[dns-operations] Nominum Enables Broadband Providers to Deliver New Subscriber Services with Vantio NXR

[Michael Sinatra]

Ken A wrote:
> Paul Vixie wrote:
>> Nominum Enables Broadband Providers to Deliver New Subscriber Services with
>> Vantio NXR
>
> 
> The press release says it only responds to web requests. What about a 
> dns request looks like a 'web' request? How can they determine this, and 
> not mistake an ftp or other request for a 'web' request?
> 

I wonder this too.  Some technical details on how this system actually 
works would be helpful.  Does it just look for the "www." prefix on 
domain names?  That would catch a lot because most browsers prepend the 
www. when it is left off AND the DNS returns an NXDOMAIN for the 
non-prepended host/domain name.

What I also wonder is whether this system is software that runs on the 
ISP's DNS server or some inline device.  If the latter, it could 
presumably intercept and "redirect" DNS traffic, regardless of whether 
it is destined for the ISP's DNS servers. e.g. from users who choose to 
opt-out by running local caching resolvers on their systems, or those 
who use OpenDNS, etc.

michael