Tutorial Blocking WiiU Update Domains With OpenDNS

[TotalInsanity4]

Blocking those domains would be certainly nice actually, but I wasn't able to do so even with administrator rights! I did check every single setting related to IP configuration or managing without success. Maybe my knowledge is not enough or simply I just skipped it, so I would deeply appreciate if you could do a fast check about it. You can find here screenshots and descriptions for every option in my router here.

Moreover, my solution wasn't perfect in the end as my telephony service didn't work though the WiFi did properly, so it looks that it's going to take a little longer! Any advice, options or guidance is welcomed and appreciated!

Wierd... I suppose one thing I would try is contacting your ISP at some point to see what their policy on 3rd party DNS programs is, and if they'll let you use your own. Until then, I'll look through the settings you posted and see if I can find anything

 

[preacherfox]

Hi, this is weird I am able to setup update domain blocking via opendns but I’m not able to set it up via my router, which is what I’d rather do. I have an Asus RT-AC68R router. Anyone else succeeded with this model?

I input the nintendo update domains in the URL filter list on the firewall page but the connection is still getting through. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

Hi, this is weird I am able to setup update domain blocking via opendns but I’m not able to set it up via my router, which is what I’d rather do. I have an Asus RT-AC68R router. Anyone else succeeded with this model?

I input the nintendo update domains in the URL filter list on the firewall page but the connection is still getting through. Any suggestions? Thanks.

You're sure you typed everything in correctly? No misspellings or lacking periods or anything like that?

 

[preacherfox]

Yeah everything is typed in correctly, I just cut and pasted the list of nintendo update domains. And the dns numbers are correct too. I don't get why the router way isn't working for me. Is the URL Filter via firewall enough? Or do I have to change settings elsewhere too? Thanks.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

Yeah everything is typed in correctly, I just cut and pasted the list of nintendo update domains. And the dns numbers are correct too. I don't get why the router way isn't working for me. Is the URL Filter via firewall enough? Or do I have to change settings elsewhere too? Thanks.

URL filtering should be correct. However, you should make sure that you're putting the URLs into a blacklist, not a whitelist, so make sure that you check a setting called something like "always block" vs "always allow", should such a setting exist on your router

 

[Cyan]

Borge63:
Like you said, with a dynamic IP (or bringing your console away from home, using a different access point for 3DS for example) will be at risk.
To use OpenDNS, the website needs to know your current IP to apply user's defined filters linked to that IP.

If you use a different IP, OpenDNS default settings are not set to block everything but its own website, instead it's set to allow every traffic !
It's a really wrong behavior for a self-proclaimed best and easier DNS/filtering/safe internet browsing solution.


So, if your ISP changes your IP and the website doesn't get your new IP before the console tries to access nintendo's network then you will get the updates.
If you want a safe blocking solution, you need to be sure your computer is powered and the DNS IP Updater is active and doing its job quickly after the IP changed and before the console connects.
In this case, as you will need the computer ON when using the console anyway, it's even better in my opinion to just use it as proxy instead of relying on OpenDNS which is not safe for dynamic IPs.

You would even have realtime analysis on blocked URLs and faster filter control.

The console seems to not be intelligent enough to try not using the proxy setting if internet is not accessible.
Wii mode (vWii) doesn't use the proxy setup by WiiU, but WiiU always use it.

 

[AboodXD]

Thanks for this beautiful tutorial, it 100% works!

 

[Antonio Ricardo]

This block game updates like Splatoon 1.2.0?
Or block just firmware updates?

 

[Cyan]

it blocks firmware updates.
it blocks eshop access too, so no Game update download is possible.

You can disable the eshop filtering while keeping the update block, but I don't know if game updates will work.
Doing this will not block firmware update !!! but it will replace data with text saying "this url is blocked". At the end, The console will try to update and will fail because it's not the update it expected and will delete the bad files.
If the game update is located on the same server than the firmware update, it will do the same and will not update your game.


Another risky method would be to disable the filtering right when launching the game and hoping it will download only the game update, not the firmware update.
re-block access after game update.

But you are playing Splatoon offline only?
You probably need latest firmware version to play online.

 

[thekarter104]

This is awesome!

Just tried it out connecting to eShop because I wanted to read error. It says server busy lol. 105-4260
So far it didn't download the update.
I played Mario Kart 8 fine!
Now my Wii U is more stable

But I have 2 questions:
Do you need your computer on for this?
Do you need to have the OpenDNS Dashboard tab open all the time?

Thanks.

 

[razielleonhart]

ok i need to ask. i have a partial update sitting in my download and when i used this i seen the download starting up again will it update my system or finish the download and i get a error. I am at 5.3.2 and i dont want to be screwed

 

[frogboy]

I was about to ask a question similar to the one above me, except I haven't gotten quite that far yet. OpenDNS has worked wonders for me so far, but for some reason I can't remember, I deleted all wi-fi connections about two weeks ago. The OpenDNS website confirms that my IP has not changed.

I plan to only enable the wi-fi connection when using the exploit and deleting it afterward. However, what is the best course of action if the update manages to begin downloading in the background/sitting in download management? Would that be the point of no return?

 

[thekarter104]

I was about to ask a question similar to the one above me, except I haven't gotten quite that far yet. OpenDNS has worked wonders for me so far, but for some reason I can't remember, I deleted all wi-fi connections about two weeks ago. The OpenDNS website confirms that my IP has not changed.

I plan to only enable the wi-fi connection when using the exploit and deleting it afterward. However, what is the best course of action if the update manages to begin downloading in the background/sitting in download management? Would that be the point of no return?

The best way is to check your download management every minute or so. When you see it's downloading, turn off the Wii U.
when you see the update is just downloading, not installing, it's safe to turn off the Wii U by holding the POWER button for 4 seconds.

If you see that's installing, you're doomed, so better check your download management everytime.

 

[razielleonhart]

ok i need to ask. i have a partial update sitting in my download and when i used this i seen the download starting up again will it update my system or finish the download and i get a error. I am at 5.3.2 and i dont want to be screwed

*update*
now my system update download says error is there anyway to kill it now or should i play it safe and kill my wifi before i power down my system

 

[moops44]

i blocked updates for my wiiU with opendns and it works well
but because i got a dynamic ip i know this is dangerous
so i config my router too
and i want to ask are the configs right?
i got a Asus RT-AC66U

Spoiler: Router Config

 

[Cyan]

*update*
now my system update download says error is there anyway to kill it now or should i play it safe and kill my wifi before i power down my system

If it says "error downloading" it means you are safe.
It detected there were something to download but couldn't connect to download it.
There's a way to remove that error, but it's much riskier than keeping it.

i blocked updates for my wiiU with opendns and it works well
but because i got a dynamic ip i know this is dangerous
so i config my router too
and i want to ask are the configs right?

they are correct, but your router specifically says "https" are not filtered.
Nintendo checks and eshop access check are on HTTPS!
nus.wup.shop.nintendo.net:443
it will not be blocked and it will initiate downloads (GET instead of CONNECT).

updates and file download are on HTTP (not SSL) so maybe you are fine too, but it's far better if the "eshop ping" is blocked to prevent initiating any download.
If you don't mind keeping your computer powered while playing WiiU, you could use it as proxy to filter URLs (ccproxy or any other filtering proxy program)


Maybe adding another URL to the filtered list would be good:
cdn.nintendo.net

 

[AboodXD]

If it says "error downloading" it means you are safe.
It detected there were something to download but couldn't connect to download it.

I got that error before, but I don't get it anymore, in other words, my Wii U is now 5.4.0 ;_;

 

[Cyan]

Did you setup openDNS to block eshop?
relying only on openDNS is dangerous. (I still don't understand why everyone recommend this website. IP has never been reliable)

if your IP didn't change but it updated to 5.4.0 anyway, then it means there's another check the console is doing and it passed through it from another (unfiltered) URL.
or that you setup OpenDNS and used your wiiU right away, but the filtering is not done immediately, there's a delay before the filters are effective.

 

[AboodXD]

Did you setup openDNS to block eshop?

Already blocked E-Shop.

if your IP didn't change....

I'm pretty sure my IP didn't.

it means there's another check the console is doing and it passed through it from another (unfiltered) URL.

Do we have to worn the others?

 

[Cyan]

until now, everybody was safe with just these 5 urls, so it should be enough.
checking the accessed urls (with a proxy or packet sniffer) could help.