.. meta:: :description lang=en: Short description for alternative DNS services :description lang=fr: Petit résumé pour services alternatifs de DNS ################################ Use an alternative DNS service ################################ This mini tutorial starts by using OpenDNS, and then the DNS service of Google. .. note:: More details about OpenDNS? `That Wikipédia page `_ gives more information about that free (but questionable) service. `This (French) blog post is quite aggressive against OpenDNS `_, with quite valid arguments. As an extremely short sum-up, you should **not** use OpenDNS. To start using OpenDNS, you just need to specify these addresses as *additional DNS servers*. :For IPv4: ``208.67.222.222``, ``208.67.220.220``, ``208.67.222.220``, ``208.67.220.222`` :For IPv6: ``2620:0:ccc::2``, ``2620:0:ccd::2`` More details on the procedure needed to start using an alternative DNS provider `can be found here (thanks to developers.Google.com) `_. An other tutorial explaining precisely `here (for Windows 7) `_. Check your settings ------------------- To **check that you use indeed the OpenDNS servers**, you just need to `go on that web-page www.OpenDNS.com/welcome `_. Or you can **test this from the command line** (with `the dig command `_): .. runblock:: console $ echo -e "# Main answer (208.67.222.222 OpenDNS server) :" $ dig @208.67.222.222 perso.crans.org .. runblock:: console $ echo -e "# Other answer (208.67.220.220 OpenDNS server) :" $ dig @208.67.220.220 perso.crans.org | grep -v "^\(;.*\|$\)" .. runblock:: console $ echo -e "# Other answer (208.67.222.220 OpenDNS server) :" $ dig @208.67.222.220 perso.crans.org | grep -v "^\(;.*\|$\)" .. runblock:: console $ echo -e "# Other answer (208.67.220.222 OpenDNS server) :" $ dig @208.67.220.222 perso.crans.org | grep -v "^\(;.*\|$\)" You can also check how the OpenDNS servers **protect you against fishing** and *"bad"* Internet web-sites, by going to the (safe) web-page `www.InternetBadGuys.com `_ (the DNS request to OpenDNS required to know where to look up the `www.InternetBadGuys.com` page will be interpreted as *dangerous*, and so you will be redirected to `that "nicer" page `_). .. seealso:: monip.org In order to `know your IP address (v4 or v6) `_. WhoIsMyISP.org In order to `know your Internet Service Provider `_ (**ISP**). DNSLeaktest.com In order to `check if your ISP `_ is not doing any `DNS leaks `_ behind your back. Hidester's DNS Leak Test Another `tool of this kind (hidester.com/dns-leak-test) `_, quoted here because the author asked me to include a link here… Pixel Privacy's DNS Leak Test I've been kindly asked to add a link `to this test (PixelPrivacy.com/resources/dns-leak) `_. ---- Why this rather empty page on my web-site? ------------------------------------------ Mainly because I wanted to have one *easy-to-find* web-page where to **quickly find the IPv4** (and IPv6) **addresses of the OpenDNS** (and Google DNS) **servers**, in order to be able to *quickly* copy/paste them when I **configure a new Wi-Fi** (or Ethernet) **connexion** on my personal laptop. Now it's done! ---- An other alternative DNS provider? ---------------------------------- Google also offers a free, `non-restrictive `_, and *open-to-anyone* DNS service: :For IPv4: ``8.8.8.8``, ``8.8.4.4`` :For IPv6: ``2001:4860:4860::8888``, ``2001:4860:4860::8844`` Or you can **test this from the command line** (with `the dig command `_): .. runblock:: console $ echo -e "# Main answer (8.8.8.8 Google server) :" $ dig @8.8.8.8 perso.crans.org .. runblock:: console $ echo -e "# Other answer (8.8.4.4 Google server) :" $ dig @8.8.4.4 perso.crans.org | grep -v "^\(;.*\|$\)" .. runblock:: console $ echo -e "# And with IPv6 (2001:4860:4860::8888 Google server) :" $ dig @2001:4860:4860::8888 perso.crans.org AAAA +cd .. note:: More information? As always, more details can be found `here on Wikipédia `_, or on the `official web-page on developers.Google.com `_. Google DNS is supposed to be `quicker and more efficient `_, but we do not really care in fact (except if you are on a really quick network, the DNS requests velocity *cannot* be the limiting bottleneck for your web browsing). But that free service is supposed to not modify the domain names space, contrarily to other services of that kind; and `it is known to be quite safe `_. .. note:: Safe? Hum, really…? It seems legit to assume that all the main DNS services are `spied by governmental agencies `_… Or private agencies, or activist groups or… by Batman? Anyway, keep this in mind: when you use an external DNS service, you cannot be sure of their neutrality and security. By default, you should probably assume that *every DNS request* your laptop/smartphone makes can simply be *read* by your government. Reassuring, right? Two other alternative DNS providers? ------------------------------------ `Recently, CloudFare `_ also offers a free, `non-restrictive `_, and *open-to-anyone* DNS service: :For IPv4: ``1.1.1.1``, ``1.0.0.1`` (even easier to remember!) :For IPv6: ``2606:4700:4700::1111``, ``2606:4700:4700::1001`` .. runblock:: console $ echo -e "# Main answer (1.1.1.1 CloudFare server) :" $ dig @1.1.1.1 perso.crans.org .. runblock:: console $ echo -e "# And with IPv6 (2606:4700:4700::1111 CloudFare server) :" $ dig @2606:4700:4700::1111 perso.crans.org AAAA +cd And `Quad9 `_ also offers its own DNS. :For IPv4: ``9.9.9.9`` .. runblock:: console $ echo -e "# Main answer (9.9.9.9 Quad9 server) :" $ dig @9.9.9.9 perso.crans.org .. seelalso:: `This article informed me of these two new DNS `_ (in French). .. seealso:: `More about the dig command line `_. ``resolv.conf``? ---------------- Our Linuxian friends can also use a `resolv.conf `_, and for example `that one on www.chaz6.com/files/resolv.conf `_ can help, or by following `these explanations `_. Some extra explanations `are also here on theos.in `_ or `here on die.net `_, or as always `on Wikipédia (yes, I like Wikipédia!) `_. .. (c) Lilian Besson, 2011-2021, https://bitbucket.org/lbesson/web-sphinx/