igadgetlife.com — Why would switching to a different DNS offer faster browsing? Well, think of the DNS server system as the big phonebook of the internet. When you go to a web address by name (google.com, for example), the DNS server returns the actual IP address – this works similar to a phone book returning the phone number for a person’s name.
Aug 20, 2010 View in Crawl 4
deadsoldierAug 20, 2010
Article could have at least given some public server addresses out.
I'm using OpenDNS:
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
Google Public DNS might be a good idea for those that don't want to use their ISP servers but can't be bothered with any other setup hassle:
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
dfarqAug 20, 2010
Trouble is, the best addresses for you aren't necessarily the best ones for me, due to proximity, number of routers you have to go through, and probably some other factors few of us completely understand. Download Steve Gibson's DNSbench (grc.com), run it, and let it determine faster DNS servers for you. In my case, I'm better off using Sprint's servers than OpenDNS or Google. OpenDNS wasn't as fast as the AT&T servers I had been using.
deadsoldierAug 20, 2010
Good tip, running it now. Thanks!
mawdsAug 20, 2010
Sometimes the fastest isn't necessarily the best.
The DNS servers provided by your ISP will usually be the fastest as they're on your network but they can sometimes not be the best to use. It depends on how well they're maintained and how often they update the addresses.
The best thing to do is to use some public and some of your ISP's
Windows will at least allow you to add more DNS servers in addition to 2 you put in the standard settings.
voldakAug 20, 2010
That is a great tip, but even though other DNS servers may be slower for some they do have advantages. A big reason i'm using OpenDNS at my home is because it helps eliminate DNS rebinding. Also, some might like the automatically blocking of harmful sites and the ability to log requests.
shodanxAug 21, 2010
my friends dns servers have a wildcard catch search engine that display ads and is circumventing firefox google search fallback on single word addresses that don't lookup
mountainmanmarkAug 21, 2010
Anyone know of an alternative for linux?
venom8599Aug 21, 2010
@MountainManMark
It's compatible with Wine, if that helps.
roebeetAug 21, 2010
@MountainManMark -- just run the program with WINE (says it works that way, right on the site)
Closed AccountAug 21, 2010
Website design from the 1990s: check.
tombkillaAug 21, 2010
Steve Gibson is god to us programmers. I mean who writes in assembly nowadays.
Closed AccountAug 20, 2010
Agreed. This was a terribly uninformative article. I suspect your comment and the others that follow will provide better info.
beshirthappyAug 21, 2010
@ps3... if the article tried to give a bunch of DNS servers to use, then it would be just as bad as blindly following your ISP. In each case, the best DNS server for your needs can vary. Instead, the article makes the user aware of the issue, imho.
payrowAug 21, 2010
208.67.222.220 not 208.67.220.220
venom8599Aug 21, 2010
I used to use OpenDNS, until I noticed they were funneling all traffic to Google through their own servers for some reason.
pw378Aug 21, 2010
funneling? I call it hijacking. f**k OpenDNS!
pw378Aug 21, 2010
OpenDNS screw with your traffic to inject ads - I would never use them.
mrbitchAug 22, 2010
Agree, I used OpenDNS from the beginning, but due to some very dodgy DNS resolution behaviour, I switched to Google Public DNS : 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
geekworkingAug 23, 2010
OpenDNS is a web filtering service that also provides DNS. If you view their service as a filtering service and not as a regular DNS resolver then their behavior is expected. I would not use for the office, but it is fine for home use with kids where you want the filtering and it is not critical if their resolution is non-standard.
ultramagnus0001Aug 22, 2010
4.2.2.1 - 4.2.2.7 and will redirect using Firefox's built in search in address bar from Google. Just as fast as Opend DNS, but it don't use Yahoo and just uses what ever search engine your browser uses.
jgregcAug 20, 2010
I think the article has a point about most local service provider's DNS - they usually are pitiful, yet most people use the suggested default settings.
aarond12Aug 20, 2010
129.250.35.250
129.250.35.251
Closed AccountAug 20, 2010
...and whose DNS servers are those? Two IP addresses aren't a lot of use by themselves.
generalobviousAug 21, 2010
Use them and find out...
Closed AccountAug 21, 2010
I'd rather not give a complete stranger logs for all my domain lookups until I know exactly who they are.
captobliviousAug 21, 2010
Thank you for bringing that issue up ultrafez, I was going to but now you have.
aminy23Aug 21, 2010
@ultrafez, and all my diggers out there; Those are the DNS servers for NTT America (http://www.grc.com/dns/benchmark.htm
cyx7Aug 20, 2010
I've run ping tests against openDNS and the Goog, and always found them 20-60 ms slower then my ISP's DNS servers.
So I just pick the two fastest servers out of eight my ISP provides and go with that.
smotpokerAug 20, 2010
Ping replies may not be the most accurate metric. DNS request congestion from fellow ISP users probably won't reflect so much with ping replies even though it could slow down their their DNS replies considerably.
Bear in mind that ping uses a different protocol and doesn't interact with the DNS server itself.
smotpokerAug 20, 2010
eg:
$ dig @8.8.8.8 google.com
...
;; Query time: 37 msec
...
$ dig @208.67.222.222 google.com
...
;; Query time: 27 msec
...
$ ping -c 5 8.8.8.8
...
5 packets transmitted, 5 received, 0% packet loss, time 4007ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 16.719/17.537/20.096/1.295 ms
$ ping -c5 208.67.222.222
...
5 packets transmitted, 5 received, 0% packet loss, time 4016ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 40.634/82.950/211.461/64.925 ms
As you can see, 8.8.8.8 has a > 60x faster ping reply but the DNS replies from 208.67.222.222 are 10ms (~25%) faster.
kevenmAug 21, 2010
I never gave a s**t until I started running into problems loading various sites. Then I switched to 8.8.8.8/8.8.4.4 and all was good again.
pw378Aug 21, 2010
HonestDNS from Google FTW!
Closed AccountAug 21, 2010
For how long we must now wonder? (Also been using the GoogleDNS for a while; shame the "Don't be Evil" moto is [rightfully] in question.
IllBeBackAug 21, 2010
This might help some users find the best DNS servers:
http://www.grc.com/dns/benchmark.htm
ipenisAug 21, 2010
Yea this program is great.
Sometimes OpenDNS is faster, sometimes Google, and sometimes your ISPs.
The security and custom blocking is the reason openDNS is on my router.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
ultramagnus0001Aug 22, 2010
http://www.dnsserverlist.org/
This sit is good too
jub0rAug 21, 2010
You can also increase the TTL on your local DNS Cache to reduce the number of DNS queries your computer has to issue.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318803
Scroll down a little for the MaxCacheTtl setting.
I think this should work for Vista/7 too.
Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
gentooianAug 21, 2010
I would definitely NOT recommend doing this. There is a reason why some records have low TTL values.
jub0rAug 21, 2010
It should still respect the record's specified ttl, it just allows for longer ttls.
ryanwbAug 21, 2010
I recently upgraded from V.90 to V.92, it's like the internet just switched into overdrive!
realdeal83Aug 21, 2010
9600 baud FTW
thejuggernautAug 21, 2010
My first modem was a 300 baud Vicmodem. But at least it didn't have those awful Wargame-esque acoustic couplers....
shack95Aug 21, 2010
Dug for no acoustic couplers!
captobliviousAug 21, 2010
The first computer I used was a remote mainframe through a teletype with an acoustic coupler (you manually dialed then jammed the phone handset into the sockets on the right side of the teletype console)
It was a hoot, I could whistle a pretty consistent line of text into/out of the teletype, it was all gibberish but it was consistent gibberish.
I am SO glad those days are gone!
bdbrAug 21, 2010
You youngsters! I got my Comp Sci degree on punch cards (I'm not kidding). Now get off my lawn!
booshtukkaAug 21, 2010
How can it be uphill both ways?
splorpdotorgAug 22, 2010
@BooshTukka
He went to school here: http://de-bondt.eu/image.axd?picture=2009%2F9%2Fmc_escher02.jpg
opiticaAug 21, 2010
I've tried opendns for a while a handful of times. As a developer with a heap of new domain names and projects, opendns drives me f**king insane. opendns often redirects me to 404's or URL suggestion pages when I know the website exists and is completely functional. you'd figure a dns company would have better records than a s**tty cable provider.
mrbitchAug 22, 2010
RE: ".. opendns often redirects me to 404's or URL suggestion pages when I know the website exists and is completely functional. you'd figure a dns company would have better records than a s**tty cable provider."
Good point.
xeonrageAug 21, 2010
This account has been closed by the user
trpnblies7Aug 21, 2010
Wow, I've been using OpenDNS for awhile, but according to namebench, my local DNS is actually much faster. I'll have to see if I notice any difference.
pw378Aug 21, 2010
OpenDNS as nothing but traffic hijackers in order to stuff ads down your throat! Screw OpenDNS.
HonestDNS FTW.
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
greengoooAug 21, 2010
Public DNS Servers
Google
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
Level 3 Communications (Broomfield, CO, US)
4.2.2.1
4.2.2.2
4.2.2.3
4.2.2.4
4.2.2.5
4.2.2.6
Verizon (Reston, VA, US)
151.197.0.38
151.197.0.39
151.202.0.84
151.202.0.85
151.202.0.85
151.203.0.84
151.203.0.85
199.45.32.37
199.45.32.38
199.45.32.40
199.45.32.43
GTE (Irving, TX, US)
192.76.85.133
206.124.64.1
One Connect IP (Albuquerque, NM, US)
67.138.54.100
OpenDNS (San Francisco, CA, US)
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
Exetel (Sydney, AU)
220.233.167.31
VRx Network Services (New York, NY, US)
199.166.31.3
SpeakEasy (Seattle, WA, US)
66.93.87.2
216.231.41.2
216.254.95.2
64.81.45.2
64.81.111.2
64.81.127.2
64.81.79.2
64.81.159.2
66.92.64.2
66.92.224.2
66.92.159.2
64.81.79.2
64.81.159.2
64.81.127.2
64.81.45.2
216.27.175.2
66.92.159.2
66.93.87.2
Sprintlink (Overland Park, KS, US)
199.2.252.10
204.97.212.10
204.117.214.10
Cisco (San Jose, CA, US)
64.102.255.44
128.107.241.185
from:
http://www.tech-faq.com/public-dns-servers.html
antdudeAug 21, 2010
EarthLink (opt out servers for searches):
207.69.188.171 (West Coast)
207.69.188.172 (East Coast)
fireeglAug 22, 2010
There's an even larger list here: http://www.chaz6.com/files/resolv.conf
myztryAug 21, 2010
A simple method for an ISP/Country to implement Internet filtering for the bulk of lay users would be to simply not resolve DNS lookups (or return the IP for a Page Denied host) for prohibited sites that are black listed. It would be very low latency as the DNS server only needs to resolve this once and flag it as resolved or prohibited in the cache for every TTL period.
For the rest of us, there is simply the option of setting a custom open DNS server in our router settings.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
jjustin01Aug 21, 2010
I always rely on:
127.0.0.1
Closed AccountAug 21, 2010
127.0.0.1, there's no place like it.
engivalAug 21, 2010
Yeah. After a hard day of work, I always go localhost.
Closed AccountAug 21, 2010
Yeah, a bit is lost in translation but it still makes sense.
cyberdactylAug 21, 2010
I've found using 127.0.0.1, lookups take a really, REALLY long time.
lodcrappoAug 22, 2010
This account has been closed by the user
maz2331Aug 21, 2010
I run my own name server... nice is that it allows you to blackhole a lot of spam/malware domains, and it's always fast.
lodcrappoAug 22, 2010
This account has been closed by the user
ironduke83Aug 21, 2010
rogers cable in Ontario uses dns servers that are below par for what I need. So even from Ontario to Colorado, Google's DNS is MUCH better, and no redirects to s**tty search pages if I mistype
bloogeyAug 21, 2010
ROGERS SUCKS
ageofmasteryAug 21, 2010
Just switched back to Open DNS from Google and I'm seeing a difference. Your mileage may vary. Download DNSbench from GRC.com, (it's free), and see what the best DNS servers are for you and go from there.
mountainmanmarkAug 21, 2010
Does anyone know how to change your dns in ubuntu 10.04? >sorry i'm kind of new to linux<
mountainmanmarkAug 21, 2010
Does anyone know how to change your DNS in UBUNTU 10.04? >sorry i'm new to linux<
Closed AccountAug 21, 2010
I would recommend adding it to your router rather than the computer. It's a 1time setup for any computer on the network and you can leave your computers to the default.
geekworkingAug 23, 2010
Newer versions of Ubuntu want everything to just work automatically. Manually forcing defaults is a pain and can cause future issues after version upgrades. Configuring on the router and leaving the computer on auto is the best way to go.
If you just want to experiment with different settings you can use the network applet up by the time to setup alternate connections. Right click and manage connections. You can create alternate connections with different DNS servers. The default will always be auto, but it is a good way to play around without screwing anything up.
jammerdelrayAug 21, 2010
I really like clearcloud dns by sunbelt software, it's beta
mariuoloAug 21, 2010
I installed a dns server locally and stopped worrying about it (bind9 on linux or treewalk dns on windows).
tombkillaAug 21, 2010
Don't use opendns. They are a scam. All they want are your typos to generate ad hits on the fake parked sites you get when you type in the wrong address.
maiasauraAug 21, 2010
An overview to making the changes to your DNS easily: http://www.robopug.com/nest/?p=678
yage2006Aug 22, 2010
Quite amazing for an article on this topic to not mention OpenDNS even once.
/buried for doing a s**tty job.
lodcrappoAug 22, 2010
This account has been closed by the user
ixamAug 22, 2010
I wrote a service that can search for open DNS servers in your or other networks called http://www.opendns.se/