Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

My Chromecast Ultra would not start until I began answering 8.8.8.8

mailarchive.ietf.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

361–370 of 519 posts

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

#361

Post by [deleted] »

pixl97 wrote: post #275
shawnz wrote: post #246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Well there are nearly infinite ways to route traffic to/from YouTube.com, that is how the internet works. I'm talking about the endpoint. YouTube.com resolves to a finite set of IP addresses, and accessing YouTube requires that outgoing traffic is allowed to all of them. All of this is entirely under the control of Google, so how does adding one small additional dependency on 8.8.8.8 affect the end user's control i…

You do realize that many networks use DNS security products, right? These networks block all DNS traffic to 'random' DNS servers, including 8.8.8.8 to prevent any number of different attacks. The security device can examine the DNS packet and say 'youtube.com = allowed', or 'yourtube.com = not allowed'. It can also to the reverse "if youtube.com 'expected_ip_set' then allow". By requiring this device to use outside D…

[deleted]

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

#362

Post by sowbug »

SilverSurfer972 wrote: post #298
sowbug wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't using a company's product exactly when you'd expect a dependency on that company's service?

DNS is a protocol not a service

I think you meant to reply to the parent comment.

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

#363

Post by Laforet »

Rebelgecko wrote: post #264
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.

I suspect it's to keep people from using Pi-holes or other DNS level adblockers. A non-ultra chromecast will totally ignore the routers preferred DNS unless you blackhole 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, then it'll fallback to the DNS server you actually want it to use.

Transparent DNS proxy is a thing, plenty of ISPs have been using them for more than a decade. I know mine does because occasionally they hit a snag and setting your DNS to 8.8.8.8 wont help because any request over port 53 is silently intercepted.

Like somebody said below, this is pretty much a non issue unless google starts to force DNSSEC and certificate pinning.

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

#364

Post by pbhjpbhj »

imagiko wrote: post #304

I'm a dumdum when it comes to understanding stuff about DNS. Why is this bad, and are there any good resources for understanding how these are used by companies to extract more information about our habits?

If someone controls your DNS they can monitor and/or control your internet traffic flow.

Like controlling your phone exchange, one can either watch who you connect to, or connect you to other phones regardless of the phones you try to connect to.

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

#365

Post by rasz »

dvdgsng wrote: post #355
rasz wrote: post #307

Chrome is just as insistent on using 8.8.8.8. Took me >2 years of constant pestering to make Vivaldi finally patch some of it out. https://www.reddit.com/r/vivaldibrowser/comments/a23071/how_...

I had no idea. thank you for this! I assume the setting is "use google dns service to help resolve navigation errors"?

Yes, except Chrome has very liberal definition of what it considers an error.

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

#367

Post by Natanael_L »

JohnFen wrote: post #347
pault wrote: post #312

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you route 8.8.8.8 to your DNS server?

Yes, you can. Can this device detect that you've done that and refuse to work anyway? That, I don't know.

If they would use DNS over HTTPS, then yes they could

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

#368

Post by shawnz »

pixl97 wrote: post #275
shawnz wrote: post #246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Well there are nearly infinite ways to route traffic to/from YouTube.com, that is how the internet works. I'm talking about the endpoint. YouTube.com resolves to a finite set of IP addresses, and accessing YouTube requires that outgoing traffic is allowed to all of them. All of this is entirely under the control of Google, so how does adding one small additional dependency on 8.8.8.8 affect the end user's control i…

You do realize that many networks use DNS security products, right? These networks block all DNS traffic to 'random' DNS servers, including 8.8.8.8 to prevent any number of different attacks. The security device can examine the DNS packet and say 'youtube.com = allowed', or 'yourtube.com = not allowed'. It can also to the reverse "if youtube.com 'expected_ip_set' then allow". By requiring this device to use outside D…

Good points, although in this case allowing outgoing access to YouTube already allows unrestricted exfiltration of data (you could send a PM or post a comment on a video)

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

#369

Post by Silhouette »

RickS wrote: post #212

More concerning to me was the fairly recent removal of non-phone-app setup. It used to be that a chromecast would display a 4 character code on screen, which could be used to activate it from the browser. Now, they require that it be managed with the google Home app, and have discontinued the method that allowed chromecast use without installing additional google software on your phone. This made for a really dishear…

As an extra treat, Google Home isn't compatible with some older devices that are still perfectly functional. We use a Gen 3 iPad (max iOS version = 9) to control a few bits and pieces, including being a handy way to cast online streaming services to the big screen. Until one day the Chromecast gets a bit confused, as they do from time to time... and the Chromecast app on the iPad tells us in nauseatingly cutesy fashion that we should get the latest version... and redirects us to a different app on the App Store (Google Home) that isn't even compatible with our device. Literally, one day it all worked fine, the next day the whole setup is completely broken.

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

#370

Post by jhayward »

jaredmauch wrote: post #229
nabakin wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't have to be sheltered to think it's rude. This feels like an attack, please stop.

You also maybe should know that I could have texted that to him as well. It's not as if we don't know each other.. i may have even been to his home previously :-)

You should perhaps consider if you are modeling the behavior that you want to see others adopt. They don't know your relationship status, they only know that you find it acceptable to be rude and dismissive in a professional environment.

Newcomers, outsiders, and others will take that experience to heart.

Post reply on HN