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I have an unused domain name which is registered by Network Solutions and which I thought was turned off. However, entering the domain in a browser results in getting redirected to a double click generic advertising site.

The name resolves to the ip address of 208.91.197.27 which belongs to Confluence in the British Virgin Islands (wth ???).

Attempting to go to 208.91.197.27 port 80 results in a connection reset.

This ip address DOES have port 80 open, so obviously it is only responding to named queries and virtual hosting large numbers of sites which are probably all getting redirected to DoubleClick.

So, how is it that my domain name is getting directed to the Virgin Island and being virtual hosted to ads. Is this something Network Solutions is doing without my consent?

UPDATE

Here is the HTML redirect:

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC> <html>
<head>
    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
    <title>[sitename].com</title>
    <style type="text/css">*{margin:0; padding:0; border: 0;} html, body {height: 100%;}</style>
</head>
<body width="100%" height="100%">
<noscript><meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0;url=http://imptestrm.com/rg-erdr.php?_dnm=[sitename].com&_cfrg=1&_drid=as-drid-2300300503455222" /><center><p style="padding:1em; font-size:1.5em;">For search results please <a href="http://imptestrm.com/rg-erdr.php?_dnm=[sitename].com&_cfrg=1&_drid=as-drid-2300300503455222" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#0000EE;">CLICK HERE</a>.</p></center></noscript>
<div id="rmgblock" width="100%" height="100%"></div>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://imptestrm.com/rg-main.php?folio=7PO56U6JO&dmn=[sitename].com"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/apps/domainpark/show_afd_ads.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript"> function collectHeight(){try{var e=Math.max(document.documentElement.clientHeight,document.body.scrollHeight,document.documentElement.scrollHeight,document.body.offsetHeight,document.documentElement.offsetHeight);document.getElementById("rmgblock").style.height=e+"px"}catch(e){}}try{window.onresize=collectHeight;collectHeight()}catch(e){} </script>
</body></html>
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  • 2
    Give us the domain name and we'll help you sort it out.
    – EEAA
    Mar 18, 2014 at 20:30
  • 1
    It may be not the dns provider but your ISP - some of them do.
    – neutrinus
    Mar 18, 2014 at 20:33
  • Yes @neutrinus is right, since the mid 2000s there are several ISPs that are rewriting NXDOMAIN DNS records into valid DNS that points to an advertising page that they control. This is called DNS hijacking. You'll probably need to do your DNS lookups against a public DNS server like 8.8.8.8 to see the actual answer, but that could be rewritten as well if your ISP is evil enough. Wikipedia actually has a list of ISPs engaging in this deceptive practice: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNS_hijacking#Manipulation_by_ISPs
    – deltaray
    Jun 17, 2016 at 17:46
  • Yikes, just discovered after writing my comment above with 4.2.2.2 as the suggestion that even they are returning valid DNS records for NXDOMAIN records. WTF is happening to our Internet?
    – deltaray
    Jun 17, 2016 at 17:49

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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Some research shows that what EEAA says is actually true. Network Solutions is actually diverting my unused domains to an advertising nexus in the British Virgin Islands.

The Register actually published a whole article about this practice (Entitled: "Network Solutions hijacks customer sub-domains for ad fest-- Your site. Their marketing filth.")

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/11/network_solutions_sub_domain_parking/

Those bastards...

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6

So, how is it that my domain name is getting directed to the Virgin Island and being virtual hosted to ads. Is this something Network Solutions is doing without my consent?

Possibly. Domain registrars participate in all manner of unethical and deceptive behavior. Just sign into your NS account and change the domain settings. It's really that easy.

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6

Network Solutions will by default point your domain to what they call a "Standard Under Construction" page unless and until you change that.

Is it deceptive? Possibly

Is it unethical? Possibly

The point I'd like to make is that while their practice of doing this may be considered deceptive and unethical it doesn't absolve the domain name owner of taking responsibility for their domain name.

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  • 3
    This is not what is happening to my site, unless you consider an "Under Construction Page" to be a page full of Double Click Ads. (see redirect html in question text)
    – Tyler Durden
    Mar 18, 2014 at 20:58
  • Take a look at my second screenshot. This is for an "unmanaged" domain, meaning I haven't done anything with the DNS records. You can see the ip address that the "Under Construction" page is pointed to, which is the same ip address as in your question. So yes, this is what's happening with your domain name.
    – joeqwerty
    Mar 18, 2014 at 21:00
  • Go take a look at the "Advanced DNS" settings for your domain name.
    – joeqwerty
    Mar 18, 2014 at 21:01
  • And see my third screenshot.
    – joeqwerty
    Mar 18, 2014 at 21:08
  • 3
    In fairness, what they're calling an Under Construction page is not what you or I would call an Under Construction page.
    – joeqwerty
    Mar 18, 2014 at 21:09

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