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All ISPs are not the same, of course, but using DNS from your ISP is often the worst option. For one thing, running a DNS server is not their core competence. Plus, it makes it easier for them to spy on you. Finally, they probably do not offer a filtering service.
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As for not being able to change these DNS servers, be aware that the router from an ISP is only 1 of 13 possible sources for your DNS configuration. For the full list, see the long DNS explanation here
https://www.routersecurity.org/testdns.phpThe introduction of new secure DNS, a few years back, made this list much longer. Also, an active VPN connection always changes your DNS configuration.
OpenDNS is owned by Cisco and personally, I find it hard to trust Cisco. Many other DNS providers offer assorted filtering. Here are just a few
https://www.routersecurity.org/DNS.providers.php
As for manually changing Operating System level DNS configuration, note that Windows has two settings, one for Ethernet and one for Wi-Fi. On top of that, DNS can also be set for each SSID in Windows 11 (not in Windows 10).
And, as the person before me commented, most every desktop web browser now supports new/secure DNS (DoH or DoT) and my experience has been that the DNS setting in the web browser over-rides anything else. You can verify this using the many DNS testers in the link above.
As for “The modem supplied by Comcast has hard-coded DNS servers — 75.75.75.75 and 75.75.76.76.” Modems do not do DNS, routers do. The device being referred to here must be a combination modem/router. Yes, nitpicking, but still.
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No doubt the router was “top” in terms of speed amongst consumer routers. Speed is not the only criteria for judging a router. At least, not for me. And, consumer routers are also not the only routers in the world.
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I am not short-sighted, I am old and have seen hype before. Of course there is an advantage to passkeys, but they will fail nonetheless. Steve Gibsons, Squirrel system was great but went nowhere.
What will probably kill passkeys more than anything is getting them explained to non-techies. Nerds can not explain their way out of a paper bag. Never could. I have read that a single account has one passkey and also that it has one passkey per device used to access the account.
If not explanations that no one can understand, then a lack of co-ordination between the OS, website and browser will kill them by making things too confusing.
Personally, I don’t like making my phone the one thing that unlocks my world. Phones break, get lost, get stolen. Too many eggs in one basket.
Get up to speed on router security at RouterSecurity.org and Defensive Computing at DefensiveComputingChecklist.com
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I wear hearing aids that cost, sadly, much more than an iPhone plus Air Pods.
The upsides are long battery life, multiple modes of operation (only 2 for me) and they are almost impossible to see.
The downsides
- They go deeply in the ear so they get full of wax and may even push the wax into the ear
- The microphone faces up to the sky/ceiling, not optimal for hearing things in front of me
- They do not do noise canceling, so extraneous noises from the outside world are still there. This is not an issue watching TV or at the theater, of course, but it is a big issue in a noisy city. I bought earbuds with noise cancelling just so I could listen to Bluetooth audio from my phone in noisy areas.
- Cost
- Crumpling paper is loud as all heck
All in all, they are just not that great, there was no AHA! moment. Expect to give Apple Air Pods a try soon . . .
Get up to speed on router security at RouterSecurity.org and Defensive Computing at DefensiveComputingChecklist.com
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Non techies should probably use a Chromebook in Guest mode. This insures no malware, and, for someone already using the Chrome browser, no learning curve.
2FA via a phone call to a land line is also an excellent option for people with no smartphone . I know of multiple financial institutions that do this.
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FYI: An overview of secure messaging apps
https://defensivecomputingchecklist.com/SecureMessaging.php
Get up to speed on router security at RouterSecurity.org and Defensive Computing at DefensiveComputingChecklist.com
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FYI. Just added a SCAM SCHOOL section to the Rules of the Road page on my Defensive Computing website.
https://defensivecomputingchecklist.com/rulesoftheroad.php
Tried to put the most useful information in the fewest words.
Get up to speed on router security at RouterSecurity.org and Defensive Computing at DefensiveComputingChecklist.com
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FYI – another take on Epson printers from Cory Doctorow in 2022 here
Epson Boobytrapped its printers
https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/07/inky-wretches/#epson-saltyQuoting: “Epson will brick your printer after you’ve run a certain number of pages … Epson says that it designs its printers with little internal sponges that soak up excess ink and when they become saturated, that ink might run out of the bottom of your printer and stain your furniture. If this sounds like bullshit to you, that’s because it is bullshit, as are the claims that excess ink could get into the printer’s electronic circuits and start a fire. If your printer’s sponges get too full of excess ink and you’re worried about it, you can easily and cheaply install new sponges. But that would deny Epson a new printer sale … So they’ve rigged their printers’ software so that even if you replace the sponges, the printer can still refuse to print. Replacing or resetting this software requires that you bypass the DRM designed to prevent this, and providing a DRM-defeat tool is a felony [in the US] punishable by a 5-year sentence and a $500k fine under Section 1201 of the DMCA.”
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I agree with the suggestion of keeping the credit card phone number on hand so that you always know the correct number to call. I would also suggest taking pictures of the front and back of all your credit cards. Keep these pictures in a password manager that exists both on your phone and somewhere at home (or in the cloud).
Better still, keep these pictures in a separate database within the password manager.
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Some basic Rules of the Road for Defensive Computing
https://defensivecomputingchecklist.com/rulesoftheroad.php
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Clearly CPU horsepower is not the reason your Wifi is slow. Still, its worth checking every now and then. The classic reason for slow Wifi is interference from nearby networks. Easy option is to change Wifi channels. Harder option is use a Wifi scanner and try to pick a good channel on each frequency band. On Windows, install the free WifiInfoView from Nir Sofer at nirsoft.net. Tons of techie info on the Wifi networks in your area.
FYI: On Asus devices, you may want to turn off the Trend Micro extra security features as that gets you spied on.
Special characters is the SSID was more an FYI. A number of IoT devices don’t handle them well. Personally, I had an IoT device that would not connect to my network until I renamed the SSID.
Netgear vs. Asus. 6 of one, half dozen of another. I prefer Peplink and you have experienced one of the big reasons why – their routers maintain two copies of the firmware (router operating system). If you upgrade to a new firmware and you have a problem, its easy to reboot the router back to the older, working copy of the firmware.
A router is a single point of failure, so it pays to have a spare tire in the trunk. That is, have an extra router collecting dust in the back of the closet just for problems like you have had. Ditto for a modem. And of course, either a surge protector or a UPS to protect these single point of failure devices.
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