Understanding ISP Restrictions: My Experience with OpenDNS and Finding Solutions

In today’s digital landscape, having unrestricted access to the internet is essential. However, it’s not uncommon for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to impose certain limitations on their subscribers, sometimes using tools like OpenDNS to filter content. Such was my recent experience when I discovered that various websites—particularly those with adult content and certain torrent sites like RARBG—were blocked by my ISP.

Initially, I reached out to my provider to inquire about removing these restrictions. They informed me that while they could disable the filtering, there was a catch: I would need to acquire a “public IP address” for an additional fee of 100 ZAR per month. This raised a red flag for me; was this a legitimate request or just a tactic to extract extra money from customers?

The prospect of relying on a VPN to bypass these blocks crossed my mind, but I was hesitant. VPNs can often slow down your internet speeds, and I preferred not to incur extra expenses for a service that should already be unobstructed.

In my search for a solution, I reached out to the online community for advice. Thanks to the wealth of information shared, I discovered practical steps to resolve the issue myself. Many fellow users recommended altering the DNS settings on my device to use Google’s public DNS. After some research, I was able to implement this change, and to my relief, I no longer faced the frustrating “website blocked due to content filtering” notifications.

It’s curious why the straightforward solution of changing the DNS settings hadn’t appeared in my initial searches on how to bypass OpenDNS, but it proved to be the perfect fix. The supportive comments and suggestions from the community were invaluable, and I am grateful for their assistance.

If you find yourself in a similar situation with your ISP, I advise you to explore modifying your DNS settings as a potential solution. It may save you both time and money while allowing you to access the content you desire without unnecessary restrictions.