Hi Guys,

OpenDNS <google this> offers a FREE speed up! Very simple + nothing to download or install. Try the following:

1. control panel

2. dbl click Network Connections

3. R-click 'Local Area Connection' choose properties

4 Highlight 'internet protocol (TCP/IP) choose properties

5. Select 'Use the following DNS server addresses' <note> the other choice is 'Obtain DNS server  addresses automatically:

With "Use the following DNS server addresses" selected enter the following values

for preferred DNS server 208.67.222.222
for alternate DNS server 208.67.220.220

6. Hit OK <couple of times> close control panel. Now go surf, you should see an amazing increase in speed.

Note - If you don't see an improvement then your ISP's DNS is very fast, most likely though you will see a good improvement.

Don't like this tip want to go back to the way it was, repeat the steps & at #5 select "Obtain DNS server address automatically" Ok Ok. Done

Users with a 'Router' enter the above DNS addresses there also. I'm using a Netgear router & the DNS addresses are in two locations 'control panel & router'

I'm sure someone will post about 'Treewalk' this also speeds up DNS & it has a survivor able DNS cache, but this add another service & process that requires memory, not to mention installation.

OpenDNS offers many wonderful benefits, you can read about.

Take Care
Rico

Hi Rico,
these nameservers belong to opendns.com and the usage of them is illegal in some countries because by them you can surpass IP-blockings of your government or ISP so it does not only fasten things up, it also gives you access to illegal and blocked content. Nice but dangerous.

Take really good care

Michael

Keep in mind also that if you get your internet access via cable, that IP is dynamically assigned, and use of these other servers may violate your user agreement, among other things.

I've never had a problem with a slow DNS.  I don't really think that a few milliseconds resolving IP addresses would make much of a difference in the grand scheme.

Quoting Rico:

Quote:
Hi Goblinsdoitall,

Wow! That's news to me, I've looked at there site 'opendns.com' & can find no mention regarding country restrictions. Is this something the German government is doing? Are there other countries with restrictions? When I get time perhaps I'll drop a note to there tech. support. Also you don't get access to illegal or blocked content. In fact opendns can block offensive sites. Could you please expand on your post

Take Care
Rico

Comes as PM, because the information provided is not necessarily for public viewing.

I suppose, you are talking about THIS?! I could not find anything illegal about this. 

Quoting Rico:

Quote:
Kahless - see opendns.com <also have you gone stealthy/virtual yet?> PM me for some thoughts on this if interested

Thank you very much for your info, Rico. At the moment this virtual thing was just for education. For me it was a valuable information of what is possible. I appreciate this, thank you! 

There's another option that can usually (based on your physical location) be faster than your ISP and sometimes faster than OpenDNS and that is using 4.2.2.1 - 4.2.2.6 for your DNS.  These are "anycast" IP addresses and they will resolve to the IP addresses of the closest Level 3 DNS cluster to you.  You can try pinging them all to see which one gives you the fastest response.  For me 4.2.2.4 and 4.2.2.5 give me the fastest response and both happen to be faster for then the OpenDNS servers.  Also, these are "pure" DNS servers and do not use DNS redirection to send you to an ad serving page like OpenDNS does.

All in all, no matter which ones you use (your ISP, OpenDNS, Level 3's, etc).  Ping them first because for me on Comcast cable my ISP's are faster than the Level 3's and OpenDNS so I'll stick with those.  But I do have the Level 3 ones in there for backup incase Comcast's servers go flakey (which they have done from time to time).

But as the Doc pointed out above.. you're not going to notice a difference between a DNS server responding in 15ms versus 30ms.  I mainly just use the alternative DNS server to prevent outages.