Navigating ISP Restrictions: A Personal Experience with OpenDNS

Recently, I encountered an issue with my Internet Service Provider (ISP) that many users might find familiar. By default, my ISP was blocking access to several websites, particularly those containing nudity and torrent sites like RARBG, due to OpenDNS filtering. After reaching out to customer support, I was met with an unexpected proposal: to lift these restrictions, I would need to obtain a “public IP address” at an additional cost of 100 ZAR per month. This led me to question if this charge was legitimate or merely a tactic to squeeze some extra money out of customers.

The situation was frustrating for a couple of reasons. Firstly, while it’s possible to circumvent these restrictions with a Virtual Private Network (VPN), I wasn’t keen on subscribing to one, particularly because VPNs can slow down internet speeds. Moreover, it felt unnecessary for my ISP to impose such limitations without my consent.

Seeking guidance on this matter, I turned to the community for help and was pleasantly surprised by the responses I received. Several users suggested altering the DNS settings on my devices to use Google’s public DNS, offering a straightforward solution I hadn’t considered. After some quick research on how to implement this change, I decided to give it a try.

To my delight, this simple adjustment resolved my issues entirely. I was no longer met with notifications about websites being blocked due to content filtering. It was puzzling that I hadn’t found this solution earlier, perhaps I just wasn’t searching with the right terms.

In conclusion, if you find yourself in a similar predicament with ISP restrictions, consider modifying your DNS settings rather than paying extra fees. It’s a simple, effective solution that empowers you to regain control of your internet experience. Many thanks to everyone who contributed ideas; your support was invaluable!