[TelstraClear] Any way to avoid TCL's transparent proxy?

Forums › One NZ (including Farmside) › [TelstraClear] Any way to avoid TCL's transparent proxy?

jpollock

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#82407 28-Apr-2011 18:33

Much like the ripple signal detector on my power, TCLs transparent proxy is causing problems.

I have my own host resolution rules for some sites, which are different to regular DNS. I need to do this for service testing and other reasons. However, when I connect to the IP address, I get a response for an entirely different IP address because TCL performs the DNS lookup a second time.

So, before I switch away from TCL cable, is there any way to avoid the proxy? Is TCL willing to make the changes to the routing for individual accounts?

Finally, if I switch carriers, which ones do NOT use a transparent proxy?

Thanks!

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phantomdb

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#463511 28-Apr-2011 21:21

possibly a vpn and route your trafic that way???

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#463530 28-Apr-2011 22:04

Yah, as geek Barney would say: VPN up!

AllenG

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#463551 28-Apr-2011 23:38

I have personally been using OpenDNS with Xnet for a year or more with no issues.

My sister however is having issues with OpenDNS on Telstra Clear. She has a Linksys WAG54P2P ADSL router. How easy is it to set up a VPN to fix this issue for all PCs on her LAN? A step by step guide would be useful?

Allen.

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sbiddle

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#463575 29-Apr-2011 06:42

AllenG: I have personally been using OpenDNS with Xnet for a year or more with no issues.

My sister however is having issues with OpenDNS on Telstra Clear. She has a Linksys WAG54P2P ADSL router. How easy is it to set up a VPN to fix this issue for all PCs on her LAN? A step by step guide would be useful?

Allen.

Using OpenDNS on any NZ ISP is a recipe for disaster and will cause all sorts of issues. Unless you fully understand these you should avoid it at all costs.

Because OpenDNS has no local NZ DNS servers all traffic is routed via the USA which not only means slower DNS response times, but that any traffic cached locally by a CDN weill not work properly as intended. This typically means far slower speeds as traffic that should be coming locally from within NZ (Akamai data for example) has to come from the USA.

Any advantages of OpenDNS are totally cancelled out by the shortcomings IMHO.

freitasm

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#463598 29-Apr-2011 08:52

AllenG: I have personally been using OpenDNS with Xnet for a year or more with no issues.

My sister however is having issues with OpenDNS on Telstra Clear. She has a Linksys WAG54P2P ADSL router. How easy is it to set up a VPN to fix this issue for all PCs on her LAN? A step by step guide would be useful?

Allen.

As Steve explained. I once thought it was a problem, but then got some explanation from TelstraClear. Basically your OpenDNS addresses won't match the addresses TelstraClear's own DNS have, so instead of requesting something from a local cache (Apple, Microsoft, Facebook for quick examples) your PC requests something from a US-based server. This not only makes things a lot slower, it also breaks security when firewalls and routers start seeing responses to requests they didn't see.

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jpollock

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#463604 29-Apr-2011 09:10

freitasm:

As Steve explained. I once thought it was a problem, but then got some explanation from TelstraClear. Basically your OpenDNS addresses won't match the addresses TelstraClear's own DNS have, so instead of requesting something from a local cache (Apple, Microsoft, Facebook for quick examples) your PC requests something from a US-based server. This not only makes things a lot slower, it also breaks security when firewalls and routers start seeing responses to requests they didn't see.

That's because TelstraClear's proxy is in the way - otherwise the responses would match the requests.

I'd rather avoid a VPN, because it's only an occasional thing, and VPNs are touchy. I really don't think I should need to pay extra to get a net-neutral connection. Although, if it is possible, I'd probably be willing to pay.

I find it funny that when I ask for a connection to a specific IP address, I don't get a connection to that IP address. I get a connection to an entirely different IP address.

So far it sounds like the only way to avoid the proxy is to avoid TCL. Nuts.

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#463608 29-Apr-2011 09:13

jpollock: So far it sounds like the only way to avoid the proxy is to avoid TCL. Nuts.

Or Telecom. Or Slingshot. Or Vodafone... And so on.

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jpollock

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#463610 29-Apr-2011 09:14

freitasm:
jpollock: So far it sounds like the only way to avoid the proxy is to avoid TCL. Nuts.

Or Telecom. Or Slingshot. Or Vodafone... And so on.

Yep, hence the second part of the question, which ISPs don't use a transparent proxy?

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AllenG

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#463804 29-Apr-2011 18:40

OK, accepting that OpenDNS isn't going to work, how do I filter content on two PCs on my sisters network? They are both Wireless and the ADSL router is a Linksys WAG54GP2.

I can filter by port ranges and a limited number of key words or domains per access profile. It cannot filter by traffic type.

I cannot get onto the teenage boys laptop to install filtering etc, so it has to be done external to the laptop.

Even if I could block P2P traffic that would be a start? I believe that P2P can use any port, so I don't believe that there a range of ports that can be blocked to stop P2P?

Any ideas anyone?

Regards Allen.

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#463807 29-Apr-2011 18:55

If you are using Windows: http://explore.live.com/windows-live-family-safety. The problem of not installing on their laptops is that when they are in another network you will have no control...

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#463819 29-Apr-2011 19:29

freitasm: If you are using Windows: http://explore.live.com/windows-live-family-safety. The problem of not installing on their laptops is that when they are in another network you will have no control...

Thanks Freitasm

This is my sisters network I am supporting. I am mainly trying to limit her sons data usage: P2P, streaming video/TV etc. Filtering of inappropriate content is desirable but the teenage boy is over 18. What he accesses on other networks is unfortunately out of our control.

I don't think installing anything on the laptop is ever going to happen. I think he is tech savvy enough to uninstall etc.

I assume that the windows live family safety software needs to be installed on his laptop?

Regards Allen.

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#463832 29-Apr-2011 20:26

Fyi slingshot does offer the option to turn off caching, which I assume (quite possibly incorrectly) is roughly the same thing as bypassing the transparent proxy. So it can be done

Ragnor

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#464063 1-May-2011 03:03

jpollock:
freitasm:
jpollock: So far it sounds like the only way to avoid the proxy is to avoid TCL. Nuts.

Or Telecom. Or Slingshot. Or Vodafone... And so on.

Yep, hence the second part of the question, which ISPs don't use a transparent proxy?

iirc Maxnet, Snap and Xnet don't run transparent caching web proxies.

jpollock

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#464244 1-May-2011 19:30

Ragnor:

iirc Maxnet, Snap and Xnet don't run transparent caching web proxies.

Thanks, I've got a friend on Snap, and we just confirmed (as far as we can tell), that they don't have a transparent proxy using LFT (layer four traceroute).

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boby55

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#464251 1-May-2011 20:06

I know on Telecom you can request to be taken off the Cache Farm IIRC