A faster, safer way to surf
It's funny how progress becomes the norm. And it doesn't take long for us to become impatient with what formerly was acceptable.
I remember the first time I used a 9600 kbps modem. Yikes! I thought I was on a rocket!
That seems laughable today. Now, I have broadband. That's my norm, and I don't want any slowdowns. Unfortunately, there are lots of potential bottlenecks on the Internet. So, sometimes we just have to be patient.
One potential holdup is the domain name server system. This helps your browser find a site you have requested. And I have a neat way around that holdup:
OpenDNS.
This is a free service, dedicated strictly to resolving Web addresses quickly. And it offers you security benefits, too. But to understand this service, I'll have to explain the DNS system.
When you enter my URL (Komando.com), a DNS translates it into an IP number (66.210.246.140). That's the real Internet address. But who could remember that? So we use English. Once it is translated, the information is relayed to your browser.
But if you go to an obscure site, you could be delayed. Your request first goes to your Internet service provider's DNS. The address might not be there. So your ISP's server passes it to a root server. The root server tells your machine where it needs to go. Your machine then follows through.
In the normal course of things, all this passing around happens quickly. But there is likely to be a delay, if only a few seconds. We, of course, don't like that at all.
That's where OpenDNS comes in. OpenDNS has data centers scattered around the country. When you request an address, your ISP's server is bypassed. Instead, you go directly to OpenDNS. Most likely, the address is there. The company maintains a huge cache of addresses. So in most cases, you get your information immediately.
If OpenDNS doesn't have the address, it gets it from a root server. That shouldn't happen very often.
Open DNS is a free service. It makes its money from the ads you see occasionally. I think that's a fair trade.
The company offers more than speed. For instance, it has PhishTank. It has identified more than a quarter-million fraud schemes. OpenDNS blocks those sites.
PhishTank is free, and is turned on by default. But you don't have to use it. Just turn it off, if you prefer.
Bad domains can also be blocked. You decide which ones, and how much. Only parts of domains can be blocked, if that works for you. Once again, you can turn these features off. Or you can use as much of them as you like.
You can also take the opposite tack. You can whitelist a site. That means it is never blocked. Just list the site's URL with OpenDNS.
Signing up for OpenDNS is simple. Just click the "Get started" button that appears on every page.
From Kim Komando website...
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