Steve Smith explains why changing your DNS server may help you connect better, faster, and with less censorship online.
Episode #3-47 released on August 17, 2013
The Internet, home of many web-sites, relies on domain names to allow users to connect to these web-sites easily. To make this process easier, we use domain name servers (DNS). These servers contain all the relevant information required to allow users to connect to the right web-site, even those hosted on shared hosting servers. This process is absolutely amazing, but occasionally frustrating for a few that can't connect to web-sites in a timely manner, or at all, because their DNS server or ISP is running too slowly, crashing repeatedly, or censoring those web-sites. Worst, it is possible that these DNS servers or ISPs simply don't care, or respect their clients. As long as they receive their payments, most are happy with giving you any service, claiming it costs a lot of money to run such equipment and updating or upgrading costs too much. Today, I will help you solve the problem of connecting to the internet, and every web-site online.
The truth about DNS servers is, that it doesn't cost a lot to maintain such a server, or upgrade. The costs of computer and server hardware is always dropping. Maintenance may cost some money, but offering an effective service generates that revenue independently by attracting more clients which pay for excellent service. DNS servers provide addressing information only, and do not provide the actual content. Your computer, once it receives any information from a DNS server, will look up the web-site using the most efficient paths available to your connection at that time.
There are many options available to you when referring to alternative DNS servers. You have amazing international services, and local DNS solutions. Your needs are what you should be analyzing here. Are you looking for speed, reliably, or access to information otherwise censored by ISPs and governments, or a more protected version of the internet. These are the three most common reasons users on the internet, can't access a web-site.
To help you choose, I have come up with a list of three web-sites that you can use to determine which domain name server best suits your needs.
From this list, I am able to conclude that the most commonly suggested DNS replacement options offered are OpenDNS which I am constantly suggesting, and currently using. There is Google DNS, as an option provided by all these lists, and OpenNic Project. These three services appear in many more suggestion lists of DNS replacements. OpenDNS filters malicious content, while both GoogleDNS and OpenNIC don't, but both offer IPv6 DNS options, as well.
You, also, have the option of where you use these alternative DNS servers. You can set them up on the per device level, or on your router for whole network access. Putting these into your router, has the benefit of allowing everyone to enjoy a better internet experience.
As my usual suggestion, please refer to your router's manual for details on how to add new DNS entries into your router, or visit their web-site.
Next week, I'll talk about the Beast Attack. And, what it means for future security methods.
Remember to like this episode if you were interested in today's topic, share if you think someone else could benefit from the topic, and subscribe if you want to learn more. For the show notes of this episode and others, for more information on other ways to subscribe to our show, to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, and how to participate by submitting your questions, comments, suggestions, and stories, head over to TQAWeekly.com.
Host : Steve Smith | Music : Jonny Lee Hart | Editor : Steve Smith | Producer : Zed Axis Productions