Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode

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Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode

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Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode
Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode
2020-06-29 21:58:55 - last edited 2020-09-07 07:39:02
Model: Deco M4  
Hardware Version: V2
Firmware Version: 1.1.8 Build 20190917 Rel. 76172

I am seeing DNS requests from the main device in a mesh setup even though the device in AP mode.

Why is this? I don't see why an access point should resolve DNS for netflix.com , amazon.com ,reddit.com ,youtube.com etc.
The devices on the LAN can do this themselves pretty well or can ask my DNS server for assistance with resolving names.

Could you explain why this is done?

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#1
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Re:Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode-Solution
2020-09-07 07:38:06 - last edited 2022-03-22 04:04:09

Hi, sorry for the previous reply, which may not be precise, and I will try to explain it again.

 

Firstly, Deco device is a network device or system, just like your PC, it will need to resolve or send the DNS request to one or several of those domains or websites, such as the domain names mentioned here to detect the online connection and it is part of the green LED status, which means the internet is good on the system, only when Deco resolves the outside website successfully, can it display a solid green light (even when it is in AP mode). You may also check some other network devices from other manufacturers, they should be working like this and behaving the same.

 

Secondly, Deco only resolves the DNS domain names but it is not actually connecting or pinging to the websites, so please don't worry about the traffic or data usage in your network, it won't be much.

 

Additionally, different regions may have a different network or DNS domain limitations/restrictions, so it will try to resolve different domains based on your region, you may block some while it will connect to the others in order to keep the connection alive. If you block all the domains from your network, the Deco system will display a red light.

 

May this answer your inquiry, good days.

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Re:Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode
2020-09-05 15:48:20 - last edited 2020-09-05 16:08:59

@JJ425 

i have the same issue with M9 plus in AP mode. Firmware 1.4.0

 
every 2 minutes. bing.com live.com reddit.com Netflix.com Facebook.com a.root-servers.net
 

why? There is absolutly no need. 
 

also problematiek with eu.pool.ntp.org from one device in the mesh...

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Re:Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode
2020-09-07 07:13:29 - last edited 2022-03-22 04:08:29

@Gilian 

Hello,

As for the NTP server issue, it has been fixed already on the latest official firmware, and please make sure your firmware is up to date.

For more details, please have a look at this link.

https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/forum/topic/210620

 

Thank you very much.

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Re:Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode
2020-09-07 07:21:34

@TP-Link_Deco 

 

i understand that it is cloud based, but what had that to with all these sites? Netflix, Facebook, reddit, live.com bing.com

 

I blocked all of them and Deco and Deco app work juist fine. 

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Re:Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode-Solution
2020-09-07 07:38:06 - last edited 2022-03-22 04:04:09

Hi, sorry for the previous reply, which may not be precise, and I will try to explain it again.

 

Firstly, Deco device is a network device or system, just like your PC, it will need to resolve or send the DNS request to one or several of those domains or websites, such as the domain names mentioned here to detect the online connection and it is part of the green LED status, which means the internet is good on the system, only when Deco resolves the outside website successfully, can it display a solid green light (even when it is in AP mode). You may also check some other network devices from other manufacturers, they should be working like this and behaving the same.

 

Secondly, Deco only resolves the DNS domain names but it is not actually connecting or pinging to the websites, so please don't worry about the traffic or data usage in your network, it won't be much.

 

Additionally, different regions may have a different network or DNS domain limitations/restrictions, so it will try to resolve different domains based on your region, you may block some while it will connect to the others in order to keep the connection alive. If you block all the domains from your network, the Deco system will display a red light.

 

May this answer your inquiry, good days.

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Re:Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode
2020-09-07 07:54:33

@TP-Link_Deco 

 

I am very sure that it works different than you describe. This sound like you don't know how it actually works, or don't want to tell.

 

None of these sites are DNS servers!!

And the Deco receives an address for a DNS server from the DHCP server (in AP mode most of the time the router, and in router mode it gets is from the ISP)

 

absolutely no need to build it in, actually that would be bad software design. 
 

But then it is not, because these sites are not DNS servers. They are used for something else, perhaps they are pinged, to see if internet connection is still available, or are used for tracking. 
 

And that is fine, i just would like a correct answer. 

 

regards,

Gilian

 

 

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Re:Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode
2020-09-09 06:18:35

I do not believe that there is a need to Ping those sites. Especially not in AP mode. I blocked access to those sites for a while now, and no issues. So i proved that they are not needed. 
 

And i believe there is even more processing that is not needed in AP mode.  I have a 1000/1000 connection and on otter equipment i measure a speed of 950/950. On the buildin test in the deco the download is never above 500, while upload does reach 950. same servers as the other equipment. 

 

 

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Re:Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode
2020-09-13 11:15:33 - last edited 2020-09-13 11:32:50

@TP-Link_Deco 

 

As expected the deco still runs fine in AP mode with all those servers blocked. 
There is absolutely no need to have any communication to those servers.

I don't want any unnessecary communication with those (datamining) websites from my equipment. It is a privacy issue, i even wonder if it is against european regulations. 

And even if it would be necessary to Ping a server to keep the connection alive, the TP-link cloud servers can be used for that. 
 

The previous responses do not make sense. I am still waiting for a proper response to why this is done. 
 

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Re:Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode
2020-09-13 21:46:55

@Gilian +1.

 

These devices should not be pinging third party websites. Ping your own server if you need to check for a connection.

 

Facebook, Reddit and Netfix are blocked on my network so they are wholely inappropriate to use for a ping test.

 

As Gillian highlights they are not DNS servers.

 

Good to see you are updating firmware - when will it be released? And will you be removing these third party websites?!

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Re:Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode
2020-09-17 22:26:17

@TP-Link_Deco whether you are pinging them or resolving names against them to check for WAN access is beside the point.

 

Test against your own servers.

 

You have no right to be sending outbound requests to third parties over a customer's internet connection for any reason to check for WAN access. Especially given the frequency at which these requests are made.

 

I don't want my gateway logs filling up because you are testing against restricted sites.

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Re:Why do the Deco devices still resolve DNS for domains other than tp-link when in AP Mode
2020-10-18 16:33:31

@TP-Link_Deco 

and with a firmware update another site is added to the list of sites that is pinged or accessed. 


Why? It is not needed. Please remove this from the firmware. Pinging or accessing sites that are known for tracking is not in the best interest for the users.

 

I will ask hardware(test) sites to look in to this privacy violation. And I will make people aware of this in reviews. It's a matter of principle now. I am really mad about this. 

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