[X4U] Leopard Issues

[Stroller]

On 5 Dec 2007, at 15:39, Jon Warms wrote:
> ...
> Thanks for the DNS explanation. Earlier, you suggested changing the
> DNS in my computer. I did that on both computers. The 10.4.11 machine
> added the ".com" (and the www). On the MacBook, there was a
> delay of several seconds, and then the Verizon search page came up.
> I assume it tried the changed DNS, which failed, and then tried the
> DNS in the router, which didn't fail, but routed the address to
> Verizon.
> So domain guessing never got applied.

If you changed the DNS properly the Verizon search page would never
come up - the whole reason changing the DNS is suggested is so that
you never use Verizon's DNS servers.

If you want to investigate this issue properly then you should add
the OpenDNS servers in System Preferences & _remove all others_ - I'm
assuming that it's this last step you missed.

I have to admit that my own network settings bear little similarity
to those of the majority of home users, so I guess it's possible that
if your IP is set by DHCP then the DNS addy supplied by the DHCP
server _adds_ search servers rather than being ignored. You might
wish - for the duration of this test -  to set all IP address
parameters by hand, just write down the IP addy & subnet mask that
are obtained when set to automatic, change to "manually" and then
renter them. But it is important that you use only the OpenDNS
severs, and not Verizon's own.

Alternatively, you may be able to keep your Macs network settings as
automagical & configure the DNS at your router. It is important that
you use only the OpenDNS severs, and that Verizon's ones are never
queried.

You say that "the MacBook, there was a delay of several seconds, and
then the Verizon search page came up. [you] assume it tried the
changed DNS, which failed, and then tried the DNS in the router". In
this sense "failed" means "the server worked OK, but it said it
didn't have a result for this address". The nature of DNS is to check
the next DNS server & see if it can do any better - only the
authoritative server for a domain can say "no, this address
*definitely* doesn't exist", and since the domain "jr" doesn't exist
you never get to query an authoritative DNS server for that domain. I
think that if the MacBook had returned just the results of the
alternative DNS & never queried the Verizon DNS at all then it would
have tried guessing "www.jr.com". You persist in blaming the problem
on Apple, but where do you think your computer is getting the address
of the VERIZON search page? Maybe Apple have a deal with Verizon by
which they program that address into 10.5 and get a kickback from the
advertising - the already do this with Safari's search box - but if
that was the case users of other ISPs would see Verizon's search
results, too.

In order to truly get to the bottom of this you need to remove
Verizon completely from the equation - that doesn't mean "try your
MacBook at an internet cafe", but you can if it's easier. Just
removing ALL references to Verizon's DNS should be adequate.

Stroller.
"I'm never wrong, damnit"