[Gllug] Need fix for local network problems caused by Tiscali

[Andy Farnsworth]

John G Walker wrote:
> On Tue, 24 Jul 2007 18:38:44 +0100 Ian Norton-Badrul
> <bredroll at darkspace.org.uk> wrote:
>
>   
>> bredroll at raptor:~$ host 195.238.237.143
>> 143.237.238.195.in-addr.arpa domain name pointer
>> wr.eu.barefruit.co.uk.
>>     
>
> This turned out to more relevant than I first thought. My first
> reaction was that the IP address was something random, that had got
> stuck in the works by accident.
>
> It now turns out that this company (barefruit) is being used by Tiscali
> as a proxy, in order that Tiscali can slip adverts into its customers'
> browsing
> (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/11/tiscali_dns_hijacking/). And I
> can make my local area network work by unplugging the router from the
> phone line. Not a useful workaround, but serves to prove what's going
> on.
>
> I've requested that my account be removed from this “Enhanced DNS Error
> Handling”
> service(http://www.tiscali.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=131522, for
> those similarly affected). This should, i'm informed, take effect
> within the next 24 hours.
>
> But it occurs to me that I must have something configured wrongly
> somewhere for the hijacking to have had an effect. There is absolutely
> no reason why a request for a local IP address should be sent to a DNS
> server. And presumably the Windows 98SE PC is making its address
> request in such a way that the router isn't forwarding it on.
>
> So, the question now becomes one of how I configure my SuSE PCs (10.0,
> 10.1 *and 10.2) to not go to the internet for a local address. Possibly
> just an order of parameters in a config file somewhere?

Push comes to shove, put a linux box as a router just inside the 
supplied router and route your own internal network that way.  Then, if 
they won't drop you from the "enhanced" service, either change providers 
or find someone outside on the internet that you can tunnel your packets 
to prior to going free on the internet.  Not most efficient way, but at 
least it works.

Andrew
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