OpenDNS - what / why / how

[Anupam]

Originally Posted by vasa1

Does someone have a nasty site to suggest (if forum rules permit)?

No, we do not permit that. If you want to go to nasty sites, just search something on Google, with WOT enabled. Red WOT sites will be nasty ones.

[J_L]

Originally Posted by vasa1

I've been using Comodo DNS for the last few hours. No +/- in performance here in Bombay, India compared to Google DNS.

By the way, how can one test the "security" aspect? Type a "nasty" URL in and see if it is rejected? What exactly happens? Does someone have a nasty site to suggest (if forum rules permit)?

I've never noticed it blocking any sites, unlike OpenDNS.
It does offer more security on their DNS server side and some connection security, but not sure about site blocking.

Personally I've kept with my ISP DNS because I don't need the extra security, and the ISP DNS Server is faster for me.

[chris.p]

For some reason OpenDNS (free service) has crashed for me, it disconnects repeatedly and the entire web connection is very slow.

Just changed to ComodoDNS and no problems at all. No idea why this might be - but if you get a web connection issue that includes repeated disconnections then the first thing to try is a new ADSL filter. If that doesn't fix it try a new DNS, it worked for me

[edit]
Now that's playing up too. Removed all DNS IPs, replaced with 0's (so the default ISP DNS IP gets used), and all's fine. Hmm.

Giving up and opening bottle of rum.

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[jim]

I have been using openDNS for over a year now and, further to (and contrary to) my earlier post I have been getting very slow loading rates from many normally reliable sites for many weeks now (Daily Mail, Sky News etc.) so I just changed back to my default on both my pc and my router and all connections now blindingly fast. I don't know any more than that but, as all seems OK now, I don't see any need to experiment further.......unless someone knows better.

[Pilgrim]

I have only just found this thread and have read it with interest.

Internet connections might well be a Black Art as far as I am concerned and ISP's a necessary evil, which is why when I discovered an offer for an Internet Optimizer recently I decided to give it a try with remarkable results.

I have tried OpenDNS three times in the last couple of years, each time it slowed my connection down to a crawl and I removed it.
I use a Proxy and a VPN for my browsers and the VPN for everything else, in comparison any difference they make in speed is not noticeable.

I have just downloaded a copy of Webhopper which was mentioned earlier in the thread and find it very interesting, apart from the fact it constantly tells me that I am not connected to the internet it picked up the URL of this thread in 162ms across 5 countries. That's fast enough for me.

[tushR]

I have started using ClearCloud for a day, surfing has slowed but its blocking lot of bad sites.

Any one who is using MBSA real time, that also has site filter, does any one know which one is better (MBSA site filter or clear cloud)? Or is there any better DNS to use (that blocks bad sites)?

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Mods feel free to remove MBSA part if that sounds one with commercial overtone.

[Sope]

Originally Posted by tushR

I have started using ClearCloud for a day, surfing has slowed but its blocking lot of bad sites.

I'm surprized ClearCloud has slowed your internet speed enough to be noticable.

Have you compared the speeds of the various different DNS available using a tool such as DNS Benchmark or namebench?

[tushR]

I am in India, I believe here they don't have servers (local). I was using google dns for long time - it worked normally, with clear cloud I noticed the lag.
DNS Bemchmark I ran when I selected Google (it was the fastest), not tried it now.

[Sope]

Originally Posted by tushR

I am in India, I believe here they don't have servers (local).

Ah I see. That would probably explain it. I appears most of the ClearCloud servers are currently located in the USA though they do have one in London and one in Sydney.