Latest Input: I am to inform that at least for me the BSNL regular forceful redirection has stopped. So I am very thankful to BSNL and happy that BSNL have considered the opinion from customers and doing things that will surely increase the BSNL customer base.
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Many BSNL customers in many parts of India are facing a peculiar situation. The situation is that, regardless of which website address they type in their browser, they end up on BSNL's website http://www.motive.bsnl.co.in.
The symptoms are similar to a virus attack or more commonly browser hijacking. During browser hijacking, the infected computer/browser will automatically redirect to a different website than to the one entered by the user. For example, if
you type google.com it might redirect without your permission to fraudsite.com.
In BSNL user's case, regardless of which website address you type, or you click on home page, it would go to the particular motive website.
Many changed their browsers and tried.
Many panicked thinking it is a virus attack.
Many thought BSNL servers might have been compromised.
Many have tried antivirus softwares.
Many have tried reinstalling softwares.
Many have formatted their whole hard disk.
Many have tried reconfiguring their modem.
Many have changed modem.
Many have changed DNS servers.
Many have changed PCs.
No matter what they did the symptoms have persisted.
For many this happens only once, only at the time of getting connected to the Internet, but for many this happens multiple times in a day. For some it happens quite frequently. For some, half way through browsing or even during an e-commerce transaction, they end up on this website.
Are you a BSNL Broadband user who is suddenly seeing BSNL website http://www.motive.bsnl.co.in/ for no particular reason? Here is some information from a layman's point of view which might be helpful for you.
Before you read this, let me tell you, though this information is supposed to be reassuring for you, this is purely based on the research work based on Internet-found information of the author, so take it with a pinch of salt.
So here goes the theory ....
The information from your PC/modem/browser has to go to BSNL server before getting connected to the Internet. BSNL is supposed to have installed something new on their side of the server or at some point of connection before your information goes into the Internet. What this software does is (assumed), as soon as a PC requests the server for a connection or during the period of assigning a dynamic IP, the software ensures that the first website the user goes to is this particular "Motive" website. So as soon as you get connected for the first time you get redirected to the particular website.
The following possibilities and probabilities may happen
If your modem/PC was not connected to the Internet and you connect for the first time in a day, you will be redirected to this website just once. If you do not switch off your modem or Internet connection through the rest of the day, you
do not have to worry about ending up on this website again for the day.
Here the assumption is that you are getting connected once and since you do not switch off, you will are always connected.
However, in reality, this is not what might always happen. The connections in some places are very stable but not in all places. A person with a stable connection once connected, does not get reset and would get redirected only the first time of the day.
In many places unfortunately, the connection is not stable. Depending on how bad the connection is in your area, so many times would your connection get reset.
Earlier, suppose a connection got disconnected and you got back the connection within a few seconds, you may not have realized that the connection had reset. You may have had to just refresh the page or may be your page just paused and continued. However now the problem is that every time your connection is reset, you end up on the "Motive" website. This means that suppose you were on google.com and it suddenly stopped loading, the next time you refresh, instead of google.com, it is motive page that appears!
Another fact is, suppose earlier if you had not noticed (known) how bad your Internet connection was because you did not know when the disconnection and reconnection took place, this new system is creating a really annoying situation where instead of the page and site you are browsing reappearing on refresh, you end up on this site when you refresh the page after a reconnection. Thus you know every time your this motive page appears, your connection has got reset!
Also some people are assuming of the opposite possibility. The possibility that because of the new system, the connections are getting reset more often than earlier.
BSNL customer centers have sent replied to some saying that the situation is nothing to worry about but a facility set by BSNL to redirect to a customer useful BSNL page!?
The idea I presume may be two-fold. One to help customers by directing to a customer care page and the other to create revenue. This motive website has details of customer useful stuff as well as some BSNL promotional details. However since this seems to be a forceful redirection with no option of opting out, the possibility of creating revenue through ads on the site cannot be ruled out.
Just think how many BSNL BB users are there throughout India and if everybody is forced to visit this site everyday multiple times, just imagine the amount of traffic that the site will have and revenue that can be made through ads? Though the idea to make revenue may be a great one from BSNL perspective, but I doubt BSNL customers would be too happy to be force-fed.
What can be done to avoid redirection to motive.bsnl.co.in ?
Some suggest changing some modem settings (it worked for some), but since it involves technicality, we will not touch that here as we do not know yet about the unintended consequence of modifying the modem settings.
Alternate and simple method for some is to block the particular website altogether
using firewall or browser block site options. However, doing so will only prevent you from seeing that particular website, but end up with another sign or page which says "Page Blocked!" (Blocking on IE8 did not work for me! The website has over ridden my browser setting and did not get blocked in spite of being on blocked list.)
It has been reported that only those who have IP address starting with 117.*.*.* are facing these problems while others are not. Also this has not been implemented everywhere, but is only getting implemented. So if you are not having it now, you may have it later on!
Please note, the whole idea of this article is to give reassurance to users that this is not a virus problem, but a modification made by BSNL for possible benefit of customers (and maybe BSNL also).
Suggestion to users is to avoid panic, dont bother to try any of the methods like reinstallation of operating system, etc. (given at the top of this article) that have been tried by others and failed. Try to ignore and go back to the page and send a feedback to BSNL if you are not happy about it.
Suggestion to BSNL people:
Please try to either
a) Completely do away with this redirecting system.
or
b) Restrict it to redirect only once a month or once week or at least not more than once a day.
Here is a screen shot of what happens when connection gets reset halfway through. This happened when connection got reset while doing an online virus scan...
Here is an official notice uploaded by someone found on the Internet
Here is Good news for all sad with the above situation...
"BSNL IS HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE INCREASE OF THE SPEED FROM 256 Kbps TO 512 Kbps FOR PLAN 750 UNLIMITED AND COMBO PLAN 750 UNLIMITED FROM NOW-ONWARDS, ENJOY SURFING....."
(Not sure in which all area it is implemented).
Disclaimer: The info above is purely as is got from web. This is just layman's info obtained from Internet and not an expert opinion. You are fully responsible for any actions you take and consequences based on the above information and author would in no way be responsible.
