Why use a public dns instead of your ISP's dns server?

[JEDI]

google public dns server: 8.8.8.8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Public_DNS

just curious why people would use a public dns server instead of their isp's?

and does it matter if you use a VPN?

 

[Kaido]

Pros:

http://www.howtogeek.com/167239/7-reasons-to-use-a-third-party-dns-service/

Cons:

http://lifehacker.com/5788230/why-you-might-want-to-stick-with-your-isps-dns-server-after-all

 

[PliotronX]

At least in years past when an ISP's servers decide to crap out for days on end, public DNS has restored service. Even though they are external servers, they also tend to have lower latency (faster). In the case of OpenDNS impelementing automated bot filtering (URLs that mimic legitimate addresses with numbers like the trap that caught BlueShield employees) making it more secure.

 

[poofyhairguy]

http://arstechnica.com/business/201...-after-internet-outage-caused-by-dns-failure/

 

[Sabrewings]

For me, two major reasons. Neither of which is response time.

First, reliability.

Second, when I type in something incorrectly, I don't get redirected to Verizon's (or insert ISP here) "did you mean?" page which is usually full of paid listings. I want to get a DNS error.

As such, I switched to Google's DNS servers over a year ago and haven't had one second where I was considering switching back.

 

[jlee]

For me, two major reasons. Neither of which is response time.

First, reliability.

Second, when I type in something incorrectly, I don't get redirected to Verizon's (or insert ISP here) "did you mean?" page which is usually full of paid listings. I want to get a DNS error.

As such, I switched to Google's DNS servers over a year ago and haven't had one second where I was considering switching back.

^^^

 

[Murloc]

lol I didn't even realize you could do this.

 

[BlitzPuppet]

lol I didn't even realize you could do this.

???

 

[Zee]

same. i want a dns error, not a redirect

 

[Markbnj]

I cared about this at one point, for two reasons: 1) Comcast's DNS wasn't always reliable in the early days of their network build out; and 2) there was talk (and still is) about ISPs using DNS requests for marketing and profiling purposes. So I solved those concerns by setting my router to use other publicly available servers. I've been using Comcast's for quite awhile now, and those concerns have faded, but obviously the option is always there as long as your router supports it.

 

[cubby1223]

google public dns server: 8.8.8.8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Public_DNS

just curious why people would use a public dns server instead of their isp's?

and does it matter if you use a VPN?

If I set a static ip address on a computer, I *always* add 8.8.8.8 in the list.

If the dns servers of your isp changes, the changes will propagate through to all the systems configured by dhcp, but not those set statically. Also if you change isp's, those systems with static ip's may not work if you forget to manually update them, or if someone else is doing the work and doesn't know about the static ip's configured.

It's a fall-back option that will always work.

 

[EOM]

It depends on who you want tracking your internet usage.... This is a HUGE marketing tool. Google or your ISP can keep track of what domain names get the most hits so they can target advertising.
Your ISP can tie the request directly to you since they've assigned you an IP and can see the source in the DNS request. Google would be able to see that it came from Comcast/Time Warner/Verizon/Etc.... and gather statistics that way... DNS requests are plain-text anyway, so your ISP /COULD/ snoop them if they wanted.

Ask yourself, who do you trust more?
The question of the VPN.... this will mask the source address for your request and make it less valuable for the DNS operator, but still, they get statistics for the most requested domains. The request through a VPN service is likely encrypted at least until you get out of your ISP's network; but then the request is still plain-text.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

For me, two major reasons. Neither of which is response time.

First, reliability.

Second, when I type in something incorrectly, I don't get redirected to Verizon's (or insert ISP here) "did you mean?" page which is usually full of paid listings. I want to get a DNS error.

As such, I switched to Google's DNS servers over a year ago and haven't had one second where I was considering switching back.

Yup, a whole lotta THIS

 

[OutHouse]

i use opendns and it works great.

 

[CZroe]

I don't know how the industry ever thought it was tolerable to hijack invalid DNS requests and re-route them. If I typed it wrong, give me an error and let me correct it! Don't forward me to some other page where everything I typed is gone and I get a bunch of search listings and the address bar has changed.