OpenDNS review
What is openDNS and what is it used for? To answer that lets just briefly go through what is DNS and how is it used in our internet usage.
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical naming system for computers, services, or any resource participating in the Internet. It associates various information with the domain names assigned to each of the participants. Most importantly, it translates domain names meaningful to humans into the numerical (binary) identifiers associated with networking equipment for the purpose of locating and addressing these devices world-wide. An often used analogy to explain the Domain Name System is that it serves as the “phone book” for the Internet by translating human-friendly computer hostnames into IP addresses. For example, www.example.com translates to 208.77.188.166.
Simply put, humans need something legible to read and understand but machines uses numbers or binaries. In order to translate tictechto.com, to machine understandable IP address(eg. 208.77.188.166), a DNS server needs to be called for assistance.
Your own Internet Service Provider(ISP) normally provides a pair of DNS servers automatically upon making a connection. For my case SingNet provides a pair of servers.
Why use?
Though your ISP might provide a pair of DNS servers, if these server are slow in resolving your domain requests it will take a while to load the site.
The use of DNS ends here. Your browser initially needs know the IP address of a domain name from the DNS server. After which the browser contacts the website server directly. But if resolving the name takes long, dont you think the web surfing experience could be slow?
openDNS provides many redundant servers throughout US and and 1 in UK.
Features
Let me just explain some features which I think are useful. Read more at openDNS
Security
Phishing protection – Promises security against malware/phishing sites. These sites are blocked by opendns.
Parental Control – Block sites that you don’t want your kids to access.
Guide
Mistype an URL? No problem. openDNS automatically converts and directs to the right site. For eg. If you typed gogle.com, openDNS will bring you to google.com.
Shortcuts – Create shortcuts instead of full addresses. Eg. type ‘mail’ in the address bar and be brought to www.gmail.com
How to Configure
There is an excellent guide on opendns site itself. I will not repeat it. Click here.
Testing and some
Lets just do some test to see if you really need openDNS or your ISP provided DNS servers are sufficient. This test is what I derived and it definitely not a standard.
The test will be done twice. One when configured with ISP DNS servers and other when configured to connect to openDNS servers.
Ping Test
Below is the result pinging the SingNet( my ISP) DNS servers, averaging at 104ms
Pinging openDNS servers gets an average of 336ms
There is higher latency when pinging openDNS servers because it is located in US. I am from Singapore (Asia). My packets has to travel accross the pacific and return the result.
If you are curious or wondering, it does not matter which DNS you have configured to use as we are pinging the servers directly.
DNS Performance Test from SWmirror.org
This test randomly tries to access different domains and plots the time it takes to resolve. A good way to test if your DNS server is fast. By default, DPT tests 10,000 domains. I dont have time for that hence will perform only 100 requests.
For this test I will be connecting to my ISP DNS and followed by openDNS.
SingNet DNS – Average Query time 82ms
openDNS DNS – Average Query time 337ms
Its damn clear to me which one to use.
Concluding
Due to the geographical location, openDNS is not feasible for me, I have tested it for sometime and dont notice much issue in resolving queries. But if my ISP’s DNS is functioning well, I dont need them.
Yes, it provides some protection against malware or phishing sites, but if I am careful of what I am doing and surfing and have the basic defenses available I will not worry much.
OpenDNS is sadly not available in asia due to reason provided in the forum here.
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Superb review on OpenDNS. I like the way how you did the comparison. Its true indeed , OpenDNS does perform better. however its best to stick to ISP’s DNS Server just incase if something goes wrong with underwater cables or International cables
Thanks. Took some time to think through and compare if it is at all useful to us in asia.
Thanks Vijay. I had heard of Open DNS, but didn’t really understand it. That’s very useful and superbly explained.
Thanks Mike. Happy it has helped.
What is the trade-off?????????? Yes, I see the “free” version. Like most computer services and programs, there ARE trade-offs when something is free!!! I would be wondering that! I am thinking that they may monitor and collect your web browsing activity and have ulterior motives of their own with all the data collected for some personal gain. I am not too happy with this new faster cloud computing/processing technology either! Big Brother is getting too dominant! I hate to be cynical, but I am only seeing one side of the coin here — our benefit. I am not hearing about their usage. I am now reading a magazine article (hard copy) on this service. It sounds too good and too shiny to use. Beware!
Hi Troy,
Thanks for commenting.
Trade-off? Well you will see adverts in their error pages probably. The DNS is only used to find the IP address of a server we are trying to access. I dont see any issues or may be I am in the blind.
We will never know what they are using our data for. But from what I see it is only to our benefit. Your own ISP do log your access when you access their DNS too.
If you too cynical you might not want to use google or any search engine, they do log what you have been searching for too.
Dont worry too much about it. As long as not too much of your own personal data is not revealed like your credit card or social security number and so on should be fine.
I am not using this service as I do not find that beneficial as my ISPs DNS is very reliable.
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