Google Public DNS, With Filters
By
Staten Island, NY Posted: 7/8/2015 1:00:00 AM
I've been using Google's Public DNS for years because it's faster. Why not make it... BETTER?
DNS Servers make it possible for people to connect to services without memorizing cryptic IP numbers, as they did in the early days of the Internet. Each DNS server has a list of every domain, along with the addresses of the IPs they point to. So every time you enter a domain, your computer asks a DNS server where to find it.
Normally, your Internet provider handles all your domain lookups by using their DNS servers, but savvy tech guys like me normally change the default to Google's Public DNS, because it's faster and somewhat more reliable.
Then I heard about OpenDNS, which is a commercial DNS service that takes what Google did to another level by adding features to filter out unwanted or unsafe websites. Some of their services are free, but they also have premium services for a fee. Basically, any requests made to an unsafe or unwanted site are rejected, protecting you from harm.
The first time I heard about it, I was blown away with the potential and wondered why Google doesn't offer this? I'm sure with their resources, they could offer filtering on Google Public DNS and immediately impact the millions of people who already use it. By adding filters to their Public DNS, they could block millions of malicious websites without the need to install any additional software on your computer. They already have some security features, but those are mostly related to the DNS process itself, rather than working to filter bad websites.
As a bonus, parents would be able to enable an additional layer of protection that would even block access to inappropriate sites.
If OpenDNS already has filters, why am I suggesting Google offer it too?
Open DNS is a great platform, but they lack the gravitas that companies like Google and Microsoft have. Microsoft doesn't offer a public DNS, but they should, and when they do, they should offer filters and make it standard in Windows so it's installed by default.
Joe Crescenzi, Founder
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