OpenDNS: to make the Internet more convenient and safe

Server map OpenDNS. Source: www.opendns.com.

Web service OpenDNS is the best alternative to the DNS-servers Internet providers due to the presence of additional useful features that improve convenience and safety of using the Internet.

With this easy to set up the service, you can prevent users access one or more computers to undesired content sites, to protect computers from malicious software distributed via the Internet, receive relevant search results on the Internet when requesting a non-existent website address or website is temporarily unavailable due to failures, and so on. d.

OpenDNS offers solutions for both home and corporate users. In most cases, you will be ample opportunity for a free account in order to meet the higher requirements of the service, there are advanced paid accounts.

Next we look at OpenDNS features and learn how to quickly get started with the service. But first tell you about what is DNS-servers - for those of our readers who are interested.

About DNS-servers

To go to the website you want us to we tells the browser the domain name of the site. However, domains invented solely for the convenience of remembering people. In fact, to address the Internet uses IP-addresses, which consist of four numbers separated by dots. 74.125.45.100 - eg, IP-address www.google.ru site.

Very simply, each domain is mapped to IP-address. When moving to the site of his domain, a query is sent to the server, called DNS-server (DNS, or Domain Name System, - system domain name), and then transferred on a comparison to this domain IP-address, then the requested page is opened in your site browser.

Performance in the organization access to the Internet provides us with the opportunity to use them of DNS-servers. However, a more optimal choice can become an alternative DNS-servers: instead of offering additional useful to them services, stability and speed of query processing, they may be in some cases higher than those of DNS-servers of your provider. However, as experience shows, it is still the main advantage of third-party of DNS-servers are useful precisely services, not speed - because the gain in speed will be small, and it can not get away always.

One alternative providers of DNS-servers - and perhaps the best of them - is considered in this article OpenDNS. It's not just the DNS-servers, is a web service with a convenient and pleasant-looking interface. OpenDNS has a number of additional functions, briefly referred to above and described in more detail hereinafter.

Useful features OpenDNS

Filtering unwanted content sites

Ability to filter useful and homes to protect children from inappropriate content and sites for your company - to deny access to sites, reducing productivity.

OpenDNS provides content filtering based on constantly updated database of several million domains ordered 55 categories (chat, social networking, games, pornography, file-sharing services, movies, humor, podcasts, e-commerce and et al.). The user determines the categories of domains which will block OpenDNS. Another embodiment - to select one of three pre-filtering levels: low, medium or high. filtering levels can be adjusted manually pointing the domain to block categories.

Manage permissions for access to certain sites

In addition to the system of content filtering, OpenDNS also offers a tool for creating white and black lists of domains - for tighter control access to the site. You can indicate the domain names of sites that will be blocked forever and those who will never be blocked - no filtering system settings.

Protection from phishing and malware

OpenDNS blocks access to fraudulent phishing sites, which masquerade as known and credible phishing websites to confidential information (e.g., usernames and passwords). To determine whether a phishing site, using a database of phishing sites service PhishTank, filled up the joint efforts of a large community.

In addition, OpenDNS provides protection against certain types of malicious programs distributed via infected websites, based on the data available on such sites.

Ensuring the availability of sites, even in times of disruption of their authoritative of DNS-servers

Earlier, I talked about what a DNS-servers. I painted them in a simplified form, with just a few strokes. And here's the surprise - the reality is much more complex: there are several types of DNS-servers that perform different functions, and together form a hierarchy.

In the technical campaign against illiteracy at the beginning of the article the DNS-servers are only one type, and OpenDNS offers users DNS-servers of this type - serving your computer requests entered under the domain names you IP-addresses of websites.

But the Internet also operate DNS-servers of other types. Now we are interested in the so-called authoritative DNS-servers that receives requests from of DNS-servers such as discussed above. Authoritative - these are the servers that store information about how the IP-addresses of sites mapped specific domain names.

The failure of authoritative periods of DNS-servers, this information is not available - and why the site for which responsible broken authoritative DNS-server does not appear in the browser when you access this site by domain name. Although, as you know, the site itself is still functional and responds to your IP-address.

Thanks to its own technology SmartCache, OpenDNS service provides access to sites, authoritative DNS-servers that are currently not working. If the authoritative DNS-server is not responding to the request, the OpenDNS is stored in a special cache previous IP-address of the requested site for the domain, which allows the user to gain access to this site.

Automatically corrects typos as you type a domain name in the browser address bar

OpenDNS can automatically correct typos while entering the domain name in the part, which specifies the top-level domain. Top Level Domains - is the right part of the domain name (.ru, .com, .net, .org, etc...). For example, if a user types in the address bar of your browser address www.google.cmoThen OpenDNS will automatically convert it the incorrect domain name in the correct - www.google.com - and the requested web page opens in your browser.

Showing OpenDNS Guide page with relevant search results on the Internet in cases where, for whatever reason, you can not open the requested web page

If the user enters a non-existent address or the address of the site is temporarily unavailable due to technical reasons, OpenDNS to search the Web using the search engine Yahoo for searches that match the entered domain name.

Thus, instead of a useless standard page with the notification of the impossibility of opening the requested web page, the user will see search results on the Internet that can help him find the right information.

Shortcuts for quick access to frequently visited sites

OpenDNS users can create shortcuts to websites - short words or abbreviations instead of the domain name. For example, to create the address http://lifehacker.ru short label lh. Typing it in the address bar and press Enter, you'll be taken to the site of our blog.

Usage statistics service

OpenDNS collects and provides statistics for the analysis of user activity. In a special section displays statistics for the requested domain, requested and blocked, domain rating on the number of requests and others. Statistics can be viewed in graphs or tables, to download a CSV file or printed.

Customization service pages OpenDNS

You can customize the OpenDNS Guide page from the search results page with notification of the ban on access to the requested site, and on the prevention of phishing attempts.

Service allows you to display your logo these special pages, as well as specify their options information messages to users and to add feedback form with the administrator (for those cases where OpenDNS used controlled by the system in the local network of multiple computers administrator).

OpenDNS Account Types

When you register at OpenDNS, you can choose from three types of accounts: Basic, Deluxe, or Enterprise.

Basic-Account is free and is suitable for most users working with one or more computers at home or in the company's environment with a small number of employees.

Deluxe-Account is a progressive alternative to a free account and requires payment in the amount of $ 9.95 per year for the use of home computers by 5 or $ 5 per user per year for organizations. On this account offers more voluminous black and white lists of domains, the ability to work in Whitelist-only mode (white list only) when blocked access to all domains, except as permitted, enhanced service customization pages longer term archive storage statistics.

The most expensive account - Enterprise - costs $ 2,000 per year and is intended for use OpenDNS in a corporate environment. On this account, in addition to the functions of the two entry-level accounts that offered high resolution black and white lists of domains, advanced malware protection, email-reports Statistics work perpetuity file storage statistics, access control of several employees to the administration of service and logging their actions, advanced technical support.

How to quickly start using OpenDNS

Step one

To get started with OpenDNS, specify the network settings of a computer, a modem or router IP-addresses of DNS-servers 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. Sometimes you need to register in four DNS-server settings - in this case OpenDNS offers two Additional IP-address: 208.67.220.222 and 208.67.222.220.

In the reference section OpenDNS is available with step by step illustrated instructions for setting up of DNS-servers on the computer and the modem or router.

indication of DNS-servers The procedure takes no more than two minutes in the network settings. After that, reboot the device with the changed settings - and from that moment you become a user of DNS-servers offered by OpenDNS.

step two

To make sure that you did everything correctly, go to the dedicated page OpenDNS Welcome. If you see a message «Welcome to OpenDNS!», Then you are correctly registered addresses of DNS-servers. If the message «Oops... You are not using OpenDNS yet» ( «Oh... you are not yet using OpenDNS») - that something is wrong, go back to the network settings.

step three

To use additional useful service functions necessary upBy selecting one of the three accounts described above for more. After registration you'll have a service control panel (Dashboard), through which you get access to all OpenDNS settings.

Small caveat: Working with OpenDNS if you have a dynamic IP-addresses

You need to determine which IP-address of your computer - static or dynamic. If you do not know, there's an easy way to find out:
1. Find out your current IP-address by visiting, for example, main page OpenDNS, and write it down.
2. Disconnect from the Internet and reconnect. If the IP-address remains the same, then it is static, if changed - dynamic.

When a static IP-address, you can now take full advantage of OpenDNS with all the additional features.

If you have a dynamic IP-address changes after each disconnection / connection to the Internet, you need to take care of that OpenDNS always knew your current IP-address. Otherwise you will not be able to take advantage of all the useful service functions.

First of all, go to the OpenDNS Control Panel (Dashboard) and the network settings under Advanced Settings activate Enable dynamic IP update option (do not forget to click the Apply button to save the changes settings).

Now you need to install a small program that every time you connect to the internet will inform OpenDNS of your new IP-address. Download one of these programs for Windows or Mac OS, offered OpenDNS. If you are a Linux user, for you, for example, DDClient.

If for any reason you do not want or you can not install one of these utilities, update data on your the current IP-address manually OpenDNS. To do this, go to the Dashboard on the Settings tab. Under Your networks you will see your previous IP-address, and under it - the current one. Click on the green icon updates to inform OpenDNS of the new IP-address.

conclusion

OpenDNS seems to many complicated web service that performs some mysterious, understandable only to geeks, functions. In fact, it is easy to set up and manage service-oriented use including those who does not go into technical details of the Internet and of DNS-servers in particular. OpenDNS can become a reliable intermediary between your computer and the vast Internet, doing work on the network more easily and securely.

In this article, I have tried to give a structured manner all the information about OpenDNS, which need to own for a quick start. Yet I am aware that the material is long enough and sometimes difficult to understand, in spite of my desire to explain complicated things in simple terms. And if you have any further questions on work with this service, ask them, please, in the comments - I will give all necessary advice on setting up and using OpenDNS.

OpenDNS