Using different DNS within home network

TheDriver

Hiya,
I am looking for some advice for an amateur here!
I have vodafone fibre, standard modem/router.
I have a Sat box which has great features if it can access via UK DNS. However I don't want to setup a proxy DNS on my main router as I don't want all traffic to be monitored by the proxy company.
So is there anyway using an old router or access point to put with the sat box in order to enter the proxy DNS but only for the sat box?

TheChizler

Any chance you can change the settings on the sat box itself?

Alternatively if you turn off the DHCP server on the Vodafone box (or alternatively bridge it entirely) and put in an old router that can run DD-WRT or Open WRT that has DNSMASQ you can allocate DNS servers via DHCP on a per-host basis.

mass_debater

TheDriver wrote: »

Hiya,
I am looking for some advice for an amateur here!
I have vodafone fibre, standard modem/router.
I have a Sat box which has great features if it can access via UK DNS. However I don't want to setup a proxy DNS on my main router as I don't want all traffic to be monitored by the proxy company.
So is there anyway using an old router or access point to put with the sat box in order to enter the proxy DNS but only for the sat box?

Set a static IP on the satbox and use the proxy DNS. Your static IP will need to be outside the pool your router is handing out from. What router? May be better able to advise then

TheDriver

TheChizler wrote: »

Any chance you can change the settings on the sat box itself?

Theres nowhere on the freesat box to enter DNS settings

TheDriver

mass_debater wrote: »

Set a static IP on the satbox and use the proxy DNS. Your static IP will need to be outside the pool your router is handing out from. What router? May be better able to advise then

The router/modem is the standard Vodafone white yoke, HG658c. I have a static address on the sat box but will easily change it to something outside the pool. Can the router handle different DNS for different ranges?

eezipc

TheDriver wrote: »

Theres nowhere on the freesat box to enter DNS settings

There should be network settings somewhere on the sat box. However, it may not work as well as you would hope. I find the proxy tends to work better when it's set up on the router.

TheDriver

eezipc wrote: »

There should be network settings somewhere on the sat box. However, it may not work as well as you would hope. I find the proxy tends to work better when it's set up on the router.

The main question is that am I being overly paranoid about a proxy DNS company seeing all my traffic from every device?

TheChizler

TheDriver wrote: »

Theres nowhere on the freesat box to enter DNS settings

I've amended my post! But basically you can set up an old router to act as your DHCP server for the network, and potentially hand out a different DNS server based on the MAC address of the sat box. What's the model number/brand of the old router you have?

TheDriver

TheChizler wrote: »

I've amended my post! But basically you can set up an old router to act as your DHCP server for the network, and potentially hand out a different DNS server based on the MAC address of the sat box.

That sounds like something that could be worth trying, will give it a whirl

mass_debater

TheDriver wrote: »

The router/modem is the standard Vodafone white yoke, HG658c. I have a static address on the sat box but will easily change it to something outside the pool. Can the router handle different DNS for different ranges?

Give 192.168.1.2 as static IP, gateway is router IP. Yes direct DNS request to a remote sms server will be handled by the router as a normal udp packet transfer.

TheDriver wrote: »

The main question is that am I being overly paranoid about a proxy DNS company seeing all my traffic from every device?

Traffic doesn't flow through a DNS server, it's a lookup request and a response telling what IP matches that DNS address. But you are right not to use it globally on your router if you're not happy with sharing this info with a company who don't disclose what they do with it

eezipc

TheChizler wrote: »

I've amended my post! But basically you can set up an old router to act as your DHCP server for the network, and potentially hand out a different DNS server based on the MAC address of the sat box. What's the model number/brand of the old router you have?

That will work. Set the second router a different IP range.

mass_debater

Edited my post above

TheChizler

eezipc wrote: »

That will work. Set the second router a different IP range.

I wouldn't, the sat box wouldn't be able to access the internet through the Vodafone gateway in that case. Or any of your other devices for that matter.

mass_debater

TheDriver wrote: »

Theres nowhere on the freesat box to enter DNS settings

Most likely called nameserver

TheDriver

So to update, i have a bruised head from banging off the wall last night!

Firstly, the sat box doesn't have any ability to enter DNS or Nameservers. Indeed, giving it a static IP is not possible. It does have wifi as well as wired so that might form part of the solution.

I tried using a wirelsss access point (TP WA701ND) which has the ability to act as a DHCP server or other different modes. I tried setting it using a different IP range but to no avail. I am wondering how I could get this to talk to the main router/gateway but also acting as its own network seperate to the home network. Would NAT be of any use here on the vodafone router? I am thinking of trying a modem/router but just as a router onto the main network to form a secondary network, its a w8970 which seems to have this feature and in a box from adsl days.
(Sorry for cowboy hour but we all had to start as amateurs somewhere!)

TheChizler

I wouldn't recommend double NATting!

That AP supports DD-WRT, albeit you program it with the version for its younger brother, the WA801ND. No need to have a different subnet. Keep everything on the same subnet. Just turn off DHCP on the Vodafone router, turn on DHCP on the WA701ND with the same settings (gateway, mask, DNS), connect it into the existing setup, and set a rule in DNSMASQ that gives a different DNS to the sat box.

TheDriver

As an update, I used a router/modem from ADSL and changed it into router mode. Then I connected the WAN port to a LAN outlet of the network. I put an IP address of 192.168.1.97 on the WAN port, with the modem as gateway whilst I changed the LAN and DHCP to 192.168.2.XXX. I also put in the DNS settings for UK there. Now I have a second network in the house using different DNS settings.
Having said that, I then found a hidden menu on the sat box that can be forced when it can't get an IP and allows for DNS to be entered. However at least I now have a network that the TV also can work off of to get geolocked players

mass_debater

TheDriver wrote: »

As an update, I used a router/modem from ADSL and changed it into router mode. Then I connected the WAN port to a LAN outlet of the network. I put an IP address of 192.168.1.97 on the WAN port, with the modem as gateway whilst I changed the LAN and DHCP to 192.168.2.XXX. I also put in the DNS settings for UK there. Now I have a second network in the house using different DNS settings.
Having said that, I then found a hidden menu on the sat box that can be forced when it can't get an IP and allows for DNS to be entered. However at least I now have a network that the TV also can work off of to get geolocked players

This is the dreaded double Nat, while it may work it will be impossible to troubleshoot any issues

TheChizler

mass_debater wrote: »

This is the dreaded double Nat, while it may work it will be impossible to troubleshoot any issues

This. It'll probably work as long as your sat box isn't trying to open any funny ports, but it can be troublesome.

That said this is the setup I implemented in work to create a lab network that we could manage ourselves rather than going to IT whenever we wanted to change a setting. Hasn't caused any problems yet...

TheDriver

I did mention it was amateur cowboy hour! Thanks for all your help guys, its basic and possible troublesome but it is working for the simple task I needed it for.