Spark DNS Issues - Amazing - Broadband Service Alert

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196 posts

Master Geek

#1122985 6-Sep-2014 11:24

code15: This may be completely naive..

But if a "handful" of customers with malware are taking down sparks entire internet service, why don't they just kick these customers off the network until they are able to contact them and remove the malware?

I would say this has a better than even chance of being rubbish.

It may be true to a lessor extent, so they're not lying, but usually Spark IT is not really up with the play.

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kngjse

18 posts

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Inactive user

#1122988 6-Sep-2014 11:28

Perhaps the"handful of customers" aren't aware of the free McAfee Security Suite that comes with their internet plan? lol

einsteinsboi

49 posts

Geek

#1123006 6-Sep-2014 11:36

dwl:

While 8.8.8.8 i great for checking, I would not recommend for on-going use. The other Spark addresses in the post above should be used as the CDNs (especially Akamai which now has a larger amount of your daily content) may only deliver from local caches with local ISP DNS (noting that OpenDNS seems better than Google at working out your ISP Akamai locations).

Noting the duration of the outage, I hope it is only a small group affected (I'm off a Porirua exchange). At least with LAN wide working settings rather than on the PC I don't have to explain why I have Internet and others can't !

Agree. I've now changed to using the dns servers suggested by gujal, I believe they're Spark ones as well:

202.37.245.17 
202.37.245.20

Working fine for me

AND, more importantly, I've learned a bunch of new stuff

khull

1245 posts

Uber Geek

#1123008 6-Sep-2014 11:39

Have had enough with this, moving back to Snap

quickymart

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#1123010 6-Sep-2014 11:43

khull: Have had enough with this, moving back to Snap

One outage and you're going?

mcraenz

1117 posts

Uber Geek

#1123012 6-Sep-2014 11:47

quickymart:
khull: Have had enough with this, moving back to Snap

One outage and you're going?

Yes Snap are 100% absolutely immune to outages. Didn't you know?

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quickymart

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#1123017 6-Sep-2014 11:52

LOL!

sbiddle

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#1123018 6-Sep-2014 11:54

khull: Have had enough with this, moving back to Snap

This type of issue (a massive DNS amplification attack) could happen with any ISP.

sbiddle

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#1123019 6-Sep-2014 11:55

code15: This may be completely naive..

But if a "handful" of customers with malware are taking down sparks entire internet service, why don't they just kick these customers off the network until they are able to contact them and remove the malware?

Heard the saying "needle in a haystack?" .. There are lots of people now looking for those needles.

eXDee

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#1123022 6-Sep-2014 11:58

Not sure why their spokesperson talking to the media is saying its just "high volumes of traffic", when it makes it sound like their network doesn't have the capacity to sustain high volumes - when really its probably one of the highest capacity networks in the country.
Should rather say its essentially an attack against their DNS servers, then briefly explain that DNS converts domain names to ip addresses so your PC knows knows where to send information to etc. It's not even something too difficult to explain to the press.

sbiddle

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#1123024 6-Sep-2014 12:03

I don't think explaining customer originated DNS amplification attack is that easy to describe in a way that's going to be understood by the vast majority of the population. Their facebook page right now is a trainwreck.

quickymart

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#1123027 6-Sep-2014 12:13

sbiddle: Their facebook page right now is a trainwreck.

I just had a look at it, and you're quite right, it is.

tardtasticx

3050 posts

Uber Geek

#1123028 6-Sep-2014 12:14

quickymart:
khull: Have had enough with this, moving back to Snap

One outage and you're going?

I came here to get away from Facebook. Full of everyone going "OMG TELECOM YOU BROKE EVERYTHING I DEMAND 6 MONTHS FREE SERVICE WAHHH HOW DARE YOU BLAME US CUSTOMERS GADKFJ;AIKD;OAK;FOIAWEFLKAWEFJNFD." Looks like it's now spreading to Geekzone :(

This could literally happen to any ISP, hell even google DNS probably could have this happen. Spark is a huge ISP with a tonne of customers. It takes time to fix things.

eXDee

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#1123029 6-Sep-2014 12:15

sbiddle: I don't think explaining customer originated DNS amplification attack is that easy to describe in a way that's going to be understood by the vast majority of the population. Their facebook page right now is a trainwreck.

I don't think they need to explain DNS amplification, they can just say its a malicious attack on their DNS servers. Thats sufficient.

At the moment the press make it look like that a small group of telecom customers are taking down their entire network bandwidth/capacity wise and they aren't helping this message being sent by the press at all. Makes customers think that their network is fragile if it can be taken down that easily.

IMO when you're experiencing a degradation of service of this magnitude, you want to make sure you're communicating the right messages, and helping people with workarounds if appropriate.

PaulZA

314 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1123031 6-Sep-2014 12:21

This is major,

If criminals are able use a handful of infected PCs, to bring down a whole country's internet, for 95% of it's users (the other 5% are those who know about DNS), then God knows what else they are capable of.

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