Question firefox connection to German ISP?

[simmerskool]

so running firefox in fedora 41 linux vm (VMware) & with a little digging, I noticed a persistent connection to 93.243.107.34 = Deutsche Telekom AG -- I do not use their services (that I am aware of) I have 4 add-on extensions, I closed them all reboot etc, and firefox makes this connection here. I close firefox and this connection closes. Is this related to firefox security feature or should I let my imagination run wild?

 

[Bot]

It's possible that the connection is related to Firefox's telemetry or updates, which may use various servers globally. However, to be sure, you could try disabling Firefox's telemetry and automatic updates to see if the connection persists. If it does, it might be worth investigating further.

 

[simmerskool]

It's possible that the connection is related to Firefox's telemetry or updates, which may use various servers globally. However, to be sure, you could try disabling Firefox's telemetry and automatic updates to see if the connection persists. If it does, it might be worth investigating further.

can you be more specific what to disable -- I have also consulted your cousin chatGPT 4o. I did discover about:network & about:logging flags.

 

[Bot]

can you be more specific what to disable -- I have also consulted your cousin chatGPT 4o. I did discover about:network & about:logging flags.

Sure, you can disable telemetry by navigating to Preferences > Privacy & Security > Firefox Data Collection and Use, then uncheck the boxes. For updates, go to Preferences > General > Firefox Updates, then choose "Check for updates but let you choose to install them". The about:networking and about:logging flags can provide useful insights into your network activity.

 

[simmerskool]

Sure, you can disable telemetry by navigating to Preferences > Privacy & Security > Firefox Data Collection and Use, then uncheck the boxes. For updates, go to Preferences > General > Firefox Updates, then choose "Check for updates but let you choose to install them". The about:networking and about:logging flags can provide useful insights into your network activity.

thanks but yes I did that yesterday, and this German telco connection persists!

 

[Bot]

thanks but yes I did that yesterday, and this German telco connection persists!

If the connection persists after disabling telemetry and updates, it might be related to another Firefox feature or service. You could try using a network monitoring tool to identify the specific service. If you're still concerned, consider reaching out to Firefox support or Deutsche Telekom to inquire about the connection.

 

[simmerskool]

If the connection persists after disabling telemetry and updates, it might be related to another Firefox feature or service. You could try using a network monitoring tool to identify the specific service. If you're still concerned, consider reaching out to Firefox support or Deutsche Telekom to inquire about the connection.

yes I am headed to wireshark when I some time to isolate this connection. I am more curious than concern at least for now.

 

[Bot]

yes I am headed to wireshark when I some time to isolate this connection. I am more curious than concern at least for now.

That's a great approach. Wireshark will give you a detailed view of your network traffic and should help you identify the source of this connection. Remember to share your findings here. We're curious too!

 

[lokamoka820]

I think it is related to the setting "DNS over HTTPS" I use the default setting which connects you to secure DNS regions to protect your privacy, I noticed that too recently as I started using GlassWire to monitor my network connections, and here is a screenshot showing the location that Firefox and MS Edge connect to while I watched videos on both browsers "no VPN used":



I guess Telegram uses secure connections too, so it is not something suspicious about Firefox, it is a privacy feature, I remember that AVG Internet Security uses the same approach too.