Here’s a surefire way of speeding up your internet access and getting secure from DNS spoof attacks. The answer is OpenDNS. Every ISP (Internet Service Provider) has a DNS server setup so that the website addresses you type get translated into IP addresses so that your browser understands where the website content is to be fetched from. But most of these DNS servers are overloaded and at the same time are prone to spoofing attacks like DNS poisoning.
Here’s how you can protect yourself and speed up DNS requests at the same time -
In Windows XP-
Open up your Control Panel
Open Network connections
Right click the connection you want to configure
Select properties
From the dialog that pops up, select Internet Properties (TCP/IP)
Click the properties button
Type in 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 as your DNS server addresses
The dialog should now look like the screenshot below -
Thats all! All you have to change the Preferred DNS server and the Alternate DNS server. Leave the rest as is.
For Linux -
In Gnome, goto System Administration -> Network
Change your DNS servers to 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
The same procedure can be used for KDE, just goto Control Center and enter the above addresses as your DNS addresses in Network Configuration
This tip not only reduces your internet DNS requests lag but also makes you secure against DNS poisoning attacks.
Goto OpenDNS for more information.
Quoted from the above website -
OpenDNS is safer
OpenDNS protects you from phishing — bad websites trying to steal your personal information. When you try to go to a phishing site, we let you know. We also let you optionally block adult sites as a category, or individual websites of any type. These services help you better protect those on your network from websites they shouldn’t be visiting.
OpenDNS is faster
You use DNS every time you use the Internet. The speed of your DNS service determines how quickly websites load for you. That’s why you want your DNS service to be blazing. OpenDNS is so fast because we run some of the largest DNS caches around and do it on our own high-performance network.
OpenDNS is smarter
The address bar is how you navigate the Internet. We make your address bar more intelligent. With OpenDNS, you can create shortcuts that let you type something easy-to-remember into your address bar and leap straight where you want to go. And we’ll correct your common spelling mistakes, on the fly. That means when you are typing fast and type yahoo.cmo instead of yahoo.com, you still get there.
OpenDNS is more reliable
Little is more frustrating than intermittent Internet outages. When your DNS service isn’t working, you can’t access the Internet. When you start using OpenDNS, your days of dealing with DNS-related downtime will be over. We know reliability is important, and we stand behind ours.
You can setup OpenDNS on your own Personal Computer or on Router or on DNS Server.
For More info,
Visit Getting Started on OpenDNS Web Site.
