Speed Up Your Internet By Tweaking Your DNS
Spend 5 minutes to tweak your Internet connection to its full potential with NameBench.
Back in August, there was an article on Sync about OpenDNS, a free customizable service that allows users to filter their Internet using the OpenDNS’ servers. Recently, Google announced their own free, public DNS service. While OpenDNS does keep its servers frequently updated, its main goal is content filtering and management.
The other main reason for tweaking your DNS settings is speed.
While this might seem a bit complicated or technical, it is very well documented (with screenshots) and rest assured, there is no way of permanently harming your computer. In less than 5 minutes, your Internet connection can be tweaked & optimized.
A short recap: DNS, which stands for “domain name system”, is a key part of how the Internet works, behind the scenes. Instead of having to memorize strings of numbers, users can stick to more human-friendly URLs like www.cbc.ca (96.6.121.9) & www.vancouver2010.com (96.16.113.28). When a user types in an address, the computer queries the DNS server (usually at your Internet service provider), which translates the human-friendly name into a computer-friendly one.
By changing your DNS settings, you can optimize your Internet connection by using the faster, closest, or most updated DNS server. To use an analogy, imagine walking into a commercial building with a directory that was disorganized, compared to walking into a building with a concierge, or one of those touchscreen directories.
Previously, searching for an open, publicly accessible DNS server was a complicated process. A new program, called NameBench has been created that automates this process. Simple download and run it. NameBench will run queries of thousands of websites through hundreds of DNS servers to find the one that responds the quickest, given your geographical location & Internet connection. From there, it’s a simple matter of updating your DNS settings on your router or computer.
Once NameBench has completed its testing, it shows the results in your browser, complete with graphs.
e.g. the two fastest DNS servers for my home Internet connection are: 209.250.128.6 & 72.45.127.251.
You would then set your computer or router to use these new servers.
OpenDNS has step-by-step instructions for Mac, Windows & Linux as well as most brands of routers (complete with screenshots) on how to change your DNS settings.
(Updating the DNS settings on your computer will only affect that computer. Updating the DNS settings on your router will affect all devices that connect to it.)
Once you have changed your DNS settings, follow the instructions here to clear out all your existing DNS entries that have been saved on your computer. (Windows Vista & 7 users, make sure to run the Command Prompt as Administrator: Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> [right-click on Command Prompt: Run as Administrator])
Try it out today and squeeze the most out of your Internet connection.
Filed Under: Computers & Software > How-To > Mac > PC > Productivity Tools > Tutorials > Uncategorized > Utilities
Tags: DNS, Google, internet, NameBench, opendns, tips, tweaks
Hey Jeremy, one thing we should probably mention is that there are some important caveats with changing the DNS settings given to you by your ISP:
- Third party DNS servers have no relationship with you. If they are compromised and end up sending you to a phishing site, there’s nothing you can do about it
- Data collection: Your ISP’s data collection policies are probably easily obtained and since you’re in a relationship with them you can address any concerns with them directly. By using a third party DNS e.g. Google, you are giving them access to ALL of your websurfing data. Should they choose, they could collect all of this, and do whatever they like with it.
- Speed is not the same as reliability. On any given day, a third party DNS server could test faster than your ISP’s. But what about the next day? What guarantees are in place to ensure they are available when you need them. If you’re not paying for it, what business model are they using to stay in business (see my earlier point about data collection).
Just some food for thought!
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Excellent points!
No provider is perfect and even Google’s services occasionally go down. That said, most open/public DNS servers are hosted by Internet service providers or other large, Internet-related corporations/non-profits.
In my results, the top 5 are ISPs, #6 is gov.on.ca, #7 is OpenDNS.com, #8 is Google’s public DNS and so on.
DNS queries are also not traffic intensive since DNS entries are stored on your local computer once you’ve visited a website so it’s not a resource hog on the ISP.
While there are no guarantees on day-to-day performance, if you notice any bottlenecks, it is a quick change to revert to your original ISP’s servers or to search for another one. (That’s also why there are entries for two servers.)
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