It’s pretty easy to change your DNS settings on a windows machine by editing your hosts file.
But on an Archos, it’s a different matter. With the Archos GFT3 root hack, its possible not only to modify the aliases, but to completely hack full webrowser functionality.
As far as normal DNS hacks go, there are 2 solutions available. Install a small Linux based DNS system, or get custom firmware for your router.
I fortunately am using a Netgear WNR834B which allows me to install the Talisman operating system. I would recommend of course openWRT if you can use it.
The procedure was very simple; I redirected all outgoing communications from archos.euronews.com to my server.
On my server I put some PHP code in
to detect if the Archos had connected and if it had, print out a form for it to fill in.The form has one Google search box and a box at allows you to put in HTML code.
The disadvantage of this is mobility, the Archos will only every work this way behind the router.
However you can set up your own Linux DNS server and have your Archos point to it and redirect you to Google.
Overall this shows some bad design decisions on Archos's behalf. Notice how I redirect Euronews instead of the main Archos portal, There is a prevention method implemented, just not very well.
When the browser connects to the Archos portal it sends the GUID. The code below displays the ID and write some forms for the Content Portal to derail from the portal.
The Archos portal validates the ID and sends a confirmation string.
If we redirected the portal, and didn’t send the string (which we don’t know how to generate) then the Content Portal would fail to operate.
None of the other sites worry about the validation, so it allows you to derail from the portal if one redirects to an external site.
