INFRA
INFRA
INFRA
AT&T ‘accidentally’ blocks Cloudflare’s privacy-focused domain name service
AT&T Inc. is blaming an accident for a firmware update that blocked Cloudflare Inc.’s privacy-focused DNS service.
The block, first reported by users on the DSL Reports user forum, saw AT&T users who had applied a “security” patch issued for AT&T’s Arris BGW210-700 gateway unable to access https://1.1.1.1, the address used by Cloudflare’s DNS service.
That service, launched April 1, promises to deliver users a quicker and more private internet experience, uses https://1.1.1.1 as a DNS resolver, a middle point that connects a website to an internet protocol address. The service bypasses DNS services used by internet service providers, meaning that the ISP in question can’t track what websites a user is visiting, record that data and, as is common practice, sell that data to third parties. Essentially, it cripples a revenue stream for internet providers such as AT&T.
Chief Executive Officer Matthew Prince said on Twitter May 2 that he thought it had been an intentional decision.
Once upon a time @ATTcares used to promise they’d enable the future, so disappointing they now appear to be actively locking down the past and breaking Internet standards in the process. https://t.co/LPPDDtXETs
— Matthew Prince (@eastdakota) May 2, 2018
Whether it was intentional or not, AT&T responded to the accusation, saying in a statement reported by Ars Technica that the blocking was an accident.
“With the recent launch of Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 DNS service, we have discovered an unintentional gateway IP address conflict with 1 of their 4 usable IPs and are working to resolve the issue,” AT&T said. It went on to add that customers should be able to access Cloudflare DNS using the alternate 1.0.0.1 address but did not say when a patch for the original 1.1.1.1 block would be available.
The blocking comes at a time when the argument over net neutrality continues to rage, with AT&T one of several companies actively lobbying against the idea. In addition to 22 states suing to force the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to bring back Obama-era rules, a some states are also implementing their own state-based net neutrality laws as well.
Image: Cloudflare
Since you’re here …
… We’d like to tell you about our mission and how you can help us fulfill it. SiliconANGLE Media Inc.’s business model is based on the intrinsic value of the content, not advertising. Unlike many online publications, we don’t have a paywall or run banner advertising, because we want to keep our journalism open, without influence or the need to chase traffic.The journalism, reporting and commentary on SiliconANGLE — along with live, unscripted video from our Silicon Valley studio and globe-trotting video teams at theCUBE — take a lot of hard work, time and money. Keeping the quality high requires the support of sponsors who are aligned with our vision of ad-free journalism content.
If you like the reporting, video interviews and other ad-free content here, please take a moment to check out a sample of the video content supported by our sponsors, tweet your support, and keep coming back to SiliconANGLE.
