting on mine. By the way, the instructions say change the ‘Broadband Connection (Coax)’ DNS setting. However, I changed the ‘Broadband Connection (Ethernet)’ setting on mine.

]]> By: K Hill http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-899352 K Hill Mon, 15 Sep 2008 02:31:24 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-899352 It isn't a setting of your browser. It is a setting of your Verizon issued router, which lays the cause of problem directly at Verizon's feet. I don't have a websearch program on my browser and I certainly don't need Verizon's help in searching the web. And I'm not like "Justin" who always, perfectly types every URL perfectly every time, and thinks if you mistype a complex, non-grammatically correct URL means you can't type. Anyway, here is how you fix it on your router, the way that fixed it for me courtesy of: http://log.psi.cc/?s=how+to+disable+verizon+dns+assistance ==================================================================== nonzero Posts matching your search. How to disable Verizon DNS Assistance (websearch.verizon.net) If you’re a Verizon FiOS subscriber (or a Verizon DSL subscriber, presumably), you’ve probably noticed that if you try to visit a URL with a bogus domain (e.g., http://www.tgbuiewafna4wifwe.com) your browser will end up at a Verizon-branded, advertisement-riddled, annoying search page at wwwz.websearch.verizon.net: “Sorry, ‘www.tgbuiewafna4wifwe.com’ does not exist or is not available. But here are some completely irrelevant ads that you should click on!” No thanks, Verizon! I was really surprised to learn that there is actually an opt-out tutorial on verizon.net here, but unfortunately the directions aren’t completely accurate. The important information is there, but the steps to configure the router are off (at least in my case). So, below are the steps I took to get it working on my Actiontec MI424-WR router, firmware version 4.0.16.1.56.0.10.7, hardware version A. You can check out your router specs on the ‘System Monitoring | Router Status’ page. I can’t guarantee these steps will work or even make sense on all FiOS configurations, so let that be my disclaimer. If you’re afraid of messing up your router, make a backup of your configuration file under the ‘Advanced | Configuration File’ page. 1. Log in to your FiOS router. 2. Click on the ‘System Monitoring’ tab and then ‘Advanced Status’ on the left menu. 3. Confirm that you are an advanced user by clicking ‘Yes’ and then go to ‘Full Status/System wide Monitoring of Connections’. 4. Under the ‘Broadband Connection (Coax)’ column, take note of the IP addresses in the ‘DNS Server’ row. 5. Now click on the ‘Broadband Connection (Coax)’ column header which should bring you to the ‘Broadband Connection (Coax) Properties’ page. Click the ‘Settings’ button. 6. Towards the bottom of this page, look for the ‘DNS Server’ field. Change the drop down to ‘Use the Following DNS Server Addresses’. The page will now reload with two extra fields: ‘Primary DNS Server’ and ‘Secondary DNS Server’. 7. Recall the IP addresses from step 4. According to Verizon, the last octet will always be 12. Change the last octet to 14. (The *.14 DNS servers don’t provide DNS Assistance. My DNS servers were 71.250.0.12 and 68.237.161.12 which I changed to 71.250.0.14 and 68.237.161.14. I pinged these addresses to make sure they existed. They did.) 8. Enter the *.14 addresses respectively in the ‘Primary DNS Server’ and ‘Secondary DNS Server’ fields. Click the ‘Apply’ button. After this, wait a minute or so, and then try a google test to make sure you can access the internet. If the internet works, try visiting our bogus domain again: http://www.tgbuiewafna4wifwe.com. After a few seconds you should see your browser’s error page. No more Verizon web search b.s.! Hooray! Meaningless geek victory! ======================================================================== Good luck and I hope it works for you because this fixed it for me. It isn’t a setting of your browser. It is a setting of your Verizon issued router, which lays the cause of problem directly at Verizon’s feet. I don’t have a websearch program on my browser and I certainly don’t need Verizon’s help in searching the web. And I’m not like “Justin” who always, perfectly types every URL perfectly every time, and thinks if you mistype a complex, non-grammatically correct URL means you can’t type. Anyway, here is how you fix it on your router, the way that fixed it for me courtesy of:
(link)
====================================================================

nonzero
Posts matching your search.
How to disable Verizon DNS Assistance (websearch.verizon.net)

If you’re a Verizon FiOS subscriber (or a Verizon DSL subscriber, presumably), you’ve probably noticed that if you try to visit a URL with a bogus domain (e.g., (link) ) your browser will end up at a Verizon-branded, advertisement-riddled, annoying search page at wwwz.websearch.verizon.net: “Sorry, ‘www.tgbuiewafna4wifwe.com’ does not exist or is not available. But here are some completely irrelevant ads that you should click on!” No thanks, Verizon!

I was really surprised to learn that there is actually an opt-out tutorial on verizon.net here, but unfortunately the directions aren’t completely accurate. The important information is there, but the steps to configure the router are off (at least in my case).

So, below are the steps I took to get it working on my Actiontec MI424-WR router, firmware version 4.0.16.1.56.0.10.7, hardware version A. You can check out your router specs on the ‘System Monitoring | Router Status’ page. I can’t guarantee these steps will work or even make sense on all FiOS configurations, so let that be my disclaimer. If you’re afraid of messing up your router, make a backup of your configuration file under the ‘Advanced | Configuration File’ page.

1. Log in to your FiOS router.
2. Click on the ‘System Monitoring’ tab and then ‘Advanced Status’ on the left menu.
3. Confirm that you are an advanced user by clicking ‘Yes’ and then go to ‘Full Status/System wide Monitoring of Connections’.
4. Under the ‘Broadband Connection (Coax)’ column, take note of the IP addresses in the ‘DNS Server’ row.
5. Now click on the ‘Broadband Connection (Coax)’ column header which should bring you to the ‘Broadband Connection (Coax) Properties’ page. Click the ‘Settings’ button.
6. Towards the bottom of this page, look for the ‘DNS Server’ field. Change the drop down to ‘Use the Following DNS Server Addresses’. The page will now reload with two extra fields: ‘Primary DNS Server’ and ‘Secondary DNS Server’.
7. Recall the IP addresses from step 4. According to Verizon, the last octet will always be 12. Change the last octet to 14. (The *.14 DNS servers don’t provide DNS Assistance. My DNS servers were 71.250.0.12 and 68.237.161.12 which I changed to 71.250.0.14 and 68.237.161.14. I pinged these addresses to make sure they existed. They did.)
8. Enter the *.14 addresses respectively in the ‘Primary DNS Server’ and ‘Secondary DNS Server’ fields. Click the ‘Apply’ button.

After this, wait a minute or so, and then try a google test to make sure you can access the internet.

If the internet works, try visiting our bogus domain again: (link) . After a few seconds you should see your browser’s error page. No more Verizon web search b.s.! Hooray! Meaningless geek victory!

========================================================================

Good luck and I hope it works for you because this fixed it for me.

]]> By: martin http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-891807 martin Sun, 03 Aug 2008 05:34:56 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-891807 I notice that OpenDNS does the SAME THING also that checking "do not search from address bar" does not affect this. I notice that OpenDNS does the SAME THING also that checking “do not search from address bar” does not affect this.

]]> By: HOWTO Disable the Verizon FiOS Domain Name Ad Redirect (Lenny Domnitser’s domnit.org) http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-885330 HOWTO Disable the Verizon FiOS Domain Name Ad Redirect (Lenny Domnitser’s domnit.org) Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:44:58 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-885330 [...] with opt out available, the service still scuzzy, and Verisign got ripped to shreds when they tried to pull this kind of stunt for all of .com and [...] [...] with opt out available, the service still scuzzy, and Verisign got ripped to shreds when they tried to pull this kind of stunt for all of .com and [...]

]]> By: Boj o pozornost - Webtrh Blog http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-768607 Boj o pozornost - Webtrh Blog Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:11:14 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-768607 <p>[...] navigace používá v současnosti poskytovatelé internetového připojení EarthLink, Charter, Verizon, Cox a [...]</p> [...] navigace používá v současnosti poskytovatelé internetového připojení EarthLink, Charter, Verizon, Cox a [...]

]]> By: CorporateIT http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-742424 CorporateIT Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:59:23 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-742424 <p>This is worse than just a problem for misspellings and typos. We have internal network only domain URLS that are accessible via our VPN. With this Verizon system, when they can't be found on the public DNS, we are redirected to the search page, instead of to our internal DNS and sites.</p> This is worse than just a problem for misspellings and typos. We have internal network only domain URLS that are accessible via our VPN. With this Verizon system, when they can’t be found on the public DNS, we are redirected to the search page, instead of to our internal DNS and sites.

]]> By: NetworkWorld: Verizon defends redirecting typo traffic at TH·E CON·CEP’TU·AL·IST http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-673052 NetworkWorld: Verizon defends redirecting typo traffic at TH·E CON·CEP’TU·AL·IST Mon, 12 Nov 2007 04:48:14 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-673052 <p>[...] Although Verizon has been implementing its redirect program on a trial basis in several Midwestern states since June, it came under particular scrutiny earlier this week when ConsumerAffairs.com reported that mistyping URLs while using Verizon’s FiOS service results in getting redirected to Verizon’s own search engine. This led to some accusations by Web journalists and bloggers that Verizon was “shamelessly hijacking web browsers” and was trying to “goose up their revenues via advertising.” [...]</p> [...] Although Verizon has been implementing its redirect program on a trial basis in several Midwestern states since June, it came under particular scrutiny earlier this week when ConsumerAffairs.com reported that mistyping URLs while using Verizon’s FiOS service results in getting redirected to Verizon’s own search engine. This led to some accusations by Web journalists and bloggers that Verizon was “shamelessly hijacking web browsers” and was trying to “goose up their revenues via advertising.” [...]

]]> By: Matt http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-672046 Matt Sun, 11 Nov 2007 19:11:09 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-672046 <p>I care. My ISP redirects me to a search engine that doesn't show advertisments. But, as Nathan said, you have to start all over with a miss-typed URL. Personally, I like to choose where my browser goes and If a website/URL no longer exists then I would rather see an error than too be redirected to some strange, unfamiliar website. I found this information helpful: http://www.swcp.com/~manos/blockads.html I have since edited my hosts file to include the address of the offending website wilst using my local numerical address in conjunction with it and, I am no longer redirected. Be sure to read it thoroughly.</p> I care. My ISP redirects me to a search engine that doesn’t show advertisments. But, as Nathan said, you have to start all over with a miss-typed URL. Personally, I like to choose where my browser goes and If a website/URL no longer exists then I would rather see an error than too be redirected to some strange, unfamiliar website. I found this information helpful: (link)
I have since edited my hosts file to include the address of the offending website wilst using my local numerical address in conjunction with it and, I am no longer redirected. Be sure to read it thoroughly.

]]> By: fijis http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-670160 fijis Sun, 11 Nov 2007 07:51:47 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-670160 <p>Justin I couldn't agree with you more. Who cares if your ISP is monitoring your traffic and redirecting it to generate more ad revenue?</p> <p>Wow that's a slippery slope! What if the ISP decides that users don't want to 'accidently' view child p*rn from Norway? Redirect it! Make some more cash. Yeehaw! While we're at it, who visits sites in Norway anyway? Redirect it! Cha-ching! Lot's of malicious sites in Russia... redirect & cash in. The RIAA is leaning on us why don't we redirect torrent sites and make another wad of cash? etc...</p> <p>Once your ISP starts monitoring and redirecting your traffic, where do they draw the line?</p> Justin I couldn’t agree with you more. Who cares if your ISP is monitoring your traffic and redirecting it to generate more ad revenue?

Wow that’s a slippery slope! What if the ISP decides that users don’t want to ‘accidently’ view child p*rn from Norway? Redirect it! Make some more cash. Yeehaw! While we’re at it, who visits sites in Norway anyway? Redirect it! Cha-ching! Lot’s of malicious sites in Russia… redirect & cash in. The RIAA is leaning on us why don’t we redirect torrent sites and make another wad of cash? etc…

Once your ISP starts monitoring and redirecting your traffic, where do they draw the line?

]]> By: Justin http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-651898 Justin Tue, 06 Nov 2007 02:16:43 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-651898 <p>Let me see if I get this, you are all upset because you can't spell and your ISP presents a search that tries to correct your mistake...?</p> <p>I find it incredible how people see what they want to see.</p> <p>Let's look at the alternative:</p> <p>A domain squatter that tries to install trojans and downloaders into your machine. Now thats a great alternative!</p> Let me see if I get this, you are all upset because you can’t spell and your ISP presents a search that tries to correct your mistake…?

I find it incredible how people see what they want to see.

Let’s look at the alternative:

A domain squatter that tries to install trojans and downloaders into your machine. Now thats a great alternative!

]]> By: Katherine http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-649172 Katherine Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:08:33 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-649172 <p>I have Verizon FiOS and this doesn't happen to me. I work on a Mac so maybe it is a PC thing. When I activated my initial setup, it configured my email software so that my outgoing mail route is correct. I have a feeling that the browser re-routing is merely a preference change--like selecting a default home page.</p> I have Verizon FiOS and this doesn’t happen to me. I work on a Mac so maybe it is a PC thing. When I activated my initial setup, it configured my email software so that my outgoing mail route is correct. I have a feeling that the browser re-routing is merely a preference change–like selecting a default home page.

]]> By: marketinghelper http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-649148 marketinghelper Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:02:14 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-649148 <p>A lot of internet providers do this, it is very annoying.</p> A lot of internet providers do this, it is very annoying.

]]> By: Damien Mulley » Blog Archive » Fluffy Links - Monday November 5th 2007 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-648194 Damien Mulley » Blog Archive » Fluffy Links - Monday November 5th 2007 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 05:13:33 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-648194 <p>[...] the ISPs don’t do the dns redirect trick [...]</p> [...] the ISPs don’t do the dns redirect trick [...]

]]> By: MB http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-647984 MB Mon, 05 Nov 2007 01:59:07 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-647984 <p>Noticed this with my connection (FIOS in DC) in the past couple of weeks. Very annoying. Thanks for the link, Zac.</p> Noticed this with my connection (FIOS in DC) in the past couple of weeks. Very annoying. Thanks for the link, Zac.

]]> By: Scott Schiller http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-647859 Scott Schiller Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:12:03 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-647859 <p>While annoying, at least they didn't "break the Internet" like Verisign in 2003 with their "Site Finder" service, which pulled similar tricks on a more global scale.</p> <p>..According to this article, anyway. ;) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Site_Finder</p> While annoying, at least they didn’t “break the Internet” like Verisign in 2003 with their “Site Finder” service, which pulled similar tricks on a more global scale.

..According to this article, anyway. ;)
(link)

]]> By: Shama Hyder http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-647781 Shama Hyder Sun, 04 Nov 2007 22:52:48 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/11/04/verizon-redirects-typo-traffic-to-its-own-search-service/#comment-647781 <p>Yikes! Verizon is forgetting money making and marketing rule number 1- Keep your customers happy.</p> <p>Thanks for the head's up!</p> Yikes! Verizon is forgetting money making and marketing rule number 1- Keep your customers happy.

Thanks for the head’s up!

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