[SOLVED] Dismiss DNS errors with Google Public DNS : How To
Way back in 2008, a large number of Web Surfers moved over to Google Public DNS to overcome DNS related issues and speed up web browsing and downloads. With the aim of cutting costs and typical oversights, many ISP neglect the most important part of their operations, the DNS. This slows down your overall browsing speed and worst, redirects you to some unsolicited locations!
I had moved over to Google Public DNS and also used to recommend to other Internet users facing the same problem. But lately, I thought the ISPs might have got their act together and put us some good service. I was wrong.
Google Public DNS is a free DNS resolution service. DNS stands for Domain Name System. Each computer on the internet has a unique IP Address, which looks something like this, 183.18.52.9, it ranges from typically 1.1.1.1 to 255.255.255.255 and number of combos in between. It is difficult to memorise numbers and hence we need to just key in domain names like, http://soonev.com in the address bar of your web browser and the DNS server translates this name to a number, which is the IP Address of the computer hosting the webpage. Translation can take place in your router or in the DNS servers maintained by your ISP.
To use Google Public DNS service, one has to enter the following IP Address in the Network Configuration for DNS
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
A brief description of the same is available at the following URL
https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/
It includes Configuration Instructions too.
Google lists out three main advantages of using its DNS Servers
Speed up browsing
Improve security
No redirection
I had a first-hand experience of the second and third advantage. I recently registered a new domain name and linked it with a hosting package. After getting my website ready and agonising wait of those 48 hours, I keyed in my domain name and to my shock and horror got redirected to an advertising site. All that junk eventually leads to imptestrm dot com.
Assuming a possible problem with hosting provider, I started a long drawn chat with customer care. But the moment he pointed out that he can access the site perfectly, it stuck to me, oh our good old DNS issues of ISP. A change to Google Public DNS servers and viola my site is back.
opendns.com also provide similar service to Google Public DNS.