# Getting thousands of 'hits' by api.dropbox.com

**URL:** <https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/getting-thousands-of-hits-by-api-dropbox-com/44629>\
**Category:** Community Help\
**Created:** [February 20, 2021, 10:50pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/getting-thousands-of-hits-by-api-dropbox-com/44629 "2021-02-20T22:50:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jim\_Ford](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/jim_ford/32/12518_2.png) [@Jim\_Ford](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/Jim_Ford)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 10:50pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/getting-thousands-of-hits-by-api-dropbox-com/44629/1 "2021-02-20T22:50:26Z")

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I had lots of api.dropbox.com queries in my 'Top Permitted Domains' list - it was top of the list. I no longer use Dropbox, so I terminated my account and cleaned it from my Ubuntu system. I then blacklisted api.dropbox.com, hoping that that would be the last I see of it. Now it's top of the 'Top Blocked Domains' list with tens of thousands of hits.

How do I stop all this 'noise' from api.dropbox.com, please?  
Jim

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**Author:** ![jfb](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/jfb/32/4332_2.png) [@jfb](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/jfb)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2021, 2:48am UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/getting-thousands-of-hits-by-api-dropbox-com/44629/2 "2021-02-21T02:48:12Z")

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> [@Jim\_Ford](#):
>
> How do I stop all this 'noise' from [api.dropbox.com](http://api.dropbox.com), please?

Find the client that is making the queries, and stop them at the source.

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**Author:** ![DL6ER](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/dl6er/32/281_2.png) [@DL6ER](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/DL6ER)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2021, 8:15am UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/getting-thousands-of-hits-by-api-dropbox-com/44629/3 "2021-02-21T08:15:56Z")

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This generally speaks for a badly engineered application. It should cache its DNS requests.

If you check out the Query Log (you can click on the domain on in the "Top Permitted Domains" list), how often does this query appear? And what operating systems are you using on the requesting clients?

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**Author:** ![Jim\_Ford](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/jim_ford/32/12518_2.png) [@Jim\_Ford](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/Jim_Ford)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 5:45pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/getting-thousands-of-hits-by-api-dropbox-com/44629/4 "2021-02-22T17:45:40Z")

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Many thanks 'DL6ER'.

I did click on the domain in the Query Log, but got an error. I'd then remembered that my NAS had a Dropbox setting, so I turned off the NAS, and the hits stopped. I then turned off Dropbox on the NAS and all's OK now.

Now top of the Permitted Domains is an ota domain. It's my Zigbee coordinator. I'd flashed it with Tasmota and it appears to be checking for updates at intervals. I don't see a way of stopping this. Is there any way of getting Pihole to _ignore_ it (rather than _block_ it) in order to avoid cluttering the logs?  
Jim

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**Author:** ![hikari](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@hikari](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/hikari)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2021, 5:22pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/getting-thousands-of-hits-by-api-dropbox-com/44629/5 "2021-02-23T17:22:05Z")

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> [@DL6ER](#):
>
> This generally speaks for a badly engineered application. It should cache its DNS requests.

I guess that when Dropbox client gets a failed resolve response it starts flooding DNS server attempting to get a proper resolve ASAP.

When the IP is resolved, I guess Windows DNS client caches it, IDK if apps should do it too, but I agree that not all connection requests should require DNS query. And TCP connections should remain alive and not require frequent reconnections. But, when DNS resolves to 0.0.0.0 and an app gets on a few-seconds loop trying to connect, what should OS DNS client do?

> [@Jim\_Ford](#):
>
> Is there any way of getting Pihole to _ignore_ it (rather than _block_ it) in order to avoid cluttering the logs?

settings.php?tab=api \> Top Lists section. Add there the domains u don't want listed on Dashboard lists.

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**Author:** ![DL6ER](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/dl6er/32/281_2.png) [@DL6ER](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/DL6ER)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2021, 9:02pm UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/getting-thousands-of-hits-by-api-dropbox-com/44629/6 "2021-02-23T21:02:48Z")

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> [@Jim\_Ford](#):
>
> I did click on the domain in the Query Log, but got an error

Oh wow, so there must have been really a lot of them.

> [@Jim\_Ford](#):
>
> I'd flashed it with Tasmota and it appears to be checking for updates at intervals. I don't see a way of stopping this. Is there any way of getting Pihole to _ignore_ it (rather than _block_ it) in order to avoid cluttering the logs?

No, not really. Tasmota is a nice idea, but strange in some parts. E.g., all Tasmota-powered devices resolve pool.ntp.org once per hour. However, I do not see any `ota.` domains being queried from my devices (Tasmota 9.1.0), which domain is this exactly?

> [@hikari](#):
>
> When the IP is resolved, I guess Windows DNS client caches it, IDK if apps should do it too

One cache suffices. The app wont have to do it in addition. Does Windows have a DNS cache? And why Windows?

> [@hikari](#):
>
> But, when DNS resolves to 0.0.0.0 and an app gets on a few-seconds loop trying to connect, what should OS DNS client do?

They appeared under "top permitted domains" originally so they were not blocked in any way.

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**Author:** ![hikari](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/35a633/32.png) [@hikari](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/hikari)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 1:04am UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/getting-thousands-of-hits-by-api-dropbox-com/44629/7 "2021-02-24T01:04:12Z")

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I know Windows has a service that's DNS client. IDK how exactly it works, in the past it was crashing on me and making me reboot whole OS to get it working again. Thankfully I restored backup from before it started happening then just disabled it.

What I meant is that it's my understanding that DNS caching is OS responsibility and I don't see why apps should do it again.

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**Author:** ![DL6ER](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/dl6er/32/281_2.png) [@DL6ER](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/DL6ER)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 5:18am UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/getting-thousands-of-hits-by-api-dropbox-com/44629/8 "2021-02-24T05:18:09Z")

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> [@hikari](#):
>
> What I meant is that I understand that DNS caching is OS responsibility and I don't see why apps should do it again.

Yes, I agree. I phrased it misleadingly above. _Clients_ should cache DNS requests.

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**Author:** ![Jim\_Ford](https://discourse-cdn.pi-hole.net/user_avatar/discourse.pi-hole.net/jim_ford/32/12518_2.png) [@Jim\_Ford](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/Jim_Ford)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 10:45am UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/getting-thousands-of-hits-by-api-dropbox-com/44629/9 "2021-02-24T10:45:59Z")

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@DL6ER

> [@DL6ER](#):
>
> I do not see any `ota.` domains being queried from my devices (Tasmota 9.1.0), which domain is this exactly?

The update link for Tasmota on my Zigbee Coordinator is:  
[http://thehackbox.org/tasmota/release/tasmota.bin](http://thehackbox.org/tasmota/release/tasmota.bin).  
I guess that the coordinator keeps asking if there is an update.  
(The 'domain' is on my lan - 192.168.1.15)

Jim

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**Author:** ![system](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/uploads/default/original/3X/7/c/7c8792f649eeb921c5d2b4c41564ffa873d9a2b8.png) [@system](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/u/system)\
**Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 10:46am UTC](https://discourse.pi-hole.net/t/getting-thousands-of-hits-by-api-dropbox-com/44629/10 "2021-03-17T10:46:17Z")

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