Google public DNS servers

[cluberti]

http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using.html

[jaclaz]

Great !

I don't need anymore to write on a scrap of paper the DNS address, though aging, I guess I can remember 8.8.8.8 (the 8.8.4.4 will be a tough one, but I'm willing to try)

And it is also pingable!

jaclaz

Edited December 3, 2009 by jaclaz

[DigeratiPrime]

Interesting, I'll be sticking with OpenDNS for now though.

[Rippie_DK]

If you dont mind me asking guys, why use google public DNS or OpenDNS ? I dont seem to have any issues with my Virgin Media DNS servers. Please explain if i am missing something important to why i should swap to either of them.

[MagicAndre1981]

what's the sense of using a Google DNS Server?

[CoffeeFiend]

If you dont mind me asking guys, why use google public DNS or OpenDNS ?

OpenDNS has some advantages, like it lets you block categories of websites (adult content, gambling sites, etc and blacklist some directly) and some nasties, it corrects some common typos (instead of redirecting to those malware and ad-ridden parked pages we all love), and their network latency is better than a lot of ISP's.

Google DNS... Might be faster than some ISPs latency-wise. But personally, Google already gets most of my search results (and which ones I've clicked on too), all of my personal emails, locations I'm traveling to (maps) and tons more personal infos. Call me paranoid, but I'm just not handing them the complete list of every single website we visit along with that (with time stamps and all no less). Yet another Google product that thoroughly fails to impress, but manages to get that much more extra data on us nicely...

[tain]

Yeah. I'll be staying with OpenDNS, too.

[cluberti]

Why use one of these instead of your ISP? Well, what happens when your ISP uses DNS to (inadvertently or on purpose) throttle access to certain sites based on the lookup like Time Warner does here in the US? I've had issues specifically with youtube, netflix, and XBox Live performance and routing that magically go away when I switch from TW's DNS to OpenDNS. Consider this - I'm in the southern US on the east coast, and the Netflix streaming servers are just outside NYC for the east coast. If I use TWs DNS, I'm routed through Texas to Netflix servers in California based on TWs DNS structure, whereas when I use OpenDNS I get DNS resolved to hosts that are on the east coast, and performance is VASTLY improved. I have similar wierd routing issues specifically with Youtube servers and games over XBL, because TWs DNS servers end up routing me to the west coast A LOT for sites that are geolocated, like most large media and gaming services are. The extra features of OpenDNS that can block ads, spam, and certain other types of sites are what keep me using OpenDNS over Google's servers, but having an additional option (or options) is always a good idea. I think most cable ISPs in the US have poor DNS service in general (I've been on TW, Comcast, and even Adelphia when they were still a separate company), and always used non-ISP DNS servers after awhile because of their poor performance. I don't know if it's network size that causes the issues, or if they do it on purpose (and having worked for one of these big 3, I know at least that particular company *does* do it on purpose), but ultimately it doesn't matter. Performance is almost always better with a DNS service, in my experience.

[DigeratiPrime]

It would be evil if they throttled the OpenDNS IPs.

[jaclaz]

My intended use was far more "low-level" or "practical" : .

I often happen to have a PC on a network not working - usually they are NOT using dynamic addresses/DHCP.

Once set properly whatever needs to be set/fixed, which often involves uninstalling TCP/IP and re-installing it (or at least this is a method that often works for me), I normally need:

1. the machine intended IP <-relatively easy to remember
   
2. the subnet mask <- easy to detect, as I use to have it set to a "reasonable number" based on the number of PC's, not the usual 255.255.255.0
   
3. the network gateway <- easy to remember, I usually have them set as first IP of the subnet mask)
   
4. the Primary DNS <- difficult to remember, as different networks use different providers and differnt DNS (and most of them are NOT pingable)
   
5. the Secundary DNS <-see above
   

The two "magic numbers above" are good enough to be remembered and should allow me to test:

• external TCP/IP connectivity by pinging
  
• external internet connectivity by using them to get to google without having to remember 74.125.45.100
  

jaclaz

Edited December 4, 2009 by jaclaz

[lightning slinger]

Yeah. I'll be staying with OpenDNS, too.

Exactly!

Steve Gibson has an interesting page at https://www.grc.com/dns/dns.htm and a small DNS Benchmark Tool at https://www.grc.com/dns/benchmark.htm.

Running that tool from this location gives OpenDNS a faster response time than Google DNS but results may vary depending on location. I think I would rather trust OpenDNS with my information rather than Google but results are quite enlightening with this and the Anti-Spoof test on the first page.

HTH

Edited December 16, 2009 by lightning slinger

[xper]

OpenDNS here too. No change.