In the first part of our series, our friend Bill Hess from PixelPrivacy explained what DNS is and how it works. (click here to read that article.)
Today we’ll look at how to find a better one.
Now, you might wonder how to find a different DNS – and even if you actually find one, how do you know it’s better than the one you’re using?
Luckily, Google is there to help us out.
Google has created a program called “namebench” that will assist you in testing your own DNS and comparing it to other available DNS servers. Merely running the software tool won’t change any of your current system settings. On top of that, namebench is free of any charge!
“Namebench is completely free and does not modify your system in any way,” promises Google.
Here’s how to download and install.
Simply Click here then click on “downloads,” which is listed in the left sidebar.
You’ll want to select the latest version of your operating system, be that OS X or Windows. The latest updated version of namebench is at the top of the list and also has a green label named “Featured.”
If you’re a Mac user, select the first option, and for Windows users, select the second. Click on the blue file name. You’ll be redirected to a new URL and the download should start automatically.
Note for Mac users: depending on your security preference settings, you might get a notification from Apple that namebench can’t be opened due to security reasons. However, this is a trusted Google application, so it’s perfectly safe to install.
How to get rid of this issue:
Go to “System Preferences”
Hover over “Security & Privacy”
Click “Open anyway.” Enter your account’s password install Namebench.
We’ll look at how to configure Namebench in part 3 of this series. Click here to check out more on this topic at the PixelPrivacy site.