Before I even get started, this helper service is fast becoming standard for most ISPs. So really, is it fair to say that this is merely Comcast catching up with other ISPs such as Verizon or Charter? The idea behind the helper service is a simple one. Despite going against what many might refer to as Internet standards, Comcast among other ISPs are producing “landing pages” for misspelled Web addresses as you hit submit in your browser. So if you type in a domain spelled like Google but mismatched something in the spelling, you will be taken to a Comcast page with advertisements on it.

Now here is where most people don’t care. To Joe Average, this is not a big deal. It’s about as scary as “Page cannot be displayed.” So the user will likely stop, then try again — this time getting the page right. For SoHo and power users on the other hand, this is an issue with the lack of NXDOMAIN when Comcast uses this type of service. Why does this matter? Well, it can create some serious complications with services like some spam filtering or VPN access where a company’s own nameservers need to be used as the public ones are failing. Sadly, in order for software to know they are failing means that NXDOMAIN must be in play. With Comcast by default, they are not.

Before you start off hating Comcast here, realize that our friends at OpenDNS do the SAME THING. Difference is, we applaud them. So where does this leave us? Especially if other ISPs are doing the same thing? Well, start off with using your search engine for solutions. For example, if you are using a PC that needs reliable NXDOMAIN responses, make sure to use a “clean” DNS server from this list on that affected machine. And instead of setting up your DNS on the router front, consider doing so on individual PCs instead. This way, you can still use stuff like OpenDNS on the machines you want to use — while, at the same time, give your VPN box a leg up.

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