Open Dns

When you type an address like www.yahoo.com in your browser address bar, the computer doesn't know where yahoo.com points to and it will therefore ask the DNS server.

The job of a DNS server is to translate this human-readable web address (like www.yahoo.com) into a computer-readable number also known as an IP address (209.131.36.158). Once your computer knows the IP location of a web domain name, it opens the website in your browser.

DNS is such an integral part of our Internet life working behind the scenes every time we connect to a website. In most situations, our Internet Service Provider specifies the DNS Server address that we key into the browser network settings or the router.

Unfortunately, this can prove to be the weakest link in the entire workflow. For example, if the DNS server of your ISP is slow, the time it takes to resolve the web address adds up to the overall loading time of the website.

To solve this problem, I've look at a simple and reliable service called OpenDNS that speeds up your Internet connection and also handles some other very important issues. There are no software to install. Follow the tables below and you'll see the difference ......

Windows 7

1. Click the Start Orb, then select Control Panel.

2. Click on Network and Sharing Center.

3. Click on your primary connection or Local Area Connection under 'Active Networks.'

4. Click the Properties button.

5. Highlight 'Internet Protocol Version 4' and click Properties.

6. Click the radio button 'Use the following DNS server addresses:' and type in OpenDNS' addresses in the Preferred DNS server and Alternate DNS server fields.

Please write down your current DNS settings before switching to OpenDNS, in case you want to return to your old settings for any reason.

Preferred DNS server address for Open DNS is:

· 208.67.222.222

Alternate DNS server address for Open DNS is:

· 208.67.220.220

7. Click OK button, then the Close button, then Close again. Finally, close the Network and Sharing Center window.

XP

1. Click the Start Orb, then select Control Panel.

2. Click on Network and Sharing Center.

3. Click on your primary connection or Local Area Connection under 'Active Networks.'

4. Click the Properties button.

Windows 7 may prompt you for permission to make network setting changes.

5. Highlight 'Internet Protocol Version 4' and click Properties.

6. Click the radio button 'Use the following DNS server addresses:' and type in OpenDNS' addresses in the Preferred DNS server and Alternate DNS server fields.

Please write down your current DNS settings before switching to OpenDNS, in case you want to return to your old settings for any reason.

Preferred DNS server address for Open DNS is:

· 208.67.222.222

Alternate DNS server address for Open DNS is:

· 208.67.220.220

7. Click OK button, then the Close button, then Close again. Finally, close the Network and Sharing Center window.

At this point, we highly suggest that you flush your DNS resolver cache and web browser caches to ensure that your new DNS configuration settings take immediate effect.

VISTA

1. Click the Start Orb, then select Control Panel.

2. Click on View network status and tasks.

3. Click on View status.

4. Click the Properties button.

5. Vista may ask for your permission to make changes. If so, click the Continue button.

6. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), then click the Properties button.

7. Click the radio button Use the following DNS server addresses: and type in OpenDNS addresses in the Preferred DNS server and Alternate DNS server fields.

Please write down your current DNS settings before switching to OpenDNS, in case you want to return to your old settings for any reason.

Preferred DNS server address for Open DNS is:

· 208.67.222.222

Alternate DNS server address for Open DNS is:

· 208.67.220.220

8. Click the OK button, then the Close button, and the Close button again. Close the Network and Sharing Center window.

9. Cache Flushing

At this point, I highly suggest that you flush your DNS resolver cache and web browser caches to ensure that your new DNS configuration settings take immediate effect.