Comments on: Opt Out of ISP Landing Pages http://www.elliotsblog.com/opt-out-of-isp-landing-pages Domain blog featuring domain investing strategy, domain valuation, and domain development commentary from Elliot Silver, founder of Top Notch Domains, LLC. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:19:53 +0000 hourly 1 By: Skip http://www.elliotsblog.com/opt-out-of-isp-landing-pages#comment-7550 Skip Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:07:03 +0000 http://www.elliotsblog.com/index.php/opt-out-of-isp-landing-pages/#comment-7550 Ed, at the core it's a version of typosquatting. Except every variation is covered and there is no domain registration cost involved for the ISP. In Elliot's example "MircosoftWidnows.com", your computer will contact your ISP's DNS server to get the IP address. When it fails (i.e. the site doesn't exist), they feed a page containing suggestions and advertising links. So they didn't register the domain MircosoftWidnows.com, they simply catch any domain that doesn't resolve and try to profit from it. It doesn't really add value to the actual MicrosoftWindows.com domain since that's where the user was trying to go anyway. But it may cost Microsoft if their link is in the advertising results. Regarding the difficulty of changing the DNS settings, most people use routers these days instead of connecting their system directly to the DSL or cable modem. The change is very simple to do in the administrator screen of every router as well as in Windows/Linux for those who connect directly. You're right in the sense that the concept is probably above the average Joe's head but the actual change is easy to do. Lastly, this is going to be a big deal in the future. Google the terms BT and Phorm to see what's in store. Ed, at the core it’s a version of typosquatting. Except every variation is covered and there is no domain registration cost involved for the ISP.

In Elliot’s example “MircosoftWidnows.com”, your computer will contact your ISP’s DNS server to get the IP address. When it fails (i.e. the site doesn’t exist), they feed a page containing suggestions and advertising links. So they didn’t register the domain MircosoftWidnows.com, they simply catch any domain that doesn’t resolve and try to profit from it.

It doesn’t really add value to the actual MicrosoftWindows.com domain since that’s where the user was trying to go anyway. But it may cost Microsoft if their link is in the advertising results.

Regarding the difficulty of changing the DNS settings, most people use routers these days instead of connecting their system directly to the DSL or cable modem. The change is very simple to do in the administrator screen of every router as well as in Windows/Linux for those who connect directly. You’re right in the sense that the concept is probably above the average Joe’s head but the actual change is easy to do.

Lastly, this is going to be a big deal in the future. Google the terms BT and Phorm to see what’s in store.

]]> By: Ed - Michigan http://www.elliotsblog.com/opt-out-of-isp-landing-pages#comment-7546 Ed - Michigan Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:53:12 +0000 http://www.elliotsblog.com/index.php/opt-out-of-isp-landing-pages/#comment-7546 OK Elliot and Skip, Help me understand the big picture here. So, as the general public will not understand how to make the changes Skip suggests, The general public will "default" to the dotcom if a similar TLD typo is typed-in when the intention was a dotcom. So, does that mean the dotcom domain name has even MORE VALUE based on the general public typo type-in Defaulting to the dotcom??? Ed - Michigan OK Elliot and Skip,
Help me understand the big picture here.

So, as the general public will not understand how to
make the changes Skip suggests, The general public
will “default” to the dotcom if a similar TLD typo
is typed-in when the intention was a dotcom.

So, does that mean the dotcom domain name has even
MORE VALUE based on the general public typo type-in
Defaulting to the dotcom???

Ed – Michigan

]]> By: Skip http://www.elliotsblog.com/opt-out-of-isp-landing-pages#comment-7540 Skip Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:05:05 +0000 http://www.elliotsblog.com/index.php/opt-out-of-isp-landing-pages/#comment-7540 FYI, to make this go away and completely bypass their opt-out cookies crap, change your router DNS to the Level3 servers at 4.2.2.x where x is 1-6. They're public and generally very fast in the U.S. OpenDNS is another option but using the Level 3 IPs are the most transparent. FYI, to make this go away and completely bypass their opt-out cookies crap, change your router DNS to the Level3 servers at 4.2.2.x where x is 1-6. They’re public and generally very fast in the U.S.

OpenDNS is another option but using the Level 3 IPs are the most transparent.

]]> By: Johnny http://www.elliotsblog.com/opt-out-of-isp-landing-pages#comment-7538 Johnny Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:38:54 +0000 http://www.elliotsblog.com/index.php/opt-out-of-isp-landing-pages/#comment-7538 Yes.....almost all ISP's are now doing this. I have to opt out all the time b/c every time I clear my cookies I lose the settings and I am reset to their default page full of ads. Yes…..almost all ISP’s are now doing this. I have to opt out all the time b/c every time I clear my cookies I lose the settings and I am reset to their default page full of ads.

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