How to block certain DNS sites specifically Samsung to avoid update pushes

[Gravityz]

Hello,
i am currently using OpenDNS in my router

i want to block the following sites so that my samsung tv will not get notified(and new fw pushed) about new firmware

is there a way to do this?
i am not sure if i need to block the TV from getting a signal out, or getting one of those sites getting in or both.
The tv is registered with a samsung account so probably samsung knows about this tv and will push updates

i think the advice is to do this on a DNS level but i do not see any way of putting in below sites in the WAN/DNS section

ad.samsungadhub.com
ads.samsungads.com
config.samsungads.com
msecnd.net
otn.samsungcloudcdn.com
rd.samsungadhub.com
rwww.samsungotn.net
samsungadhub.com
samsungads.com
samsungcloudcdn.com
samsungotn.net
test.samsungotn.net

 

[ColinTaylor]

Try using Firewall - URL Filter.

 

[Gravityz]

Thanks Colin,
i will try this so see if it blocks those update pushes
with samsung you have to set this everytime.
hopefully this will avoid things

 

[sfx2000]

i am not sure if i need to block the TV from getting a signal out, or getting one of those sites getting in or both.
The tv is registered with a samsung account so probably samsung knows about this tv and will push updates

Does the TV even need internet access?

Roku, AppleTV, Google TV w/Chromecast are all better options than trying to use the TV apps...

 

[Gravityz]

it is not about the tv apps. it is about the tv being able to search for a firmware update.
i tried Colin's suggestion but it does not seem to block
it probably block's from a http/browser level but not from a dns level

@ColinTaylor is there another way to do this or should it work this way.
e.g. i can not vblock certain sites with wildcards

 

[ColinTaylor]

@ColinTaylor is there another way to do this or should it work this way.
e.g. i can not vblock certain sites with wildcards

The URL filter also tries to block DNS queries for those domains being sent upstream. But that only works for normal DNS requests so it's not 100% effective.

What do your existing filter rules look like?

Without URL filter:

C:\Users\Colin>nslookup ad.samsungadhub.com 8.8.8.8
Server:  dns.google
Address:  8.8.8.8

Non-authoritative answer:
Name:    ad.samsungadhub.com
Address:  103.224.182.253

With URL filter:

C:\Users\Colin>nslookup ad.samsungadhub.com 8.8.8.8
Server:  dns.google
Address:  8.8.8.8

DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
DNS request timed out.
    timeout was 2 seconds.
*** Request to dns.google timed-out

 

[Gravityz]

this is my reply
seems nothing is blocked

ASUSWRT-Merlin RT-AX88U 3004.388.6_0 Sat Jan 20 17:35:33 UTC 2024
Ronald@RT-AX88U-8028:/tmp/home/root# nslookup ad.samsungadhub.com 8.8.8.8
Server: 8.8.8.8
Address 1: 8.8.8.8 dns.google

Name: ad.samsungadhub.com
Address 1: 103.224.182.253 lb-182-253.above.com
Ronald@RT-AX88U-8028:/tmp/home/root#
Ronald@RT-AX88U-8028:/tmp/home/root#

 

[ColinTaylor]

Are you doing anything else on the router that would effect DNS? For example DNS Director or DoT.

 

[Gravityz]

no DNS director
do not know what DoT is but do not think i am using this

parental control apps&filters are on but no device is added with a rule
this is my wan dns setting

 

[ColinTaylor]

Just asking the obvious question: You have "enabled" the URL Filter (I couldn't see that information in your previous screenshot)?

 

[Gravityz]

there was a brief moment that i doubted myself but unfortunately it was enabled

 

[ColinTaylor]

I think I see the problem. You must do the nslookup test from a LAN client, not from the router itself.

 

[Gravityz]

that's indeed blocked
i thought i needed to do it from the router

 

[ColinTaylor]

Check that you get the same result using the default resolver (omit the 8.8.8.8)

 

[Gravityz]

yes without the 8.8.8.8 same result from client.

 

[Gravityz]

just realized it also wortks with only parts of the site/domain.
i typed in samsung and finally the tv update procedure gets blocked
this means the site samsung uses for updates has samsung in their dns name(but it was not the onces i previous used)