casinocontroller.com in my hosts file?

[AussieDave]

From my understanding the Hosts file (located in the folder Window>>system32>>drivers>>ect) has something to do with blocking IP's.

I sometimes check this file when I'm seeing abnormalities in accessing domains. Anyway I discovered a new entry:

200.124.131.116 casinocontroller.com

Doing a google it seems this is used to server banners for affiliates who promote 400Affiliates (This is Vegas, Paradise 8 and so on).

Although I do have an aff account here I've yet to promote them. Hence no idea how this got into my Hosts file & more importantly why it is there to begin with.

Any ideas or reasons put forward are appreciated


Cheers

 

[GrandMaster]

The hosts file is the first place where your computer looks when trying to resolve a name such as casinocontroller.com to an IP address. If it does not find a match in the hosts file, then it asks DNS server. 200.124.131.116 is the correct IP address for casinocontroller.com, so this extent this entry is not malicious. It is another question how it got into your hosts file without your knowledge. It is not a bad idea to make the hosts file read-only.

 

[AussieDave]

CocoRob (the Rival support guy) contacted me via a PM to explain the reason it was there. However as much as I appreciated the personal touch, why he didn't post a response to the public forum is a worry. <-- actually it's not, me thinks he was worried about letting the cat out of the bag so to speak!

Obviously it's not malicious, but that's not the point.

The issue that I'm concerned about is, I didn't give anyone permission to start adding entries to my Hosts file. That sort of under the table sh#t pisses me off to no end! Regardless of good intentions or otherwise.

As I'm not one to disclose PM's, hopefully CocoRob will address this issue here too.

 

[spearmaster]

Actually, this method is something I thought about in the past because of the habit of Asian ISPs and countries (Thailand being one of them) blocking certain IPs and domains as a method of censorship.

I'm not sure how much something like this would help if there was a blocking of the IP or domain - technically it would allow the software to dictate where to find new information, but if a block were already in place, how would it be able to update itself?

Must study this a bit more, but I can't see something like this being malicious at all.

 

[AussieDave]

Actually, this method is something I thought about in the past because of the habit of Asian ISPs and countries (Thailand being one of them) blocking certain IPs and domains as a method of censorship.

Don't mean to derail my own thread, but you'd be better using a proxy server...I'll pm you a site.

No I'm not going to hand this out willy nilly...


cheers

 

[AussieDave]

CocoRob,

The original question was asked in a public forum for the purpose that exact reason...

Please don't keep PM'ing me...

 

[spearmaster]

Hi Trezz -

I've had my own proxy for some time now Appreciate the thought though!

CocoaRob, can you explain for the rest of us why this is being done?

 

[RobRival]

Hi Trezz -

I've had my own proxy for some time now Appreciate the thought though!

CocoaRob, can you explain for the rest of us why this is being done?

As I explained to Trezz, the host file is updated as we have discovered this helps to reduce connection issues to the casino for some players. Almost all programs, when installed, add registry settings and various other configuration specific things for their operation. As you have noted in this thread, the host file entry is quite harmless.

As I also explained to Trezz via PM, I PM'd him so that I would not have to take the post to the higher ups to clear it prior to posting. This sped up the response time. Trezz, if you'd like to receive any PM's to your queries in the future, please let me know by PM - else I cannot ensure if/when you will get a response.

Cheers,

Rob

 

[AussieDave]

As I also explained to Trezz via PM, I PM'd him so that I would not have to take the post to the higher ups to clear it prior to posting.

If it's harmless and of no concern (which by all account seems to be the case) why the need to veto your response with the upper echelon? PM or otherwise shouldn't discriminate the status quo of your posting protocol.

Hypothetically what's to stop me (not that I'd do it) from copy/pasting your PM? Nothing. Hence instead of gracing others with your response to my original question, you've opted to play semantics instead...

good one Rob