Whirlpool

Occasionally people have mentioned in the threads on poor browsing etc that they switched to alternative DNS servers that solved the problem.

Last night, this seemed to work for me when I plugged in 139.175.55.244 which had been suggested in the Exetel forums. Don't know why that particular one was suggested...

Any way, are people using alternative DNS servers permanently with good results? Which ones?

Cheers,
Broad

Optus 61.88.88.88
Telstra 139.130.4.4

OpenDNS (not used myself, but people have posted elsewhere using them with great results on both Exetel and other ISPs without problems currently)
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

Broad writes...

Any way, are people using alternative DNS servers permanently with good results? Which ones?

I use the Bigpond ones.
bigpond.custhelp.com/cgi...&display=content

Vader writes...

I use the Bigpond ones.

Since our tails (well new ones) are on the Optus network wouldn't that be potentially better response times? not that DNS responses generally cause that much of a noticeable wait :)

Same with ADSL2 on Optus and Powertel dns for Powertel based customers.

Mestara writes...

not that DNS responses generally cause that much of a noticeable wait :)

I find with the Exetel DNS servers my pc sits there for over 10 - 15 seconds waiting for the page before it even seems to have found it but if I use the opendns ones then it is opening the page within a few seconds......and I'm on adsl2

Using openDNS atm, nice and fast

Mestara writes...

Since our tails (well new ones) are on the Optus network wouldn't that be potentially better response times?

Quite possibly.
I have noticed that some people have said they use the Optus ones and are quite happy with them.

I just chose the Telstra ones for myself as I knew from past experience they were quite good.

mmm so the dns numbers improve ur speeds?

jskf01 writes...

mmm so the dns numbers improve ur speeds?

Better way to put it would be improve your browsing performance.

Your actual download speed will be unaffected.

Sorry if this is a stupid question.
But do I set the dns in the router or on my PC.
I know how to do both but was not 100% which way to go.

Also with 1.5 In Melb which dns settings would be best for primary & secondary

Thanks

Chaase writes...

do I set the dns in the router or on my PC.

Both.

Also with 1.2 In Melb which dns settings would be best for primary & secondary

The default Exetel ones work fine for me.

Primary: 220.233.0.4
Secondary: 220.233.0.3

Give the openDNS a go, has a few cool features

If you mis-spell the TLD it will re direct (eg www.bbc.co.ul redirects to www.bbc.co.uk)

~SiNEWAVE~ writes...

Give the openDNS a go, has a few cool features

Yea after giving this a go I have found it also has some problems with Incorrect DNS infections due to its own method of auto correction. I attempted to get a subdomain of my domain which did not exist, I readded this and retried, upon doing so it was infected with the IP address it had assigned itself to point to their search page they give you. This was done QUITE some time ago and is still their reply for it. they need to reduce their TTL if they are going to do that.

I do not recomend using them any longer due to this flaw that will effect reliable browsing when servers are unresponsive, down for maintenance etc. They didnt even bother trying to get the ip for the domain itself

Vader writes...

I use the Bigpond ones.

How would this work if you are a customer of Exetel? Isn't the DNS (use) verified by the customer when they login and authenticate themselves to the network?

PS. I hope I worded this correctly to make sense :)

ZepperLepper writes...

Isn't the DNS (use) verified by the customer when they login and authenticate themselves to the network?

In a word, No.

Well not normally amoungst the larger ISPs anyhow.
Since many of them are wholesalers as well as ISPs (telstra, optus, iprimus, etc) they often allow their wholesale clients access to their DNS servers.

While it is possible to configure everything to allow access to their own retail and wholsale customers only, its messy and timeconsuming and just not worth the resources to do so.

Vadar... which DNS ip's from BigPond/Telstra would I use in my modem/router? I want to give it a go!

Thanks :)

This is my list:

ns.optus.net.au 61.88.88.88
ns1.optus.net.au 202.139.83.3

ns1.optusnet.com.au 203.2.75.2
ns2.optusnet.com.au 203.2.75.12

dns1.telstra.net 203.50.5.200
ns1.telstra.net 139.130.4.5
ns.telstra.net 139.130.204.47

dns.iinet.net.au 203.0.178.191
ns1.iinet.net.au 203.14.168.3
ns2.iinet.net.au 203.59.24.3

ns1.pipenetworks.com 203.161.158.2
ns2.pipenetworks.com 203.161.158.3

ns1.westnet.com.au 203.10.1.17
ns2.westnet.com.au 202.173.128.12

mx2.exetel.com.au 220.233.0.3
pinenut-dns.exetel.com.au 220.233.0.4

I'm using one from Optus, Optusnet, and Telstra at the moment.

Sweetness!! Thanks!

So I take it if I'm using Exetel (via Telstra) it would be advisable to use Telstras?

ns1.telstra.net 139.130.4.5 (secondary????)
ns.telstra.net 139.130.204.47

I remember using these particular ones when I was connected with BigPond Direct-PSTN... the good ol' modem days!

I like to have nameservers from different networks to give me more than one point of failure. If you use all Telstra NS and the Telstra network has problems then you might experience DNS issues.

The order doesn't really matter. I use the servers with the lowest ping/shortest route for me.

Thanks Gubby! Yeah I understand the failure issues... a form of redundacy using different sources.

I'm just testing them now... surfing is a little quicker I find, but it's only been a few minutes :)

grubby writes...

I like to have nameservers from different networks to give me more than one point of failure.

Agreed, for me, Optus, Telstra, Exetel :)