We all worry about what may our kids may see online, To make it short and quick lets protect them now (little background and then the instructions so you know what you will be doing not just following :-)
DNS :
Whenever a domain name (website address) is typed you are taken to that particular site. The Internet however, is really based on IP addresses. Every time you use a domain name, therefore, a DNS service must translate the name into the corresponding IP address which is very hard-to-remember. This process will be carried out by various DNS (Domain Name System) servers around the world .
While this conversion occurs in the background it is vital for your Internet speeds.The communication between user’s computer and the DNS server is carried out by your browser which acts as a DNS client. Yet, despite being largely transparent, the DNS system is not without its problems.
If your ISP’s (Internet Service Provider) DNS server is down then you can’t access that website unless you know its ip address.So instead of relying on our ISP’s DNS server we can switch over to Open DNS , a more reliable and a secure service.
OpenDNS :
OpenDNS is a free DNS resolution service.OpenDNS offers DNS resolution for consumers and businesses as an alternative to using their Internet service provider’s DNS servers. By placing company servers in strategic locations and employing a large cache of the domain names, OpenDNS usually processes queries much more quickly, thereby increasing page retrieval speed.
OpenDNS is today used by millions of users around the world.It has integrated some advanced features such as webcontent filtering, anti phishing.
Setting up Open DNS:
To use OpenDNS all you have to do is some minor tweaks.
Using Xp:
- Select Control Panel from the Start menu.
- Click Network Connections from the Control Panel choices.
- Choose your connection from the Network Connections window.
- Click Properties button.
- Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.
- Click the radio button “Use the following DNS server addresses” and type in OpenDNS addresses in the Preferred DNS server and Alternate DNS server fields as 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
Done!
Using Vista :
- Click the Start Orb, then select Control Panel.
- Click on View network status and tasks.
- Click on View status.
- Click the Properties button.
- Vista may ask for your permission to make changes. If so, click the Continue button.
- Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), then click the Properties button.
- Click the radio button “Use the following DNS server addresses” and type in OpenDNS addresses in the Preferred DNS server and Alternate DNS server fields as 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
- Click the OK button, then the Close button, and the Close button again. Close the Network and Sharing Center window.
Done!
That’s it now you are an OpenDNS user.
For detailed instructions and for router configuration click here.
Video Tutorial : http://www-files.opendns.com/videos/getstarted_video.flv
Don't forget to try to access a porn website to test the change...Thanks for veiwing, If you find this useful click on the adds:)
