How to bypass a website ban by DNS over HTTPS?

Recently I found that my default search engine DuckDuckGo (duckduckgo.com) was not opening in any web browser, while all other websites are working fine. In a basic troubleshooting, I found that my ISP ( ACT Fibrenet in Bengaluru, India) is blocking my DNS query to duckduckgo.com. ( See my blog on Domain name service DNS ).

DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH)

What is Domain name service (DNS) ?

When we type a URL address in any internet browser like google chrome or Internet explorer, the browser translates that name to something it understands, a number, called IP Address. In Internet, all the connected devices have an unique IP address. Eg: Google website ( google.com or google.in ) has an unique IP Address, Yahoo has its own address. It is difficult to remember all these addresses, that is when DNS helps us. A server running this DNS service maintains a table to translate the Name to IP Address to make things easy for humans

Configuring BSNL MTNL Internet on D-Link Wireless N 300 ADSL2+ (DSL-2750U) Router

New year wishes to all.
In this new year, the first thing i bought from Flipkart is a Dlink router/modem. They provided some CD along with the product. When i started to run the application in it , It got stuck at some stage. So i tried the usual way i configure a router . So i thought of sharing this so that it may help someone.

Configuring The modem

Physical set up

1. Unpack your router. Connect the power adapter and switch on. Now the power led will be lit
2. Connect a LAN cable from your computer to one of the four yellow LAN ports. And see whether the corresponding LED start blinking
3. Now wait sometime so that the router will assign an IP to your computer.

Screen shot of Website in firefox

Screengrab addon in Firefox help you to take a screen shot of the website - either the entire screen , or current view or the selected area.



Install the addon

Addon Webpage: http://www.screengrab.org/

Historic Change to Internet's Domain Name System

ICANN's Board of Directors has approved a plan to usher in one of the biggest changes ever to the Internet's Domain Name System. Starting in 2013, regulators will allow websites to buy new Internet addresses that include common words or corporate brand names. Instead of the familiar website addresses that end in .com, .net, or .org, for example, there could be addresses ending in .Apple, .CBS, or .McDonalds.

Changing BSNL router configurations (Passwords / DNS etc)

If you are using BSNL as your ISP, you can configure and change the settings of your router by a web inteface.

In your web browser(firefox, google chrome etc), type 192.168.1.1 in the address bar . It asks for username and password. Default username and password provided by BSNL is "admin" and 'admin' respectively. After your first login, change the password.

Once you login, you have four menu items.

1. Device Info:
Here, you get all the informations about your network, WAN , LAN , IP addresses, DNS address etc.
2.  Advanced setup
Here, you can change the settings of LAN , WAN , etc
3. Diagonostics
4. Management
Here you have system logs, back up features , internet time synch and changing access passwords of the router etc. 

How to change BSNL router password?

 IMPORTANT: Change your router password as soon as you login for the first time itself.Otherwise, attackers can easily access your networks. For eg: someone else can change your WiFi settings so that it can be accessed by public.

For changing , first of all go to 192.168.1.1 in your web browser(like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome etc) and give default username and password both as "admin". Go to "Management"->"Access control"->"passwords". Select user as "admin" and type your old and new password and then "save&reboot". Done!

How to change DNS server addresses of your router ?

Login to 192.168.1.1 . Then go to "Advanced setup" ->"DNS"->"DNS Server". If you want to add DNS server other than that used by BSNL, untick " Enable Automatic Assigned DNS" and add your primary and secondary DNS server address. You can use OpenDNS server addresses ie 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220.(Why?)

Web content filtering with OpenDNS

Are you searching for a tool that will restrict your children or students from accessing unwanted websites? Are you in search of an easy tool to manage your networks web activites ? Then ,OpenDNS is the tool for you..!

How to set up?

First of all, change your router settings to use openDNS as your DNS servers. That is, change your DNS address as 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. Dont know how to change DNS address of your router ?

Now create an account in www.opendns.com if you dont have one. Once you register, login to your openDNS dashboard. Now , go to "create a network" option in the dashboard. You can create networks as many as needed for your purposes. For example, for maintaining your home network ,create a network named "HOME" and for your office maintanence purposes , you can create a "OFFICE" network.

While creating networks, they will ask the IP address of your router. If you are using static IP, you can give that IP directly. But if you are using dynamic IP, you have to update the IP each time you have a new IP. You can do that manually(oops!) or you can use client softwares which will automatically updates your IP address once you get a new IP(:-) cool). You can download that softwares here(for windows,for mac).

So you have set up the your networks and now you are using openDNS. Now the important step comes..Content Filtering

Content Filtering

Go to "Settings" tab of your dashboard and choose the network for which you are going filter contents. Now in "Web Content Filtering" tab, you have different levels of web filters High,Moderate,Low,None and Customize. Choose one among them according to your need and give "Apply". Done! It will take about 3 minutes to get the settings active since the new rules are to be updated in all the openDNS DNS servers around the world!.

Manage individual domains

Another cool feature is that you can manage(either always block or never block) individual domains where you can make exceptions. For example, if you choose "Customize" level and you ticked "serach engines", all the search engines will be blocked. But if you want to allow "Google", you can just add a "never block" to google.com. Give it as google.com (not www.google.com) to apply this same rule for all the subdomains of google.com .

Who all are using OpenDNS?

• OpenDNS is the number one choice for K-12 schools. More than 40,000 public and private schools and school districts around the world use openDNS to control Web content. 
• OpenDNS is the smartest and easiest way to protect all Internet access in your home.
  

Support openDNS

• Tell a friend about openDNS.
• Add an OpenDNS Smart Button to your website or blog.

Help about openDNS

• Video tutorials
• web forum
  

Mozilla Launches Firefox 4

Firefox 4 is available to download  for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux in more than 80 languages.

Searching mails in Gmail

Recently i was searching for a method to get all my unread mails from my inbox in gmail. I felt it very difficult to search for it manually .So as usual i googled for a solution .I was really surprised to see the power of gmail search mail option. You can simply give a search for

is:unread

.All the unread mails will be listed..wow..nice one isnt ?

See below options too .

Keyword what it will do ?

from:abc --- get all mails from abc
to:abc --- get all mails send to abc

is:read --- get all read mails
is:unread --- get all unread mails
is:starred --- all starred mails

in:inbox --- mails in inbox
in:trash --- mails in trash
in:spam --- mails marked as spam

Many options are there.. Get the entire list from See here