Vodafone WiFi Hub DNS Issue

[yilkork]

Hi,

I started to use Vodafone Home Broadband service on mid of Jan-2020. Since the first installation, I couldn't connect to the internet when the DNS set to "Automatically" (It says DSL is connected but no internet connection). When I change it to Manual DNS and set to Google DNS, I can connect.

I opened a ticket for this issue, a Customer Relations agent talked with me but this issue couldn't be solved because they are not technical experts. and he suggest to search in online forums

Could anyone help me to fix this issue?

P.S. : I'm a Telecommunication Engineer, I can talk in technical language if anyone try to explain something to me

Best Regards

[CrimsonLiar]

So the only DNS servers that are faster for me than Vodafone's are Cloudflare, which happen to be situated in the Manchester Metroplex - the same building as Vodafone, and we are talking less than 1ms difference!

As for the DNS results from the @mafjmafj , I'd rebuild the DNS Bench database, and if those figures remain, then the figures are so bad that I'd suspect that something on the network, or even the device doing the tests has at some point had personal IP settings entered or has been compromised!  Worth noting that in @mafjmafj 's DNS bench there are no local caching DNS servers shown, which I'm sure the HHG2500 does (and in mine, it shows the system DNS is resolving IPv6 too).

[mafjmafj]

@CrimsonLiar 
So what I am saying is that if I have setup like this

Device <----DNS-req192.168.1.1-----> HHG2500 <------> CloudflareDNS
or 
Device <----DNS-req192.168.1.1-----> HHG2500@192.168.1.1 <------> VodafoneDNS

It is pretty much the same problem with DNS reqs timing out regardless of ultimate DNS server I use.


However, when I switched to

Device <----DNS-reqCloudflare-----> HHG2500 <------> CloudflareDNS
It is all fine. And I believe it would be fine if I had setup like this:
Device <----DNS-reqVodafone-----> HHG2500 <------> VodafoneDNS

This told me to avoid devices using HHG2500 as DHCP server. HHG2500 always advertises itself as DNS server.
And indeed it all works fine in the 2nd case when I either set DNS specifically on the device (many do not support this of course), or using different DHCP server, which tells devices to use Cloudflare.

I had an episode with some firmware image, that would gobble DNS request even in that 2nd scenario. But it looks Vodafone restored -  as they say -"compatible" - image. I got this wacky image after some earlier complaints.


When I added my story to this threat it was not apparent that I am facing distinct problem from the original issue on this thread. Now it is clear the problem is the HHG2500 router.

[Jayach]

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@mafjmafj wrote:

When I added my story to this threat it was not apparent that I am facing distinct problem from the original issue on this thread. Now it is clear the problem is the HHG2500 router.

---

If that is the case, and you cant get Vodafone to send you a THG3000, why not just get your own router?

Almost any 3rd party router will be better than an ISP supplied router.

[CrimsonLiar]

Like many help forums, we get many conspiracy theories aired here, but what you are seeing is definitely abnormal.

Normally using the HHG2500 (or any other router) as a caching DNS server provides much better DNS performance thanks entirely to the caching!  My suspicion at this point would be that you have something interfering with DHCP.  While it could be on the router, it's much more likely on your local machine!

Can you verify that the network properties for your connection look at least similar to:

*There are a couple of lines in the adapter settings that aren't shown, but they should just be Link Layer Topology entries.

[CrimsonLiar]

It'll be interesting what the image still waiting to be moderated shows!

What isn't uncommon is for the router to cache DNS requests such that local checks show the 192.168.1.1 (or similar) as being DNS server, but a leak test should still show the real DNS servers.  Which if the settings have not been modified will be Vodafone's servers.  *I'm curious as to the comment about not getting firmware updates if you don't use the VF DNS though!

In the end, fully anonymized DNS queries are pretty much a pipe-dream - if you use a VPN you are still just shifting who can see what further up the chain?

*Using Cloudflare 1.0.0.2 & 1.1.1.2 DOT with "diversion" on Asus-Merlin, and an SDNS with Pi-Hole for specific uses/clients.  *And still claiming not to be paranoid!

192.168.127. 1  | Min   | Avg   | Max   |Std.Dev|Reliab%|
----------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
+ Cached Name   | 0.001 | 0.003 | 0.004 | 0.001 | 100.0 |
+ Uncached Name | 0.022 | 0.066 | 0.278 | 0.067 | 100.0 |
+ DotCom Lookup | 0.027 | 0.036 | 0.050 | 0.005 | 100.0 |
---<OOOOOOOO>---+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
router.local.page
Local Network Nameserver

[Jayach]

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@CrimsonLiar wrote:

It'll be interesting what the image still waiting to be moderated shows!

*I'm curious as to the comment about not getting firmware updates if you don't use the VF DNS though!

---

Same here, although I always do a factory reset before trying for a firmware update, so the router will be on Vodafone defaults at that time. (and I'm pretty sure I've had automatic firmware updates whilst I have my own choice of DNS set)

[Ripshod]

I only have anecdotal evidence, but I sat on vttc for15 months while two updates passed and skipped me. When I reset to the automatic settings I got the second update immediately.

I wonder if non-vodafone dns servers will even resolve the update servers - I've not got the means to test that (though I doubt it). 

[Jayach]

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@Ripshod wrote:

 When I reset to the automatic settings I got the second update immediately.

Did you just reset the DNS, or did you do a factory reset? The only time I've managed to force an update is immediately after a factory reset. (although, as I usually use Cloudflare and Google DNS's, that may account for that)

[Ripshod]

Just the dns. I have too may devices with static IPs for a full reset. I know I could do a backup, reset, restore but I've had that go wrong so many times. 

[Jayach]

I've got 2 THG3000's and like to swap them around every now and then. and always factory reset them first to see if they will get a new firmware. They are both currently on 19.4.0551-3261103, but previously they would have different firmware's to each other, which was strange.