ATTENTION AUSTRALIANS
Your government has instructed some Internet Services Providers (ISPs) to block access to some online gambling websites. This is done via the Domain Name System (DNS).
What is DNS? The Domain Name System (DNS) is the phonebook of the Internet. Humans access information online through domain names, like nytimes.com or espn.com. Web browsers interact through Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. DNS translates domain names to IP addresses so browsers can load Internet resources. Each device connected to the Internet has a unique IP address which other machines use to find the device. DNS servers eliminate the need for humans to memorize IP addresses such as 192.168.1.1 (in IPv4), or more complex newer alphanumeric IP addresses such as 2400:cb00:2048:1::c629:d7a2 (in IPv6).
This DNS method of blocking you is very easily bypassed by utilising a different "phonebook" as provided by Cloudflare, the OpenDNS Project, or even Google. All very reputable, safe, and even offer a performance increase of that of your local ISP's DNS servers.
It takes about 2 minutes to change your DNS server, forever, and it is easily changed back if you have some desire or need to revert to your original DNS settings. (psst... you won't)
Your Internet Service Provider, or ISP, provides a service called Domain Name Servers, or DNS. DNS basically act like Internet phone books and help computers translate the URL that you type in, such as into an Internet Protocol, or IP address that your computer uses to locate the actual computer that hosts that website. This DNS directory operated by your ISP may not be the most swift thing in the world. It make take it 48 hours or more to update certain sections of its "phone book." The problem with this is that if one of those "hops" above is acting up, the DNS is responsible for providing your computer with the information necessary to reroute your traffic to a faster and more reliable path. Why ISPs are slow to update their DNS we have no idea, but it has been this way for decades now.
Fortunately there are a few alternatives. The one we recommend the most is provided by CloudFlare, an industry leader in cloud computing, routing, and DNS authority. The other two alternatives are provided by OpenDNS and the big Google itself. These free to use DNS servers can help improve your browsing and subsequently your poker play, as they are updated far more rapidly than most ISP operated DNS servers. Here is how you can go about reconfiguring your Internet connection to use them instead of the clunky DNS servers provided by your ISP.
If you need assistance in updating your DNS, Cloudflare explains how to change over to using their DNS servers in this quick guide. Alternatively the fantastic staff over at HowToGeek have a wonderful step by step walk-through with pictures for you to use when changing to any new DNS servers. We at ProfessionalRakeback.com highly recommend using Cloudflare, OpenDNS, or Google DNS servers for maximum performance, reliability, and of course, to bypass your Internet Service Provider's block.
If you know how to change your DNS servers, simply input one of these three sets in place of your network assigned DNS:
Cloudflare DNS
Preferred: 1.1.1.1
Alternate: 1.0.0.1
OpenDNS
Preferred: 208.67.222.222
Alternate: 208.67.220.220
Google DNS
Preferred: 8.8.8.8
Alternate: 8.8.4.4
That's it!
The changes should be live now on most Windows systems and you should be able to visit any gambling sites that were blocked by your provider! In some rare cases, you may need to restart your computer, device, or web browser before changes take effect and the bypass functions properly.
If you were trying to reach a specific online casino or poker room, click the appropriate button below:
Read this article to learn more about online poker in Australia.
This is provided for informational purposes only. Please read about Australian poker and gambling law, do your own research, and come to your own conclusions about how to proceed. P.S. No citizen has ever gotten in trouble for online gambling or poker, and likely never will.