Help! BT blocking a website i was building!

[sheltonjb]

You're right @countrypaul i was using my BT router.

Not technical to digest what you just said though. So you forced firefox to use cloudfare? thats the security thing that recently went down isn't it. if not using cloudfare then what do sites normally use?

So no BT blocks, but how can i get them to update or fix their DNS?

[countrypaul]

@sheltonjb In Firefox it gives you a list of secure DNS servers to choose from, I chose the first as I was just testing, but you can put in your own choice.

By the way, I suspect you have made a mistake in your choice of user as I am CountryPaul not countryboy

As regards getting BT to fix their DNS, I have no idea other than  talking to the normal support people and showing then the results of the NSLOOKUP command and the fact that you can connect via Firefox if you get Firefox to use a different DNS server. 

I would try with Edge but for some reason Edge currently thinks I have a managed browser even though there are no visible rules. Something for me to look into....

[licquorice]

@countrypaul  I suspect it is BT blocking it but by using DNS over HTTPS it bypasses the block.

I use Pi Hole for DNS rather than the BT hub and the site is blocked whatever DNS provider I configure Pi Hole to use. However, if I configure Firefox to use DNS over HTTPS, the site works.

@sheltonjb  I still think the only way to resolve the issue is via the email address previously listed.

[countrypaul]

@licquorice  It may depend on what you mean BT blocking. I assumed you meant BT blocking access to the IP address on which the webserver is located.

If using DNS over HTTP (DoH) in Firefox, I assumed that meant the DNS queries were encrypted between client and DNS server which given that the DNS server is specified in FF means that the BT (or any other router) in unaware of the DNS query and that FF receives the IP address directly from the server specified in FF. If this is correct then the actual http request sent to the webserver would be sent to the IP address obtained from the DoH  server but include the full web address from the browser (necessary where multiple web sites are on one server). When using NSLookup and specifying a non-BT DNS server the IP address is returned. If using Pi Hole I would assume that the IP address is correctly returned from whichever DNS server you have defined, and then used by FF in the same way as that returned by DoH. What part in the process could BT be blocking?

I suppose another possibility is that FF is not using Pi Hole for DNS resolution - but I can't see how it would resolve DNS in that case. I presume you are using your own DHCP server that issues your Pi Hole IP address to the client for use in DNS resolution.

I suppose we should try a static IP address and the various DNS server IP addresses to see if that shows any different behaviour. To late for me tonight, I may try tomorrow evening unless a clear answer appears.

[licquorice]

@countrypaul I can only assume that BT block the site on the basis of the site name by intercepting the DNS request that is in clear text. With DNS over HTTPS, the query will be encrypted and BT will be unaware of the site name being requested.

I can't see that the IP address returned by the DNS query is actually relevant.

[sheltonjb]

I will drop that address an email today and see if that can help resolve anything. Thanks for looking both!

Another question though, don't any actual BT technical staff check this forum like most companies? surely one of their experts should pop up and resolve the issue?

[licquorice]

No, this is a customer to customer self help forum.

[sheltonjb]

i've now emailed the safer browsing email address and CC'd Allison Kirkby the chief exec and the director of Security. I really hope someone see's it and helps. Appreciate you guys looking at it for me, very frustrating from my end.

[Steve_M]

Hi Matty,

I'll take a look for you as to why this is getting blocked.

Steve

[sheltonjb]

Hi Steve,

thank you for taking the time. i've just come back from a lunch break and seen i've had a load of missed calls and emails. Are you looking on their behalf or shall i phone them back too?

p.s. My website Client is Matty, I'm Shelton 🙂

thanks

Shelton