Changing DNS server?

Networking, connecting to the internet, wi-fi and home entertainment
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DenGar
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Changing DNS server?

Post by DenGar »

(If this isn't the right forum for my question, please move it.)
Does changing the DNS server provide, in general, a noticeable change in internet speed? I ask this after reading the ff. article that details the process: http://www.komando.com/downloads/1694/s ... r-free/all. The article provides this link to the namebench utility needed: http://code.google.com/p/namebench/. (I must admit the idea of changing the DNS server is something I haven't encountered before.)

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HansV
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Re: Changing DNS server?

Post by HansV »

Think of a DNS server as a telephone directory. A well-organized directory lets you find telephone numbers quickly; an incomplete directory means you can't find some phone numbers at all. Using a slow or defective DNS server may cause a delay in navigating to a website, or even make a website unreachable. I once had a problem that more and more websites refused to be loaded. My ISP recommended switching to a specific DNS server and that solved the problem.

Once a website has been found, the DNS server doesn't affect your speed of downloading from or uploading to that site.
Best wishes,
Hans

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DenGar
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Re: Changing DNS server?

Post by DenGar »

HansV wrote:Think of a DNS server as a telephone directory. A well-organized directory lets you find telephone numbers quickly; an incomplete directory means you can't find some phone numbers at all. Using a slow or defective DNS server may cause a delay in navigating to a website, or even make a website unreachable. I once had a problem that more and more websites refused to be loaded. My ISP recommended switching to a specific DNS server and that solved the problem.

Once a website has been found, the DNS server doesn't affect your speed of downloading from or uploading to that site.
Thanks. That clarifies how the speed can be changed--finding the website more quickly.

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viking33
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Re: Changing DNS server?

Post by viking33 »

HansV wrote:Think of a DNS server as a telephone directory. A well-organized directory lets you find telephone numbers quickly; an incomplete directory means you can't find some phone numbers at all. Using a slow or defective DNS server may cause a delay in navigating to a website, or even make a website unreachable. I once had a problem that more and more websites refused to be loaded. My ISP recommended switching to a specific DNS server and that solved the problem.

Once a website has been found, the DNS server doesn't affect your speed of downloading from or uploading to that site.
Didn't you recommend some Google servers, a while back?
Do you still use them or have you switched to others? I've been thinking of switching servers, just to get off the Verizon defaults that seem to be getting cranky lately.
BOB
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HansV
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Re: Changing DNS server?

Post by HansV »

Google Public DNS is quite good. When I got a new computer in August, I stuck with my ISP's DNS servers - they are located near me and hence very fast.
Best wishes,
Hans

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BobH
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Re: Changing DNS server?

Post by BobH »

Thanks for the post, Dennis!

I read the Kim Kommando article and used the namesearch utility and changed my DNS servers. Can't tell yet if it has really made a difference.

:cheers:
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viking33
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Re: Changing DNS server?

Post by viking33 »

BobH wrote:Thanks for the post, Dennis!

I read the Kim Kommando article and used the namesearch utility and changed my DNS servers. Can't tell yet if it has really made a difference.

:cheers:
I did the same. Ran Namebench ( it took a while ) It recommended two other Boston area servers, so I changed them. Also will see if it makes a decent difference.
BOB
:massachusetts: :usa:
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viking33
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Re: Changing DNS server?

Post by viking33 »

After a few days use, I think the new servers are somewhat faster. Didn't do any actual timing but it does appear to be psychologically faster. Probably a lot less heavily used. Will keep them on.
BOB
:massachusetts: :usa:
______________________________________

If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.