OpenDNS

Two questions please;

1)
I admit I don't know what I'm doing, but decided to try OpenDNS http://www.opendns.com/ on my home computer, XP, high speed cable connection (Cogeco). What exactly in dummies terms will this do for me? I've found that I no longer have connection issues to websites ever since trying OpenDNS. I registered with the OpenDNS site, but I haven't gone through the settings... should I... or just leave it alone the way it is for home use, especially since I don't know what I'm doing?

2)
My Dad is on dial-up (Kos.net), Vista, and is experiencing problems with website connections. Should I change his DNS numbers as well, without registering on OpenDNS?

Or will I have created 2 computers that now can be used as door stoppers? lol

Thanks for your patience!

 

The key here is understand what DNS servers do.

All computers connected to the internet have a unique numerical address associated with them. This is your IP address. But IP addresses are hard to remember, so somebody came up with the idea of using domain names, like amazon.com, or apple.com. The Domain Name Servers (DNS) take care of mapping your IP address to a domain name.

Every internet service provider has their own local DNS servers. However, they're not all very reliable! OpenDNS is just a service that provides their own DNS servers. However, they've added in a few special features, such as anti-phishing, conficker detection, parental controls, etc.

OpenDNS is configured fine as it is, but if you want to enable any of the special features, it's worth logging in and looking around.

And yes, it's perfectly fine to change your DNS servers to the OpenDNS ones, as long as it's a home computer. Businesses will often have their own DNS servers to resolve local servers.

 

Thank you very much!!!

I'm sorry, one last question if I may...

Do I need to complete any updates? (Like for example; CCleaner needs to be updated every once in a while).
Will I need to register for updating? Or will this OpenDNS thing do it's own updating even though I don't register? Or does it not update like how I'm used to with other programs such as CCleaner?

Thanks!

 

No registration, updates, etc are necessary for basic OpenDNS usage. However, if you want to use any non-default settings (login to the website to see), then you'll need to update your IP address with OpenDNS once in a while. OpenDNS has a little application that will do this for you automatically. I'd give you a link, but for some reason OpenDNS.com won't open up for me right now

 

lmao, go figure, eh? lol


No problems here clicking around the site, teeheee, lol.
:-D

Thank you soooo very much for your patience in helping me learn.