Comments on: How to disable Verizon DNS Assistance (websearch.verizon.net)

By: Bill

Bill — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:02:48 +0000

Thanks for the tip. The verizon router is bit more compulated versus my old Linksys Router.

By: Bubba

Bubba — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:17:13 +0000

I finally got tired of the DNS hijacking so I installed a second router/firewall (a NetGear 614 seriies) between my LAN and their router. I set the DNS server IPs on my router. I also blocked all *.websearch.verizon.net addresses outbound.

Not only does this resolve a huge DNS resoluation problem they caused within my LAN, it also prevents them from snooping around on my systems.

By: Ann

Ann — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:36:08 +0000

please help with update

this page above
I used to get the invalid page DNS redirection that Verizon is infamous for, and the process for “opting out” would be too difficult for a regular user. To fix it, I changed the DNS servers on my router to 68.237.161.14 and 71.243.0.14, instead of obtaining them automatically.
does not work.

Am a newbie, and Verizon doing this absolutely constantly now, I don’t even want to surf the web at all.
Constantly hammered.

Have Westell 6100 vrzn dsl modem
and DLink WBR2310 router

Any help how to change dns or opt out please, please
Much deep thanks.

By: Answer My Searches » Blog Archive » Mini Searches with Answers

Answer My Searches » Blog Archive » Mini Searches with Answers — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:52:30 +0000

[...] How to disable Verizon DNS Assistance (websearch.verizon.net)AKA hijacking my DNS, AKA betrayed by my own ISP! [...]

By: tech guru

tech guru — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:12:07 +0000

I’m going to give y’all a better DNS server to use – Speakeasy’s!

216.254.95.2 (Northeast)
216.231.41.2 (backup)

There are more listed here -

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/9834

The reason I use these – if you just type the name of a site, like \cnn\, it will automatically complete the rest of the URL for you – those backup Verizon ones don’t, and that annoys the crud out of me… not only do they spam you, but when you \opt out\ the right way, they do nothing for ya… come on VZ, time to join the 21st century bus!

By: Adriana

Adriana — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:52:16 +0000

I tried following instructions and called support. Nothing worked on my Power MacBook. This is a real abuse! Versizon trying to monopolize my web experience. We need to do something bout this. Spread the word and report it as much as you can with everyone you know!

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:29:07 +0000

Update: As of today, when I found this article (great information, by the way) the opt-out instructions page does not have any link called “About this page”.

Also, for those of you who have an Actiontec MI424WR-GEN2 rev E (perhaps for others as well), the default configuration is to grab the DNS settings automatically from DHCP and will not show your current DNS servers. To view what they are, go to the “System Monitoring” tab and you can see them. Also, for this router (and perhaps others as well with similar configuration interface), you will probably want to set the DNS server on the BROADBAND CONNECTION (either Ethernet or Coax), and not on the HOME/OFFICE Network. This will ensure that even the router will use those DNS settings and not just the computers connected to the router.

By: Dick

Dick — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:56:50 +0000

pps. The About This Page button on the Verizon page did show the Opt Out of DNS Assistance for FiOS or DSL. This had no effect, however.

By: Dick

Dick — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:52:38 +0000

p.s. The Apple tech had me change the last two digits of the two DNS servers (found in System Preferences – Network) from .12 to .14 All that did was take the Verizon page out of the loop, and I’d just get an error message from Safari. Didn’t help Yahoo or Microsoft messengers either.

By: Dick

Dick — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:46:00 +0000

Verizon DSL subscriber. Have a Macintosh G5 iMac. Recently, my Safari browser wouldn’t go to where it should, but to a Verizon page that gave a weird website rather than what I entered. Like http://www.cnn.com would return http://www.cnn.comhttp. Entering again, would get something like wwwwz.websearch.verizon.nethttp Also garbage! Also unable to sign in to Yahoo! and Microsoft Messenger. But my Firefox browser and AIM worked just fine. Apple support spent well over an hour, finally concluded it was a Verizon DNS Assistance problem. Verizon tech screwed around almost an hour repeating much of what the Apple guy tried, but finally bumped the issue up to a specialist who had me do a Share Desktop so he could play around. Was finally successful in disabling the DSN Assistance, and everything works fine now.