Your filter is blocking legitimate sites

[NikTheGeek]

I'm constantly having issues with facebook and other sites, particularly using firefox because of its strict security. It's always a Cisco Umbrella issue. If I turn my vpn on, it bypasses you and the sites work. Now, you are blocking a car forum!! Sort it out. I don't even subscribe to websafe so why are you filtering my internet?

[用心棒]

AFAIK this is not a Virgin Media issue. Look at how OpenDNS is being used on your device and/or home network.

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[goslow]

Your screenshot is showing a blocking page from OpenDNS which is nothing to do with VM AFAIK.

blocked.org.uk does not show VM blocking the Skoda website. VM has its own branded blocking pages.

How are you accessing the content and on what device? Is it a device you own or a work device?

Are you using your own router with the hub in modem mode?

Have you set up DNS via OpenDNS with some kind of filtering in place.

[NikTheGeek]

I'm not using Open DNS. I have my DNS set to Googles, not Virgins and as far as I know, Virgin DOES use Cisco Umbrella for their filtering (and Cisco Umbrella and OpenDNS are one and the same).

So unless Firefox is ignoring my DNS setup and going to OpenDNS itself, there is nothing left to check. When I use PIA though, Firefox etc works fine on all sites. On the occasions I get HSTS errors in Firefox, I get certificate warnings in Edge too, although Edge allows me to access the site whereas Firefox prevents it.

It all points to some downstream proxy/filter, but like I said, I have my laptop with Google DNS and no proxy set, connected via a wired connection to my Virgin box and websafe turned off. I also did a Sophos scan on top of my normal AV just in case. But I'm 100% sure its not my device as my phone and my wifes phone via our house wifi seperately give certificate errors on other sites like rightmove occasionally too. Each time, the invalid certificate is a Cisco Umbrella one....

[NikTheGeek]

It's working again now. It was a temp block that only lasted about 10 mins. Probably a config change somewhere. But the certificate errors I get are quite intermittent.

VM does have its own branded block page for Websafe as I turned it on and tested it. But AFAIK, they also use Cisco Umbrella for DNS protection and filtering downstream of websafe.

[NikTheGeek]

Here you go, evidence that VM do use Cisco Umbrella
https://www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/revolutionise-the-everyday/education/give-your-school-a-connec...
And Cisco took over Open DNS leaving the "Open DNS" name as the free service whilst branding "Cisco Umbrella" as the commercial service that VM and others use.

HTH

Nick

[goslow]

Not something I have encountered before (I have rarely used Firefox) but might be worth looking at to see if it is activated

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-dns-over-https

and

https://www.ghacks.net/2023/06/06/firefox-114-updates-security-and-improves-dns-over-https-accessibi...

[NikTheGeek]

Good call, but unfortunately I already have it disabled. Thanks anyway

[用心棒]

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@NikTheGeek wrote:

Here you go, evidence that VM do use Cisco Umbrella
https://www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/revolutionise-the-everyday/education/give-your-school-a-connec...
And Cisco took over Open DNS leaving the "Open DNS" name as the free service whilst branding "Cisco Umbrella" as the commercial service that VM and others use.

⋮

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The quoted article is from Virgin Media Business, i.e. services for business and public sector service, and make no mention of residential service

What happens when you visit the following URLs; post screenshots if possible:

• http://welcome.opendns.com

• http://www.internetbadguys.com

• http://www.exampleadultsite.com

• http://proxy.opendnstest.com/

What AS Name value result is shown when you visit https://1.1.1.1/help?

[NikTheGeek]

As I hope you can see and agree, I am NOT going anywhere near OpenDNS or Cisco Umbrella, yet still got the error message.