DNS stands for Domain Name Server. It is an internet equivalent of our phone book. It maintains a directory of Domain Names and translates them into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. The Internet only recognises IP address and is dependent on the DNS to convert Domain Names into IP Addresses.
By default, the chosen DNS will be the Internet Service Provider (ISP)'s phonebook. Some experts claim that this phonebook is not powerful enough and needs slightly longer to translate Domain Names to IP Addresses. Hence slowing down the internet speed for the average user.
This is extremely crucial for me as I am on a 100 MB data plan with the "green pipe". Any small loss would mean a much slower surfing experience for me and my family.
In
order to convince that changing DNS will improve overall speed, I
tested it using the "Namebench" application. The test took quite some
time and it eventually stated that the Google and OpenDns are the free, fastest and nearest in Singapore.
After
configuring my router's DNS to Google and OpenDNS, it seems like the
internet browsing speed has improved. Unfortunately, I do not possess
the know-how to quantify this speed gain. If you are interested to see
if it actually speed up your internet speed, you can read (link) to see how can you perform a test on the speed of the DNS. The free and responsive DNS are as listed:
- Google DNS (8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4)
- OpenDNS (208.67.222.222 or 208.67.220.220)
Interestingly, I also chanced across free DNS that offers "family shielding". Once configured, it will block out almost all "adult-contents" websites. This might be a good way for parents to restrict children from surfing such websites.
- Open DNS Family Shield (208.67.222.123 or 208.67.220.123)
BTW,
you can either specify the DNS either in the router or the computers, I
recommend the former. I will NOT be showing the step-by-step guide to
set up the DNS, and you will need to refer to the guides publish in
other blogs/websites.
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