googleadserver links being blocked from chrome browser search results using TalkTalk

[DarleneSnell]

For some time now using my chrome browser I have been searching for respected companies such as "screwfix" and see small advert pictures of what they sell as well separate links below to screwfix sites. So far so good.

Now it gets interesting....... When I click a small advert picture chrome tries to do it's thing by putting a googleadserver link into the address bar in the format  https://www.googleadservices.com followed by a host of various letters and a screen message saying "not able to connect as googleadservices.com is not found". Either google in down (impossible) or there is a DNS problem.

My Router is the eero6 with the talk talk DNS set to default which is 79.79.79.79 and 79.79.79.80

Is there some reason that TalkTalk do not want me to connect.

So what I have done is look at the IPv4 adapter in my PC and the DNS line is greyed out (meaning in my mind, that I do not have a preference please use the talktalk DNS setting - which uses the 79.79.79.79 etc) The screenshot I have provided shows DNS of 192.168.4.1 which is DNS looking at the Eero6 for DNS guidance so it should come back with 79.79.79.79.

So then I changed the DNS on my adapter in the PC to Cloudflare which is 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 and all works fine as all the little adverts that google throw at me are now clickable and go to the correct advert.

So I look into changing the DNS of the Eero6 router so look at the eero6 settings screen and it states if I change the DNS in the eero that I must then disable all eero plus features. Do I want to do this ---I don't know?

Does anyone with more knowledge than me know what is going on and what if anything should be changed etc as I like to be bombarded with google adverts and tracking features 🙄

[DarleneSnell]

Right! I got nothing back from Screwfix, but I have now fixed the problem. This has been done by referring to people who were having similar problems with doubleclick and following their solutions.

FIRST

look for your hosts file

you will find it under C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

Now if it contains this line

0.0.0.0 ad.doubleclick.net

or similar line with googleads, this is preventing the website listed being reached as it is redirecting it to a deadend inside your PC.

ONLY DELETE THE LINE(S) YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO DELETE other lines are OK. I will leave you to find out how to edit the hosts file.

NOTE my hosts file did not have the offending lines

SECOND

This is a bit more complicated and here I point to a procedure which you should follow

search for "

How to Turn On DNS over HTTPS on Windows 11

"

I found it here  https://beebom.com/how-turn-on-dns-over-https-windows-11/  but TalkTalk may not allow links (so it may not show) if it doesn't show, it is on a site called beebomDOTcom so you can find the procedure with pictures - very good, there were some wrinkles where screen shots were slightly different/different wording but I just did the best I could. I also followed the advice and used 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (these are safe as they are google DNS servers).

So for this part it took me about 10 minutes, but I check and double check carefully.

CONCLUSIONS

It is fixed for me! Bonus - by doing this you don't have to do any settings inside the router. By following the above and using https it's anyway much safer than http - so no worries.

I am glad if I could help....

[DarleneSnell]

Here I am again but this may be the last time, I am trying to find the problem NOT a workaround. 

6th July 2024 ANOTHER TEST

So I wiped another PC and this time loaded Antix Linux. The Eero6 still sitting at 192.168.4.1 for DNS, please check the three screenshots below.

First I made sure there was no blocking of sites or adverts.

You will notice that this is a Firefox browser with a Google search

Also you will notice on the final screenshot that the small picture clicked returns  the site https://ad.doubleclick.net etc which the browser is also unable to connect to.

7th July 2024 : NO SCREENSHOTS FOR THIS FOLLOWING SMALL TEST BUT .......

On my Google Pixel 7 using a Firefox App, I search for "machine mart" In the results provided there is a search box (it's within a returned google link) so that you can search MachineMart without going to the site first (It's really Google making their own search link to get to the advert quicker). So I enter "garage tent" and guess what, well the Firefox browser returns an "Unable to Connect" page with the url destination ad.doubleclick.net/ etc but this address doesn't show as https (ie lock is broken) so is Firefox protecting me from http or wot!

So all in all I am going further down the rabbit hole so I will stop before the warren floods.

I know I can workaround it, but the world may be suffering from the same problem and so now I offer my good wishes to those affected and hope for a solution before AI gets it's sticky fingers on it and makes it worse.

 

 

 

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

Thanks for the update and please let us know how you get on.

Thanks

Michelle

[DarleneSnell]

Hello Team,

I have just contacted William at Screwfix (the only company that I know of that use googleadservers.com to pay for upgrading of listings) and told them to get their IT and web development department to question why all the screwfix adverts at the top of google based products end in the "Cannot be reached page". Screwfix must be paying a fortune for these dead links.

As I mentioned in a previous message there is conflict within google and only google can fix it.

Then when Screwfix make a big complaint to Google we may get Google to resolve the issues described in this post for every user of google products.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @Michelle-TalkTalk 

I can't get to that site either on my eero.

However @DarleneSnell I would change two things in the eero. In the app first of all enable the eero Labs feature "Local DNS caching" then change the network DNS server to cloudfare. To do this in the app:-

1. Open the eero app.

2. Tap on Settings, then select Network Settings.

3. Tap on DNS.

4. In the DNS screen, change ISP DNS (Default) to Custom DNS.

5. Input your desired IPv4 and/or IPv6 DNS Server addresses.

6. Tap Save in the top right corner of the screen.
   
   

This will reboot your network in order to propagate the settings across your devices.

If it causes any problems you can always revert it to the TalkTalk servers.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

Just to confirm, is Screwfix the only site which is affected? Have you also tried rebooting the router?

@KeithFrench - Do you have any suggestions please?

Thanks

Michelle

[DarleneSnell]

MORE TESTING

The previous testing was carried out on a PC with a freshly reinstalled WIN11, I then loaded Chrome and then hid all the Edge Links as I am unable to cope with AI I have enough problems with Human intelligence).

For the remainder of testing I will use another PC (as I do not want to revert the DNS back to 192.168.4.1)

This other PC behaves exactly the same as the first PC showing screwfix small picture links which fail to find googleadserver.com

So on this second PC I download Firefox and make Firefox use google as it's search engine see 5555.jpeg

Then in 444.jpeg I type screwfix in the search bar, press enter and get 555.jpeg

I then click one small picture and get 666.jpeg.

That second PC only has ethernet and the ethernet adapter shows DNS 192.168.4.1 i.e. looking to eero6 router for DNS advice.

So the answer to your question is : it also happens on Firefox when I am using a Google Search engine.

To answer your anticipated next question I select Bing as the Firefox Search Engine in Firefox (Normally I try to keep away from Bing but needs must)

I enter screwfix as a search in Firefox Bing see 888.jpeg, this time I don't get any small pictures to click, I am straight into the actual hits.

So there we are......

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

Can I just confirm, does this also happen if you use a different browser or is just Chrome affected?

Thanks

Michelle