If you’re a long-time Comcast subscriber like me, you’ve no doubt noticed that typing a malformed URL into your browser’s address bar no longer brings you to an error page. Instead, you’re now redirected to a Comcast-branded ads page with some terrible Yahoo search results.
Turns out Comcast has hijacked everyone’s DNS with a little stunt called ‘Domain Helper.’ It’s being presented as a way to improve user experience by redirecting users a page of friendly results whenever they mistype a URL. However, the redirecting that takes place creates major errors for people who telecommute and must VPN into their workplace intranet. There are also complaints that the redirected landing page contains only marginally-relevant search results. Across message boards, some even claim they had previously opted-out during the test phase but found their accounts miraculously opted back in. It’s no wonder people are seeing this as nothing more than an attempt to control users’ browsing in order to generate ad revenue.
If you look at all of the user comments on the official post (244 of them, the last I checked) they range from annoyed to extreme hatred. Comcast is quickly trying to do damage control by addressing the complaints. But the fact of the matter is, the feature should have been communicated more clearly and provided as an optional opt-in. Now, Pandora’s box has been opened.
Since all Comcast users are opted-in by default, the only thing to do if you’re pissed off (and haven’t started shopping for another provider) is to opt-out of Domain Helper. To do this, you’ll have to sign in to a special website that’s only accessible from your Comcast connection, log in to your Comcast account, and uncheck a box. Then, restart your computer, flush your DNS cache, re-cycle your router, and re-cycle your modem.
This took me about 15 minutes to do, which I suppose isn’t too bad in the grand scope of things. But I was a little frustrated that it took about 10 minutes to reset my password, set up a new @comcast.com email address, and merge my accounts. But at least I’m free of Domain Helper now. Good riddance.
As I said before, if Comcast really rolled out this feature as a ‘benefit’ to customers, they should have made it an optional feature for the user to opt-in. Instead, they forced it upon all customers, requiring the overwhelming majority of savvy Internet users to go through a song and dance.
While my opt-out experience wasn’t too atrocious, my co-worker Ryan had a significantly tougher experience which led to an hour-long conversation with Comcast support. When his roommate (the original contract-owner) moved out, he transferred the service to Ryan’s name. But apparently, Comcast didn’t change any of the account login information on the back-end. Removing Domain Helper required a call to Comcast support, multiple steps of identity verification, and even a few dropped calls leading to repeating information to another CSR. Whether the opt-out process took 15 minutes (in my case) or an hour (in Ryan’s case), it’s doesn’t change the fact that the service was poorly implemented.
I suppose this is just a sample of what’s to come if the preservation of Net Neutrality is not upheld.
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