When we think of calling a friend or family member on our phone, we think of dialing a number that corresponds to whomever we want to talk to. However, when we think of contacting someone on the internet, or searching our favorite sites, we just type in a name. Well the internet is no different than the phone, it relies on numbers. So, if the internet is based on numbers, how can we type in names, phrases, or website names and have our computers go exactly where we want them to go?
In steps Domain Name Systems (DNS). These servers are nothing more than a huge phone book containing a vast database of names and corresponding IP addresses. All web pages do not answer to the alpha phrases or names that we type into a search. All web activity is governed by numbers, or Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. These are a series of 4 groups of numbers separated by a period. For example, Google’s IP address is 208.67.217.231, and Yahoo’s IP is 69.147.76.15. Copy and paste these IP addresses individually into your URL bar and you will see that it will return either a Google or Yahoo result. When you want to go to Google.com or Yahoo.com, you simply type in Google or Yahoo, but the Word Wide Web (www) has no idea what that means. So a DNS has to intercept that query and assign a number to it so the return that you get will be what you are looking for.
Most “non-power users” never even question where these queries are coming from as your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will provide one for you. However, the ISP’s DNS may not be the fastest or most secure one out there. You can change your DNS to one of your own choosing.
But how do I now whether the one I am using is the best one available? Well this is where DNS Benchmarking software comes in to play. It will analyze your connection with all the DNS’s available and tell you which is the best for you. Now, keep in mind that the DNS that is best for you, may not be the best for someone in another area. It depends on your location.
So, should you want to see if you could pick up your search query speeds, I am going to recommend a couple of good benchmarking software sites. The first one is an Open Source benchmarking tool provided by Google. You can download it by clicking HERE. It will work on Windows, OSX, or Linux. It is a small download, and will tell you at the end of the test whether there is another DNS that may be more efficient for you. The second, and my personal favorite, is one from Gibson Research Corporation, and can be downloaded by clicking HERE. Steve Gibson, creator of GRC.com also does a really good job of explaining the concept of DNS. GRC’s version is Windows only, but I did use it on my Mac running Windows 7 in the free Virtual Box and it worked just fine.
Without doing a benchmark test, you simply will not know whether the DNS that you are currently using is the most efficient. I am currently using OpenDNS and the benchmark test that I ran showed that it was, in fact, the most efficient for my area.
But you may say……I am not that tech savvy and have no idea how to change my DNS. Should I find one that is better for me, How do I change it?
Well before I explain that, I will suggest one before you even test. OpenDNS is an awesome phone book for the web. Once you set it up, which is not difficult, and get yourself an account, you will be given many different options, specifically Parental Controls, that none of the other DNS’s offer, and these controls are second to none. OpenDNS may or may not be the most efficient for you, but is faster than the vast majority of DNS’s and the flexibility that it offers is well worth it.
Changing a DNS is easy. You simply need to change the network settings (TCP/IP) on an individual computer, or you can change it on your router and globally change the DNS on your home network.
Here is a tutorial on using OpenDNS……Click HERE to watch it now.
I highly recommend using OpenDNS!!!
Here are the settings….
Preferred DNS: 208.67.222.222
Alternate DNS: 208.67.220.220
Google now offers a DNS and, although it did not test well on my computer, does show promise. I changed my DNS to Google, just to see how it would respond in the real world, and went back to OpenDNS as it was noticeably slower.
After watching the tutorial, you should now know how to change your DNS settings, here is Google’s new DNS address should you want to experiment…….
Preferred DNS: 8.8.8.8
Alternate DNS: 8.8.4.4
This is a tough subject to explain in full. Should you have questions, please contact me via email at “TheEdibleEarth@gmail.com” I will get back to you as soon as possible.
What are your thoughts about Domain Name Systems?
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