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My Chromecast Ultra would not start until I began answering 8.8.8.8

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Re: My Chromecast Ultra would not start until I began answering 8.8.8.8

#231

Post by smcl »

shawnz wrote: post #201
Bartweiss wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does Google make the DNS requirement clear pre-purchase, or accept returns over this issue? This isn't the same as coming into your home and forcing you to use Public DNS, sure, but I think people are justified in being annoyed if they buy something, then find an arbitrary and unannounced dependency in it. (I can't find any mention of the DNS requirement by Google, just extensive threads elsewhere about working aroun…

Where do they announce all the other IPs that need to be reachable in order to access YouTube? Why is the dependency on 8.8.8.8 being reachable somehow more annoying than the rest?

Well there are nearly infinite ways to route traffic to/from YouTube.com, that is how the internet works. However for this product there is a very hard dependency on this one specific IP address, which isn’t documented and is pretty unreasonable

Re: My Chromecast Ultra would not start until I began answering 8.8.8.8

#232

Post by ryandrake »

darpa_escapee wrote: post #193
linuxftw wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We're already there. Younger generation knows little about the web, but they all participate in the walled-garden-net via their app store.

Yep. In many places in the world, the internet is Facebook/WhatsApp/YouTube and whatever portal each of your apps allows you to peer into.

This is no different than the late 90s, when the Internet was AOL for a huge number of people. In 20 years it'll surely be some other platform, too, as long as the relatively open "Internet" foundation persists.

Re: My Chromecast Ultra would not start until I began answering 8.8.8.8

#233

Post by paulio »

darpa_escapee wrote: post #193
linuxftw wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We're already there. Younger generation knows little about the web, but they all participate in the walled-garden-net via their app store.

Yep. In many places in the world, the internet is Facebook/WhatsApp/YouTube and whatever portal each of your apps allows you to peer into.

If by "....in many places...." you mean the majority, then I agree.

Re: My Chromecast Ultra would not start until I began answering 8.8.8.8

#234

Post by trumped »

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #119

Knowing who he is, my takeaway should be, "Wow! An Internet Hall of Famer weighing in against a Google product!" But my actual takeaway is, "Legends of the CS world write informal, pithy rants to Google just like the rest of us mortals."

why didn't you rant about it first, then, AdmiralAsshat? (if you are so good)

Re: My Chromecast Ultra would not start until I began answering 8.8.8.8

#235

Post by dragonwriter »

djrogers wrote: post #230
05 wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The obvious reason is that any local browser config pages cannot be SSL protected because the device can not provide a valid certificate for 192.168.0.33 or chromecast.local Phone app can use a custom TLS CA to make sure the stick was produced by Google and is not a rogue neighbor phishing for your WiFi password..

No, that's not how it worked - you got a code on the screen you could use to activate the device with google from any browser - much like many many many TV apps use (visit foo.com/activate and enter code NNNN). You weren't browsing to any local devices...

> No, that's not how it worked

Yes, it is; Chromecast activation has always used the Chromecast itself as the WiFi host; you have to do that to even set it up to use another network.

> you got a code on the screen you could use to activate the device with google from any browser - much like many many many TV apps use (visit foo.com/activate and enter code NNNN).

TV apps can do that because the TV device is already configured to connect to a network. And both the app and your browser can connect to the same remote server. Chromecast activation can't work that way, since it occurs as a necessary prerequisite to connecting the Chromecast to a network.

Re: My Chromecast Ultra would not start until I began answering 8.8.8.8

#236

Post by mthoms »

joshuamorton wrote: post #142
lelf wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If Google used Google DNS to spy on people Are you seriously thinking they don't store/analyse/use that kind of information??? (That's every site you visit, at minimum.)

Yes. They don't. They guarantee they don't. The spooky answer is they don't need it.

They don't retain IP addresses beyond 48 hours but they may retain other information (permanently). For example, the domain requested, your ISP and your approximate location (city or region).

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

So, while it can't be traced back to you, it is absolutely useful information for their business. Why do you think they offer the service? To be nice?

Re: My Chromecast Ultra would not start until I began answering 8.8.8.8

#238

Post by Rapzid »

darpa_escapee wrote: post #199
metalliqaz wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google's business is built on web services, and we know for a fact that ISP occasionally try to inject bullshit into their customers browsing sessions via all kinds of dirty tricks. Their DNS is also designed to be faster than typical DNS. I wouldn't be surprised if Google sees this as a way to ensure the proper function of their devices.

This is an incredibly generous reading of the situation that, as far as I can tell, has no basis in reality. Google is circumventing how the internet works at pretty basic level by not respecting users' DNS preferences in favor of their own.

The consumer of the DNS is the Chromecast. Its preference is 8.8.8.8 .

Re: My Chromecast Ultra would not start until I began answering 8.8.8.8

#239

Post by mthoms »

joshuamorton wrote: post #225
llukas wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This guarantee is one TOS change away from vanishing...

Then they'd need to announce that to all of the users of their DNS service. You tell me how to do that.

They'd do it the same way every web service since the beginning of the internet has done it.

"By using service X you are agreeing to be bound by the terms located at .... "

Re: My Chromecast Ultra would not start until I began answering 8.8.8.8

#240

Post by TravisDick »

djrogers wrote: post #230
05 wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The obvious reason is that any local browser config pages cannot be SSL protected because the device can not provide a valid certificate for 192.168.0.33 or chromecast.local Phone app can use a custom TLS CA to make sure the stick was produced by Google and is not a rogue neighbor phishing for your WiFi password..

No, that's not how it worked - you got a code on the screen you could use to activate the device with google from any browser - much like many many many TV apps use (visit foo.com/activate and enter code NNNN). You weren't browsing to any local devices...

I'm a little confused by this. If the chromecast didn't know my wifi password, how could it connect to google to receive any information / configuration? Mostly commenting because I want to know if there's some cool mechanism for getting around that! Thanks!
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