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]

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