Author Topic: Cord Cutting  (Read 13160 times)

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Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #450: April 04, 2021, 05:43:50 PM »
Hence the "smart." Doh.

I'll look at it. I went to the website: it doesn't look hard.

I could be wrong, but my understanding of SmartDNS products like this are that they only mask your location for certain sites (like Netflix and MLB.TV).  Everything else will still see your normal location and IP address. 

There are three reasons why I'm considering a SmartDNS product rather than a VPN.  First, my speed should be faster since it's not encrypting all my data.  Second, SmartDNS products are cheaper than VPNs.  And third, I don't need to mask my location for everything - just MLB.TV.

Offline CowherPower

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #451: April 05, 2021, 08:24:19 PM »
I haven't tried Unlocator yet, but I tried SmartDNSProxy today and was able to bring up the MASN feed of the Orioles game on MLB.TV.  I configured my router to use DNS IP locations in a different country and then set "Channel Group D" in the SmartDNSProxy settings to Germany.  After doing that I could watch MASN on MLB.TV both from my browser and from Roku (I didn't try FireTV).  Hope this helps anyone who is looking for a solution.

Would you have to reset it for day to day work-from-home activities? I imagine I might; I'm not permitted to travel overseas with my work laptop. I guess one could use a DSN IP in Missouri or something.

Quick Update: Looks like I didn't even need to use DNS servers in another country.  Tonight I changed my router settings to use the SmartDNSProxy servers in Northern Virginia (primary) and New Jersey (secondary) and I still had no problem watching tonight's Orioles-Yankees game on MASN on my computer, my Roku and my FireTV.  Since this is working for me, I'm probably not even going to try Unlocator.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #452: April 05, 2021, 08:25:19 PM »
I'm trying to figure out if I can do this with Fios. It's not looking good. Maybe they've really hidden the location where you would enter Smart DNS servers.
Quick Update: Looks like I didn't even need to use DNS servers in another country.  Tonight I changed my router settings to use the SmartDNSProxy servers in Northern Virginia (primary) and New Jersey (secondary) and I still had no problem watching tonight's Orioles-Yankees game on MASN on my computer, my Roku and my FireTV.  Since this is working for me, I'm probably not even going to try Unlocator.

Offline CowherPower

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #453: April 05, 2021, 08:35:05 PM »
I'm trying to figure out if I can do this with Fios. It's not looking good. Maybe they've really hidden the location where you would enter Smart DNS servers.

Sorry, I'm not sure about Fios.  I have Cox internet and use a Netgear router.  It's pretty easy to change the DNS Server IP addresses in the Netgear setup.

Offline The Chief

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #454: April 05, 2021, 08:45:59 PM »
I'm trying to figure out if I can do this with Fios. It's not looking good. Maybe they've really hidden the location where you would enter Smart DNS servers.

If you're using a Verizon-provided router it should be under advanced settings someplace...  sorry I can't give better instructions, I ditched my Verizon router a while ago.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #455: April 05, 2021, 08:55:18 PM »
If you're using a Verizon-provided router it should be under advanced settings someplace...  sorry I can't give better instructions, I ditched my Verizon router a while ago.

Yeah, all the old sources I can find on interwebz show that. But it doesn't appear that the newer FIOS routers support it. I'd need to buy a router.  For a while, anyway, I'll go with VPN.

Online imref

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #456: April 05, 2021, 09:31:28 PM »
You can change the Verizon FiOS dns. I set mine to google.

Search the webz for instructions

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #457: April 05, 2021, 09:50:55 PM »
You can change the Verizon FiOS dns. I set mine to google.

Search the webz for instructions

I've searched everywhere. I've found posts saying it can't be done, but none saying it can. I've looked at virtually every option on my router dialogs. Nothing. Do you have the tall white router, the G3100?

Online imref

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #458: April 05, 2021, 10:02:49 PM »
I've searched everywhere. I've found posts saying it can't be done, but none saying it can. I've looked at virtually every option on my router dialogs. Nothing. Do you have the tall white router, the G3100?


I have the 3100

Try this: https://www.joshualowcock.com/guide/guide-verizon-g3100-how-to-change-the-gateway-dns-server/

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #459: April 05, 2021, 10:03:45 PM »
 Crap I may have found it. Except they say IPv4  rather than DNS.  Same?

Edit: This is where the instructions you provided refer me to. Thanks!

Online imref

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #460: April 05, 2021, 10:12:12 PM »
Did it work?

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #461: April 06, 2021, 11:58:06 AM »
Did it work?

Haven't tried. The Mrs. has a critical work week. I'm not taking any chances until the weekend.

Offline dracnal

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #462: April 06, 2021, 12:46:58 PM »
Crap I may have found it. Except they say IPv4  rather than DNS.  Same?

Edit: This is where the instructions you provided refer me to. Thanks!

IPv4 would be the router's address itself. Since it's Verizon, I'm guessing it's set to 192.168.0.1. That's not the bit you want to change.

That said, it's most likely defaulting to 'Obtain an IP address automatically,' or a similar setting. That would be why you're not seeing the DNS info. If you change it to set it manually, you should see the options. I have also seen notes that after you try to set it manually, if you go back to automatic, you will still see the entries to set the DNS servers, which will let you get the router address from Verizon, but specify smartDNS.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #463: April 06, 2021, 04:22:24 PM »
Yeah, thanks for confirming.  I'm just not doing it this week while my wife is working 16 hour days doing increment planning.

I've got a spare Chromebook attached to the TV using Windscribe. Quality isn't great, but...

IPv4 would be the router's address itself. Since it's Verizon, I'm guessing it's set to 192.168.0.1. That's not the bit you want to change.

That said, it's most likely defaulting to 'Obtain an IP address automatically,' or a similar setting. That would be why you're not seeing the DNS info. If you change it to set it manually, you should see the options. I have also seen notes that after you try to set it manually, if you go back to automatic, you will still see the entries to set the DNS servers, which will let you get the router address from Verizon, but specify smartDNS.

Offline nfotiu

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #464: April 07, 2021, 09:51:12 AM »
When I used to do this, I just bought a $60 router to hang off the main router, and used that router to connect the devices I watched baseball on, and left the main router untouched for the rest of the household.

Offline dracnal

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #465: April 07, 2021, 12:07:40 PM »
When I used to do this, I just bought a $60 router to hang off the main router, and used that router to connect the devices I watched baseball on, and left the main router untouched for the rest of the household.

This is definitely a solid option. Depending on what you're connecting, you can also manually set the DNS on each device. That requires a bit more understanding so you make sure you aren't giving out an unusable address or setting it to another address currently in use. nfotiu's suggestion helps sidestep both of those, as you just need to set the DHCP settings to hand out addresses between say, 10.30.10.10 and 10.30.10.30, with 10.30.10.1 as the gateway, and the DNS configured for smartDNS. Leave the router's WAN connection as DHCP (obtain an address automatically) and you're good to go.

Happy to assist by looking at screenshots and offering suggestions if you get stuck on a point somewhere, regardless  of which path you take. Just make sure there is no personally identifiable info if you post them here instead of a PM. There shouldn't be, but Verizon was setting broadcast WiFi to people's street address with the home phone number  for the password, once upon a time. They've stopped, but depending on how old that setup is, they may have grandfathered it along.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #466: April 07, 2021, 05:17:38 PM »
When I used to do this, I just bought a $60 router to hang off the main router, and used that router to connect the devices I watched baseball on, and left the main router untouched for the rest of the household.

Got a suggestion for a router? Specs I'm looking for? I would ethernet it to my "main" router and can run ethernet off it to the main TV?

Edit: Oh I see, there are lots of $60 router options.

Offline dracnal

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #467: April 07, 2021, 06:14:46 PM »
Got a suggestion for a router? Specs I'm looking for? I would ethernet it to my "main" router and can run ethernet off it to the main TV?

Edit: Oh I see, there are lots of $60 router options.

Netgear and Belkin products in that price range are usually pretty reliable these days. Linksys goes through periods of just awful and just okayish. Avoid anything branded Cisco at that price point because it's a licensed, rebranded, Foxcon piece of trash that is trading on the Cisco name the way HP printers did for the mid 00's.

Just make sure it's got AC band and ideally at least two antennas.

Offline The Chief

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #468: April 07, 2021, 06:17:22 PM »
TPLink is a lesser known brand that used to be really good value for the money, not sure about now.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #469: April 07, 2021, 09:33:34 PM »
Thank you all for your help.

Offline dracnal

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #470: April 07, 2021, 10:41:28 PM »
TPLink is a lesser known brand that used to be really good value for the money, not sure about now.

Still solid actually. Not sure they sell them in the big box stores, so it'd be an Amazon thing I think. Not sure. I don't shop for routers all that often, so I don't know.

Offline The Chief

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #471: April 08, 2021, 08:29:19 AM »
Still solid actually. Not sure they sell them in the big box stores, so it'd be an Amazon thing I think. Not sure. I don't shop for routers all that often, so I don't know.

Same, though I do recall seeing them a couple years ago in Home Depot of all places.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #472: April 08, 2021, 09:38:13 AM »
Still solid actually. Not sure they sell them in the big box stores, so it'd be an Amazon thing I think. Not sure. I don't shop for routers all that often, so I don't know.

Best Buy has them, sort of. But I'll probably order this from Amazon as delivery is much faster. Only has to be accessed by two TVs.
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1750-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B079JD7F7G?ref_=ast_sto_dp


Online imref

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #473: April 08, 2021, 10:06:01 AM »
I've gone with Asus the last couple of times I've needed a home router, no complaints. if you search google you'll be able to find a bunch of comparison / top ten lists.  Whatever you buy now should have Wi-Fi 6 capabilities, it's not widely implemented in computers/phones yet, but it's coming.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Cord Cutting
« Reply #474: April 08, 2021, 10:22:12 AM »
I've gone with Asus the last couple of times I've needed a home router, no complaints. if you search google you'll be able to find a bunch of comparison / top ten lists.  Whatever you buy now should have Wi-Fi 6 capabilities, it's not widely implemented in computers/phones yet, but it's coming.

Thanks.