Steve Smith talks about OpenDNS, and why this should be considered by you, as an optional replacement of DNS service, other than your router and ISP's DNS.
Episode #3-21 released on February 17, 2013
You power on your computer, turn on Chrome, Fire Fox, Internet Explorer, type in an internet address online, like Facebook.com, maybe Youtube.com, and you are sent to the web-site. Very few people will think about how this works, and many don't care, and why should you?
I'm usually asked on of a few questions like:
Is there a way to connect faster to web-sites?
Is it possible to prevent my kids from accessing adult web-sites?
Can I make the internet safer for my kids, elderly parents, etc... who may not know better, or are a bit gullible?
You should care, at least long enough to realize that you can improve the speed of connection by simply changing the DNS server IP addresses in your router. OpenDNS gives you the option for a personal usage to use their faster DNS servers, and best of all, its free. Its faster, more reliable, and doesn't censor you in anyway, and the company that made your router no longer knows what you surf to online.
If you are a parent, then parental controls and safer internet may be your thing right now, but you may be confused about your options, using OpenDNS' services for a safer internet will allow you peace of mind knowing your kids won't accidentally accessing adult content on the internet. OpenDNS calls this the FamilyShield, its pre-configured, so easy to use, and also free.
But, what if we are dealing with your folks, and they may not understand what phishing means, or are maybe a little gullible when it comes to spearfishing attacks, and you want to help protect them. Especially in these days where every other e-mail is spam. You get parental type controls on every device in the home, built-in anti-fraud and anti-phishing, internet usage statistics that tell you how much internet is used, where people have gone, and even problematic web-sites. This is only $19.95 a year, that's like one cup of coffee a month, you your safer for it. This plan is great for families that want to stay safer online.
The ISP may have slower or faster DNS servers, the only want to test this is to use a service like www.speedtest.net. Try your connection before your move over to OpenDNS, and after. You may be surprised. It shouldn't be a big change, but just enough to make loading web-sites easier. You ISP probably doesn't have a worth while parental filter, and it probably isn't free, even if they have one. And when looking for a better paid solution, it probably costs a lot more. Your router is probably no better, and most router manufactures don't care about your current router, just the future models. If there is a problem they probably point out a newer more expensive option.
Ultimately it is your choice. All these services are available through www.opendns.com.
Next week, I'll be talking about wireless channels, channel width, and how this may affect your wireless internet performance. Learn why wireless requires channels, and how to better utilize them.
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Host : Steve Smith | Music : Jonny Lee Hart | Editor : Steve Smith | Producer : Zed Axis Productions