When we launched three weeks ago, we had a reasonable cross-section of instructions for some of the most popular routers and operating systems. We knew, of course, that there are many, many different devices and scenarios, and we’d have to keep updating our instructions to match the real world.
Our customers couldn’t wait for us (good!). My thanks for these instructions go to individual customers.
- Buffalo AirStation are courtesy of Zach Marshall.
- Windows Vista (Beta) are courtesy of Colton Hilliard.
- SpeedStream 5200 are courtesy of Luis Serrano.
- IPCop (Linux firewall application) are courtesy of James Truesdale.
- BIND9 forwarding instructions (in our FAQ) are courtesy of an early customer (apologies for not remembering whom!)
We’re adding more ourselves, of course, like Windows 98.
I’m not ashamed to continue asking for help, whether corrections or new screenshots and instructions. We’re quite happy to take raw materials and clean them up (add our orange highlights, spell-check, etc.) to help get the word out to others who might have the same equipment or situation.
Email us your instructions and screenshots: contact at opendns dot com. All the credit will be yours!
Additional information about static IP addresses
We’re learning, to our dismay, that some routers will only let their owners set DNS servers if the owner has a static IP address. Most folks connecting from home (i.e., those who would use the router instructions) have a dynamic IP address.
One example, which was confirmed today to a customer by Motorola customer support is the Motorola WR850 wireless broadband router. Both models, the GP and G, only allow DNS settings to be changed for static IP addresses (PDF manual). Frustrating, but good to know. Earlier, we learned that the Linksys WRT54GC Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router (PDF manual available via this page) has the same limitations.
Fortunately, most people can simply use the operating system instructions, and the settings “closest to the customer” are the dominant ones, corporate networks excluded.
All of this information will make its way into the Get Started pages as we learn more.
Ed
Any ideas on how to hack the WRT54GC into accepting manual DNS servers? I have a friend who has multiple computers that would like to use it, but doesn’t want to go through the hassle of setting OpenDNS on each computer.
posted on September 1st, 2006 at 5:48 pm
Lance
Hi, it would appear that the Draytek 2200usb adsl router has the same issue.
If it is getting a dynamic IP address setting the DNS servers does not have an effect.
If I set a static IP address, the OpenDNS servers appear.
posted on November 9th, 2006 at 1:53 pm
Greg
re: the instructions for speedstream http://www.opendns.com/start/speedstream_5200.php, i don’t know if am just stupid, but when I go to the link in step 1:
1. Visit the router’s configuration page (http://speedstream/ or http://192.168.254.254/) in a new browser window.
I get nothing like a system summary, and I can’t find a system summary for speedstream anywhere on the siemens site
posted on November 28th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
Yuhong Bao
BTW, Windows 98/Me support ended July 11, 2006.
posted on June 9th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
Gary
Hi,
Any update on using a Linksys WRT54GC Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router as Ed asked back in Sept 06?
Thanks
posted on July 31st, 2007 at 6:48 pm
John Roberts
@Greg… no new info. Ask on the forums. http://forums.opendns.com/
posted on July 31st, 2007 at 6:50 pm
rbo83
On the wrt54gc administrative menu, go to the setup tab and do a save of the router configuration to your local hard drive. Make a copy of it because you are going to change it. If you are on linux or windows, use a hex editor and look at the 4 characters at address 01F64 (8036 decimal) in the file. That is the HEX DNS currently set for the router (check it by converting your existing DNS to hex) Now, convert your new desired DNS to HEX (e.g. 64.71.255.198 would be 4047FFC6). Replace the old DNS at address 01F64 with this new hex number in the hex editor. Then on the router menu, tell it to reload the settings from the updated file. And you’re off to the races.
posted on October 25th, 2007 at 10:08 am
Shauna
Rbo,
hey i changed the two dns at 01f64 thur 01f6c to the openDNS addresses (D0 43 DE DE; D0 43 DC DC ) and i cant load the file back on to the router.
I am logging in to router then going to admin then the sub tab “management” then clicking on backup settings.
The file is saved on my machine and then in my hex editor i changed the following listed above and saved. I then clicked on the select the modified file and try to restore but it fails. Do you have any other advise. I appreciate what you have so far.
posted on May 7th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
someguy
@rbo83:
The address is actually 0×1f74, both DNS entries are in there (2×4 bytes, each 4 byte field contain the full DNS setting).
However, once modified, the WRT54GC will not take the file. I assume that there can be some addtional checksum byte hidden in the file.
posted on May 19th, 2008 at 1:34 am