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72% of smart TVs and 46% of game consoles hardcode DNS settings

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Re: 72% of smart TVs and 46% of game consoles hardcode DNS settings

#131
post #60

In this point in time everything is compromised. It is a business function not user oriented design. If you affect the bottom line you actively making a statement in this. Don't buy smart IoT shit, don't buy new phones, don't use entertainment services. This is how you will make a difference. Waiting for legislation to remove corporate malpractice is absurd. Politicians are fighting who will get "retirement" benefits…

Or support open hardware.

Re: 72% of smart TVs and 46% of game consoles hardcode DNS settings

#132
post #110
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it? I’m still holding onto my TV from 2014 because it doesn’t have “smart” functionality. Every time I look at new ones I can’t find good dumb ones.

Yeah as others have said, the TV can't get online by itself, so you simply don't configure the "Smart" features and it should work just fine (although perhaps that is something to confirm before purchase).

Eh, some do nag about not setting it up, and if this Chinese model is representative of the future [1], the ads may be built-in anyways.

1: https://youtu.be/4eSADWuZskk?t=231

Re: 72% of smart TVs and 46% of game consoles hardcode DNS settings

#133

I’m responsible for a bunch of IoT hardware, and every firmware spec I write includes a note on not using the DNS servers provided via DHCP. While sure there are companies explicitly doing this to avoid filtering, at least in my case it’s because a significant proportion of DHCP servers are configured to send DNS to your ISP, and ISP provided DNS is almost universally terrible. They’ll ignore TTLs, rewrite NXDOMAIN r…

This sounds like a game of cat-and-mouse. Lists of 'known' DoH DNS servers will be collected, and PiHole-esque blocking will take shape via more advanced filtering.

Re: 72% of smart TVs and 46% of game consoles hardcode DNS settings

#134

I’m responsible for a bunch of IoT hardware, and every firmware spec I write includes a note on not using the DNS servers provided via DHCP. While sure there are companies explicitly doing this to avoid filtering, at least in my case it’s because a significant proportion of DHCP servers are configured to send DNS to your ISP, and ISP provided DNS is almost universally terrible. They’ll ignore TTLs, rewrite NXDOMAIN r…

What DNS do you hardcode? Google's? Or do you advice the use to set it up himself? I am very suspicious of the push for https and the like. I feel it is mainly about hiding the payload from me not any third party.

Closest 2 servers in OpenNIC.

Re: 72% of smart TVs and 46% of game consoles hardcode DNS settings

#135
post #48

Honestly there is no scenario where your TV should have Internet access. Setup Kodi and you're done.

Great. I've set up Kodi on my Mac. Of course, there's no way to get the content from my machine in the office, to the actual TV that I can see. So that doesn't really solve any problems.

Unless you mean buy a separate box, put Kodi on it and attach that to the TV

Re: 72% of smart TVs and 46% of game consoles hardcode DNS settings

#136
post #106
post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I'm lucky enough to be able to direct ALL DNS through my router first Even DNS over HTTPS? Do you do packet inspection? Just blocking ports doesn't do much any more. I run an IDS/IPS and it blocks lots of DoH to Google. Apple devices are even worse.

Would you mind sharing a bit more detail on your setup?

I’m interested too.

Re: 72% of smart TVs and 46% of game consoles hardcode DNS settings

#137

I’m responsible for a bunch of IoT hardware, and every firmware spec I write includes a note on not using the DNS servers provided via DHCP. While sure there are companies explicitly doing this to avoid filtering, at least in my case it’s because a significant proportion of DHCP servers are configured to send DNS to your ISP, and ISP provided DNS is almost universally terrible. They’ll ignore TTLs, rewrite NXDOMAIN r…

What a terrible state of affairs we're in now that you can't trust the network's own DNS. Please consider making it an advanced option to switch back on the DHCP provided address.

Re: 72% of smart TVs and 46% of game consoles hardcode DNS settings

#138
post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just don’t ever connect it to your network.

Sure, till they start adding cellphone-tower enabled connectivity. Your move, consumer.

I live outside the cellphone coverage area. Your move, manufacturer.

Re: 72% of smart TVs and 46% of game consoles hardcode DNS settings

#139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mine quite happily works as a dumb TV without a connection, and I know many others who do the same. Though I hear stories of TVs being annoying to use without a connection (timing out waiting for a server response that can never come, before falling back to an ad free menu, or just constantly nagging, even while content is playing, about the lack of connectivity).

Yeah I worry about this sort of “annoy the customer into connecting” behavior becoming more common as integrating ads becomes more a part of the business model. Also could connect to open wifi networks in more densely populated areas The real problem will be integrated cellular connectivity with no option to disable.

I hate my Samsung. All of our TV content comes through our Xfinity internet (no digital antenna, no cable box). However, when you turn the TV on the Samsung defaults to "Samsung TV" set of stations that look like local TV and have commercials. They hijack your internet, bandwidth that you pay for, to feed you commercials that they get paid for.

How the hell is this legal???

Re: 72% of smart TVs and 46% of game consoles hardcode DNS settings

#140
post #14

> some of these devices are using a sneaky tactic to bypass your PiHole entirely I don't think that it's malevolent on their part. Lots of ISP DNS are crappy. Hardcoding a reasonably reliable one saves them a lot of frustration and unnecessary technical support.

So if every single piece of hardware or software followed this one crazy trick the world would be better because some people at a tech company wouldn’t have to field as many support questions?

Is this even a trick? If you're setting up PiHole, you gotta recognize right away that this is an obvious way for devices to bypass it.
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