@jatinkrmalik

internet 6 min read

How to block intrusive MTNL broadband ad popups in your browser?

Learn how to block the annoying MTNL pop up ads which appears out of no where in your browser on bottom right side. Say no to shady practises by MTNL!

Jatin Kumar Malik First published on BitSnapper

Before I start anything, here is a rant dedicated to MTNL broadband:

#Mohabbat to bass naam se badnaam hai yaaro… Asli dard toh #Slow #Internet deta hai :-\ — #MTNL hai toh ghanta sahi hai :’(

— Jatin (@jatinkrmalik) May 25, 2014

Translation: “Love is just defamed for its name, instead Slow Internet is the one behind real pain!”

Ha! Enough of jokes. Well, if you are living in Delhi or Mumbai for past decade or so, 90% of you will understand the hidden pain in my tweet above. MTNL is the slowest ISP of all times but since we people didn’t have any other good ISP, most of us are struck with it. I currently have a 1mbps (unlimited) line at my home which was upgraded from 512kbps, which was upgraded from 256kbps and so on, as per TRAI regulations for minimum qualifying speeds for “broadband”! Never once, I have seen any sane good plan from MTNL broadband BUT it just worked, until they decided to inject JavaScript ads in the browser which is super creepy IMHO. We recently saw ruckus on Reddit over Airtel trying to do the same thing, which compelled me to write this post despite me getting a new superfast internet connection.

Wait, what ADS?!

block intrusive MTNL broadband ad popups 5
block intrusive MTNL broadband ad popups 1
block intrusive MTNL broadband ad popups 2
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Well yes, I am sure if you use MTNL you must have noticed these ad popups recently coming from bottom right side of the browser window (from past few months now). Initially I thought they are coming due to some malware or something but later I found out that MTNL is injecting these ads and these are not served by any website. They are super intrusive and scary as they once popup in mid of an online transaction which pissed me off. So let’s understand what happening here!

How and Why MTNL?

MTNL is using Adphonso, which is a rich media ad company and directly connected with ISPs, like MTNL to inject ads. Adphonso describes its services as:

The stunning new technique of advertising on the connected devices, delivers Rich Media Advertisements to potential customer through networks. The solution reads the Machine Details, Browser and OS information and Customer Behaviour along with location and delivers a relevant impression. The network architecture is simple and is directly connected to the ISP and hence avoids the need to go to a publisher and buy expensive ad slots.

IMO, this is super shady stuff with strong entanglement on our privacy. How? Well**,** since the ad network is injecting its code onto the sites via your ISP, it is keeping a track of every website you visit/everything you browse via your browser unless it is on HTTPS (which is also subjective).

Also, it is worth noting that you will see these popups in incognito mode or any private mode of the browser as well as all your traffic goes through the Internet service provider’s DNS. So the ad network (Adphonso here) receives all packet data first before it is served to you and inject ads via javascript code in an iframe. Resulting in your privacy == screwed!

How do I get rid of these popups?

Method #1 - The Host file

Well, this is the standard procedure to block your machine from sending requests to some specific server. Just add the IP address of the server and redirect it to 127.0.0.1 (Localhost/Self). In this way, machine wont be able to fetch the pop-ups from adphonso network. To do this:

Step 1 - block intrusive MTNL broadband ad popups in your browser
Step 2 - block intrusive MTNL broadband ad popups in your browser
Step 3 - Block intrusive MTNL broadband popups ad in your browser

After the steps above, just clear your browser cache and reboot the system. Presto! No more annoying MTNL popup ads ;)

Method#2 - Windows Firewall Inbound rule

If you don’t have access to administrator privileges for some reason, you can always create a Windows firewall inbound rule to block the request from those IP address. This will block the IP address for adphonso.com on OS level. To do the same, follow the steps below:

Step 1 Creating inbound rule to block mtnl pop up ads
Step 2 Creating inbound rule to block mtnl pop up ads
Step 3 Creating inbound rule to block mtnl pop up ads
Step 4 Creating inbound rule to block mtnl pop up ads
Step 5 Creating inbound rule to block mtnl pop up ads
Step 6 Creating inbound rule to block mtnl pop up ads
Step 7 Creating inbound rule to block mtnl pop up ads
Step 8 Creating inbound rule to block mtnl pop up ads
Step 9 Creating inbound rule to block mtnl pop up ads

After the process make sure to clear browser cache and reboot the system. You will be good to go and won’t be presented with these annoying ad popups anymore. ;)

Method #3 - Block Adphonso via Router settings

Well the methods above will work great if you use a lan cable to access internet only on your pc or laptop but since this is 21st century - The age of portable web, almost all of us have multiple devices like smartphone, tablets etc to access the web via WiFi. The Method #1 and #2 will only block ads on machine level (for respective pc and laptop), so we need something universal which will block these popups across all the devices. This method will save us from hassle of setting up an Inbound rule or make changes in Host file.

To do the same, follow the steps below:

  1. Open the router configuration page - 192.168.1.1 in web browser.

  2. Login via defacto username/password: admin (if you haven’t modified it).

  3. Navigate to Access Management > Filters.

  4. Chose URL Filter in Filter Type Selection and enable it from the radio button below it.

  5. Enter http://adphonso.com and 203.94.243.40 in URL Index 1 and 2.

    block intrusive MTNL broadband ad popups
    MTNL router > Filter URL

  6. Hit save and reboot the router from Maintenance.

But this is wrong, right?!

It’s really a shame that we, a customer, have to resort to such workarounds and hacks after paying relatively more bucks per month for poor service and bandwidth. MTNL being a government-owned service provider should not resort to such cheap means of promotion and instead should work forward to improve their infra and support team which is in ruins.

I would suggest all of us MTNLers to drop a complaint by calling, emailing or visiting the exchange in person for which details can be found here. Better yet would be to move ahead and look for other options and boycott mtnl. We do have a lot of competitive Internet service providers in Delhi now but still not as competitive as Bangalore which is a nerd dreamland(maybe, a future post with explanation eh?).

So, what’s your take on MTNL’s shady implementation of javascript injected popup ads? Let me know in comments below!

Do your bit:

One of our reader, Akshay Badhe, has made it easy for you to complaint against this shady practise to MTNL by drafting up a template. All you need to do it, copy paste the draft below, edit your details and email it to MTNL.

To,
ED / GM / PGM / CE,
MTNL Mumbai,
15th floor, Telephone House,
MTNL Road, Prabhadevi, Dadar (West),
Mumbai – 400 028

Dated: <Date>

Respected Sir,

I am a customer of MTNL for many years. For last few months I am getting ads on my Web Browser from MTNL (I have attached screen shot of the same). After further Investigation I came to know that you are:

  1. Injecting data (Ads) in the requested information, which means you are altering the information.

  2. You are collecting my:

    • Machine details
    • Browser Details
    • OS Information
    • My usage pattern
    • And my location
      All of that, without my approval or knowledge which means you are spying on my web browsing.

  3. You are collecting all my personal data for your own financial benefits.

  4. You are breaching my Privacy by collecting my search & behavior pattern.

  5. These ads are affecting my speed of access which I pay for.

I expect you to take required measures & stop these shady practices of breaching my privacy else I won’t have any other option than moving on to other ISP and would encourage all my friends and relatives to do the same.

Regards,
<Your name>
<Your number>

43 commentsfrom BitSnapper

Carried over from the original post and read-only. Add a new comment below.

  1. Rohan

    Wow! Thanks a lot. I was annoyed by these ads. MTNL is really messing up with it's customers.

    1. Jatin Author

      I know right? MTNL should not resort to such cheap methods to promote their business and should instead focus on improving quality of their services! :(

  2. Max

    Thanks for the post. I am MTNL customer from thane and I am seriously considering switching to another internet service provider due to pop-up ads.

    1. Jatin Author

      Yes sir. You should drop a mail to MTNL and TRAI (in cc) and openly tell them that you are switching and then you should switch. But the trouble is even Airtel is doing shaddy business by monitoring the web-browsing habit for it's users. Maybe it's time to boycott all suck TSP/ISPs. :(

  3. Akshay Badhe

    I have created a reply for them You can copy & paste them. You can find their email IDs from these links.
    http://mtnlmumbai.in/index.php/contactus
    or
    http://delhi.mtnl.net.in/gm_dgm.htm

    Date: 09-09-2015

    To,

    ED / GM / PGM / CE,

    MTNL Mumbai,

    15th floor, Telephone House,
    MTNL Road, Prabhadevi, Dadar (West),
    Mumbai - 400 028

    Dear Respected Sir,

    I am a customer of MTNL for many years.

    For Last Many months I am getting ads on my Web Browser from MTNL (I have attached screen shot of the same). After further Investigation I came to know that you are

    1. Injecting data (Ads) in the requested information, which means you are altering the information.

    2. You are collecting my

    a. Machine details

    b. Browser Details

    c. OS Information

    d. My Behaviour

    e. And My location

    Without my approval or knowledge which means you are spying on my searches.

    3. You are collecting all my data for financial benefits.

    4. You are breaching my Privacy by collecting my search & behaviour pattern.

    5. These ads are affecting my speed of access which I pay for.

    I expect you to take required measures & Stop these shady practices of breaching my privacy.

    1. Jatin Kumar Malik Author

      Great effort Akshay! I will add this in the post above so that people can do their part for it. :cool: :idea:

  4. Kailash Jobanputra

    Thanks for the info only problem that I am facing right now is that I don't use the MTNL Provided router and instead us the TP-Link WDR 4300 router. I am not able to find where I should put in the URL Filters in the router as you have suggested,

    Can you help Jatin?

    1. Jatin Kumar Malik Author

      Try logging into Admin console for Router settings. Just connect your machine use ethernet to the wireless router and hit 192.168.1.1 and you should be in. Let me know?

  5. Gaurav Sharma

    Thank you for sharing this information. Those ads were annoying.

    1. Jatin Kumar Malik Author

      No problem Gaurav. Cheers! :D

  6. Vrushank Desai

    Or you could just use AdBlock :) Do not that the IP is not same evreytime

    1. Jatin Kumar Malik Author

      I think I did mention that using any plugin won't help here because it's is JavaScript injected ad on runtime that happens in between when ISP is fetching the data-packets and serving to the client, i.e. You! :)

  7. Ramesh

    Thanks Jatin. Those MTNL pop-up ads were really annoying, not to mention breach of my privacy by collecting personal info I enter (or surf) using any web browser. Strange that MTNL, being a PSU with no pressure of profitability, is resorting to such dirty tricks, while private ISPs haven't yet done so.

    1. Jatin Kumar Malik Author

      I agree Ramesh. It's a shame that instead of improving their service and infrastructure, they are now breaching privacy of their own customers. :(

  8. Muhammad Haneef

    Thx for the gr8 post...I'm using TP-Link TD-W8968 Router, I can't seem to find the access management settings on its page...could u pls guide me on that...

    1. Jatin Kumar Malik Author

      Hello Mohd. Haneef,

      Did you try reading your modem's user guide? It should be there.
      Here is the link to it: http://www.tp-link.in/resources/document/TD-W8968_V3_User_Guide_1910010970.pdf

      Go to page: 106. There you will find the same. :)

      1. Muhammad Haneef

        Thx for the help....but my router is a version 1....the guide u pointed was for version 3...anyways...my router had firewall settings, so i setup a rule there...hope it works out....anyways thx for the response & support....

        1. Jatin Kumar Malik Author

          That's Great! :D

          Here is the User manual for v1 just in case: http://www.tp-link.in/Resources/document/TD-W8968_V1_User_Guide.pdf

          Let us know if it doesn't work for you.

          Cheers,
          Jatin

          1. Muhammad Haneef

            I had the version 1 user guide....but thx anyways...the firewall rule didn't work....I use chrome and i right clicked on the popup window to inspect the element and i found ip addresses different than what u stated here...namely - 203.94.227.140 & 203.94.227.138...so i gave an ip address range in my rule as 203.94.227.140 to 203.94.243.40....but i'm still getting the popups...but lesser and on fewer pages than before...so i think i'm still stuck up and confused...I really need to do this at the router level 'cos I'm using the router only as a wireless device...and my wireless network includes my pc and mobile devices...so i still need some help & guidance here...hoping for ur positive response...

            1. Jatin Kumar Malik Author

              Hello!

              Follow the approach here and just Deny access for all time in the router's firewall. Let me know how it works out?

              http://www.tp-link.com/sa/faq-467.html

  9. Muhammad Haneef

    Thx Jatin for the help...there was no option to reply so am writing as a separate comment...I had already gone thro' the post u suggested...it details abt a LAN host to be added...but to block we need to add a WAN Host...I already did that as stated in my earlier comment...after restart, popups seem to have been blocked...but occasionally and rarely they do seem to popup especially on this page...otherwise its OK...so i think the problem is solved....thx for all the help & suggestions...if the problem arises again then maybe i'll bother u again....hope u won't mind...thx....

    1. Jatin Kumar Malik Author

      That's great! Feel free to ask for help anytime.

      Also, rare popups could be due to a different IP. Make sure to inspect and check the source of them and block them too. :cool:

      Good day! :)

  10. Viral

    Thanks Jatin. The ad used to annoy even while surfing on Mobile.

    1. Jatin Kumar Malik Author

      No problem! Cheers! :)

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