Public DNS Servers

[mkmurray]

Before you can contribute you will need to create an account by clicking the create account link on the top right of any wiki page.

The "create account" link doesn't seem to be very helpful with the actual task of creating an account, as it only takes you to the Wiki login page.

Here is a link to where account creation is made: http://ldsaccount.lds.org/

It's helpful to note that this is also the new online account credential system for your Local Unit Web Site (LUWS) and many other official Church web sites.

[steph.younger]

I'd like to take OpenDNS out for a spin, is there anything I need to know beyond the info at their site?

[brentcase]

For opendns.org you need to know the IP address of your router from your ISP. I personally pay the $5 extra from my ISP for a dedicated IP address. You will enter this as the IP address you want to manage. Then go the settings page and mouse over some of the multiple filters you can manage. You are also given the option to manage a separate white or blacklist. If a website is blocked, it lets you personalize the "Websense" message. I have a picture me uploaded with a message to see me if you have any questions...

For faster internet, use their DNS settings for your router rather than your ISP. Once you set your settings, it only takes about 3 minutes for them to take effect.

[mkmurray]

For opendns.org you need to know the IP address of your router from your ISP. I personally pay the $5 extra from my ISP for a dedicated IP address. You will enter this as the IP address you want to manage. Then go the settings page and mouse over some of the multiple filters you can manage. You are also given the option to manage a separate white or blacklist. If a website is blocked, it lets you personalize the "Websense" message. I have a picture me uploaded with a message to see me if you have any questions...

For faster internet, use their DNS settings for your router rather than your ISP. Once you set your settings, it only takes about 3 minutes for them to take effect.

If you don't have the option of (or don't want to pay for) a dedicated IP address, you can use a service like DynDNS. I have a dynamicly updated domain name in the format like whateverYouWantHere.getmyip.com. My Linksys router actually has the ability to built-in to keep the dynamic domain name updated with whatever IP my ISP provides my router.

[russellhltn]

If you don't have the option of (or don't want to pay for) a dedicated IP address, you can use a service like DynDNS.

But does that play well with OpenDNS filtering? I'm guessing the filtering works by looking at what IP address the request comes from.

[mkmurray]

But does that play well with OpenDNS filtering? I'm guessing the filtering works by looking at what IP address the request comes from.

Perhaps not...BrentC said you enter the "IP address you want to manage." If it really does only take an IP address (and not a domain name), then perhaps it isn't compatible.

[brentcase]

The IP address you manage is the Internet Service Providers' IP address assigned to your cable modem or DSL modem. Of course, no one plugs their cable modem directly into their computer right?

Go ahead and create an account on Opendns and look around at the settings, filtering etc. It is awesome, works great and did I mention, free? It is the first layer of control I have on top of the other Intenet/content filter I use on the desktop, my virus/malware subscription software.

[russellhltn]

The IP address you manage is the Internet Service Providers' IP address assigned to your cable modem or DSL modem.

Which in turn is the public IP address that OpenDNS sees the request coming from. I'm thinking that might be what OpenDNS is using to know what filters to apply to any given request coming in.

[mkmurray]

Of course, no one plugs their cable modem directly into their computer right?

People without routers would.

Which in turn is the public IP address that OpenDNS sees the request coming from. I'm thinking that might be what OpenDNS is using to know what filters to apply to any given request coming in.

Yeah I'm really not sure how my IP address shows up to the world. I assumed it was the one my cable modem gets, which my router would get, which my router would keep updated with DynDNS.

Ok, I just did a test using this site: http://www.whatismyip.com/

It showed my IP address. Then I pinged my DynDNS dynamically updated domain name and it resolved to the same address.

So I think I've confirmed what you just said. But it appeared you said using my custom DynDNS domain name would not resolve correctly. The only potential issue I can think of would be that the interface wouldn't let me type in a domain name rather than a straight numerical IP address. If it does let me type in the domain name, then I don't know why it wouldn't work.

[russellhltn]

Yes, a DynDNS domain will resolve into an IP, but an IP won't correctly resolve to a DynDNS domain unless you specifically ask DynDNS. When I use the same site, http://www.whatismyip.com/, to do a reverse lookup on my IP, I get a RoadRunner domain name, not my DynDNS domain.

Now, the question is what's passed to OpenDNS? I know the IP address is passed - that's how you get your reply. But is the Domain passed? Not unless you fill in the DNS Suffix field. The problem there is that my LinkSys router doesn't have any place for me to enter that in. So I can't pass that to all the clients via DHCP. So I'd have to manually enter that for all devices on my network - a major pain.

Doing some poking around, I can see where this is an issue.

This link makes it clear that content filtering is based on the public IP.

This makes clear the non-relationship between OpenDNS and DynDNS.

So in practical terms for the home users, there seems to be two choices: Use a static IP address or run OpenDNS program to keep OpenDNS informed on your current public IP address.

Hmmmmm, I'm seeing things that suggest the "tomato" firmware may support OpenDNS - among other features. Since I have a older Linksys, that may well solve things for me.