Testing OpenDNS service

[bigbear]

I am currently testing out the OpenDNS DNS service for one of the schools I work with.

it is a 'free' service ( income generated by advertising) and they provide two dns IP's for free usage which supposedly is faster than most dns lookups.

Also, again free, you can start an account and modify settings for content filtering, keeping users from accessing a variety of types of websites.

You can integrate this into your existing local DNS/LAN reduce the physical hardware by not needing a filter like Dansguardian, etc.. on premises, using OpenDNS instead.

We will be testing this service for the next thirty days on a private network before deciding if it is worth implementing on the school network.

stay tuned for more in depth and ongoing review.

Big Bear

[travisn000]

I've used openDNS off and on over the years but never really saw much change in speed.. recenlty I switched over to it at home because my comcast dns was getting very very slow; the difference was HUGE. I was getting daily short internet outages and frequent periods of very slow connections (compared to my regular speeds); since switching things have been 1000% better.. fast and reliable with consistency!



..also, I did try the filtering service at home briefly; it seemed to work as well as dansguardian.. but then again, I only used both of them for day or two so my experience there doesn't mean a whole lot.

[Joble]

I use openDNS but I've never used the filtering. I look forward to seeing what you think of the service.

[bigbear]

So far, after using OpenDNS for about a week I have found...

as a DNS, it doesn't seem any faster than the existing ones, ( however, I am using cox cable dns servers and this has yet to be tested against qwest dns servers.)

as a filter, it makes a reasonably good filter. it's nice that the filtering is done at the gateway level therefore there are no workarounds a student or staff could make to get past it.

Using one of the 'categorized' filter groups can leave certain areas like search engines, etc.. open as unchecked paths to inappropriate material. The deal saver here is the 'custom' section where you set the categories nd areas to block, which can block out search engines entirely.

just keep one search engine on the whitelist and make sure it's settings are for safe browsing and you should be pretty well covered.

All in all, I will give OpenDNS an A-. It isn't as fast as one is somewhat lead to think it will be, but it succeeds very well in filtering and customization.

( in terms of filtering, sometimes it succeeds 'too well' in that some sites are judged a bit harshly and may be mis-identified or you don't think they are as big of a threat as they do, in which case, you can still add any site you want to the whitelist and be able to access it. in cases of schools, etc.. it is not too bad to be overcautious and make an exception than not be cautious enough and get sued. )

Big Bear

[ClareOldie]

Just wondered if it is anything like the Web Content Filter on my Router ......

[nixer]

I agree with bigbear's comments, and yes, ClaireOldie, the content filtering interface looks similiar with the ability to whitelist and blacklist individual url's.

I removed all content filtering from my home router and instead went with OpenDNS. The DNS lookups certainly aren't any slower and its other advantages make it worthwhile to use. I have OpenDNS for my home network consisting of 4 computers. It really is easier to use than the router content control manner.

[ClareOldie]

I agree with bigbear's comments, and yes, ClaireOldie, the content filtering interface looks similiar with the ability to whitelist and blacklist individual url's.

I removed all content filtering from my home router and instead went with OpenDNS. The DNS lookups certainly aren't any slower and its other advantages make it worthwhile to use. I have OpenDNS for my home network consisting of 4 computers. It really is easier to use than the router content control manner.

Thanks for the info.