Panasonic Youth rob sanheim writes about software, business, ruby, music, stuff and things

Reason #303 Charter Cable Sucks - Browser Hijack

Lately when I’ve been entering a plain old search query in the address bar of any browser on my mac, I get a useless search page from Charter Cable (my provider) instead of the normal google results:

Apparently Charter does a 302 redirect for any hit that would normally go to the default search page. They do provide an “opt out” option, which is ridiculous because I never opted in to let them do this in the first place:

So I have to set and save a cookie in all the browsers I use, or else Charter will provide their own ad-filled search results by default. It seems this is at the DNS level, so either i have to set this cookie continuously (I clear cookies often), or find a different DNS server to use. Thanks a lot, Charter, way to piss off a customer who has been with you for years.

update: this story even made Slashdot a little while ago..I wonder why it just started happening to me in the past week or so?

You should try OpenDNS - http://www.opendns.com

Yep, I plan on switching to that or level3.

Same thing happened with me. I see that at least now they give you a couple of choices on the “opt-out.” Back when they first started it in my area and I “opted out,” it always redirected you to MS Live Search, no matter what!

I’m using OpenDNS now. I’ve found it to be noticeably faster than Level3 for me.

Level 4 is the best

I’m OpenDNS user too and work’s fine and faster.

I just added, to my HOSTS file,
127.0.0.1 ww11.charter.net
Now the charter search page is DENIED by my machine.
;-)

I think we need to have everyone send an email to abuse@charter.net. stating that Charter.net has hijacked our browsers! Only if the masses clamor will they listen!

Send them 1 a day until they listen! I will start today!

I am going to email abuse@charter.net everyday if I have to. Here is the email I am sending them:

Hello,

I am writing this email to advise you that this so called service that Charter.net provides when a customer types in a keyword in the address bar is nothing short of BROWSER HIJACKING! It is unacceptable and unethical. I should neither have to use your “service� nor should I have to permanently accept a cookie on my machine. This unethical activity should stop!

I will continue to email abuse, every time I do a keyword search and find my page hijacked! I don’t understand how you do not hear the voice of your customers (just do a Google search on Charter.net hijacking browser and you will see what I mean).

Here are a few links to get you started:
http://www.robsanheim.com/2007/03/19/reason-303-charter-cable-sucks-browser-hijack/

http://rockymoore.com/Tech/archive/2007/02/21/Bad_Charter_Communications.aspx

http://forums.speedguide.net/showthread.php?t=221015

http://www.computerdefense.org/?p=217

Please listen to your customers!

Have you attempted using a Mac yet? g/f’s mac is barely able to go online, timing out on most sites. On my alt dsl connection, works like a breeze (its not issue with Mac by the way :) thats all been tested )

Try going to .co.uk sites yet? http://www.theregister.co.uk wont even work. Most .co.uk sites wont work. And this is on a pc, AFTER cookie is installed (works fine on my dsl thought)

Darkwolf: Yes, I use a mac. Sites work normally, so I’m guessing you have an unrelated problem. UK sites work also.

When I began experiencing the same problems as posted above, Charter put the blame on everyone but them. They even went as far as to tell me to contact Microsoft instead of them as it was not their problem. It’s bad enough that you have to listen to all their recordings in Spanish before you even begin to trouble shoot. Obviously they do not know who their customer base is. I don’t have a problem with people who are spanish, however this is the U.S. not flippin Mexico. If I crossed the border into Mexico, I would learn their language and would not expect them to learn mine.

The real joke is that Charter almost had me convinced that their horse dung service problems were on my end until I started talking with others and reading posts on the internet under “charter sucks” when I realized there are a tremendous amount of dissatisfied customers experiencing the same as I.

Thanks for the links above, however, complaining to charter does not work as they do not listen to their customers.

The only solution I see is to switch your ISP and send them a real message that your not satisfied.

charter dose not educate there employees on equipment they work understaffed and long hours while the managers try to milk more revenue out of faulty service… there call centers will tell you anything to shut you up

Thanks for having these post it has helped a lot I’m looking for a browser to use because my E browser and my fire fox aren’t working for me.

How funny, opting out still doesn’t opt out — If you select “None (DNS Error)”, it’s just displayed as an Internet Explorer 6-style error page… even on Firefox.

Hey Charter, hijack this.