Answers...

to commonly asked questions.

OpenDNS

DNS servers may need to be changed

I cant get online to even schedule a session with you. I can get internet and can get on some websites but not others. I can get mail, but cant get on Alibaba or CNN for instance. The kids are unable to get on their classes.
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This sounds like...

A: a temporary issue that should resolve
B: if not, then it would most likely be related to the DNS your router is using.

DNS is sort of like the phone book your computer or router uses to translate a web page into an IP address. For instance, if you want to go to nytimes.com you are actually going to a string of numbers like 75.654.254. That translation from letters to numbers is DNS and you can use many different DNS servers. Think of it like a phone book. If I want to call Bob, I don’t dial “Bob”. I hit that name and the phone is dialed for me. When you DNS server settings are broken, the result can be that some pages load and others don’t.

If you are still having issues by this afternoon, email me back and I can try to assist remotely however working on network issues remotely can prove to be troublesome. We would need to proceed with caution. I will most likely not be making onsite sessions until phase 2 of the NC COVID rules apply. (About 2-3 more weeks I think). ugh.

OpenDNS not working

Hi Scotty -
Open DNS was not working to block content on our network.  I was able to get it to work on the mac & mac pro but it does not block content on my iPhone, kindles, or fire phone.  I saw in the tech support section on OpenDNS that it is unable to operate on Uverse.  Is it possible that the mobile devices go through the Uverse router and not Airport?  Is there a work around for this?

Any suggestions on how to get this to work would be appreciated.
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There are several ways to set up OpenDNS. One method is to apply the settings necessary to each device individually. This would block access to filtered websites on some devices while allowing all content on others. Another method of applying the OpenDNS filter is to apply the settings to the router itself. When a home is using an Apple router or other third party router such as a Linksys, Netgear, etc... this is a fairly easy process. However, if the family is only using a Time Warner or ATT router exclusively and no other third party router, these companies often lock their own routers to the point where certain changes can not be made. i.e,; DNS changes.

I cannot recall which method we used in your case but it sounds like we didn’t apply the changes to the router itself but to individual devices. However, it’s important to keep in mind that OpenDNS will only filter your personal wifi network. A person could always jump to another neighborhood network nearby or turn off wifi on their phone leaving them to surf the web via the unfiltered LTE or 3G network of the phone carrier. This may also be the case.


Consider OpenDNS as an alternative to Parental Controls

Printer is not going through form my Dell laptop. I set up the bonjour and it shows up, but when I print, it shows, printing, then print error. Thoughts?
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When you added it through bonjour, did it find its own printer or choose a generic one?  Also, be sure you restarted the machine as well.  Windows can be such a pain! If that doesn’t work then try to manually select the print driver in bonjour print wizard. I have also found that sometimes windows is happier with the previous version of the driver. In your case, the 8400 series rather that 8500 series if it’s available. Just a thought. Windows support is a bit outside my jurisdiction.


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