Patch Lady Podcast – changing your DNS

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Woody recently had a post talking about changing the DNS settings on your network adapter, but I think there’s an easier way – in your router.  So her
[See the full post at: Patch Lady Podcast – changing your DNS]

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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abbodi86, PhotM, jburk07, admin, Mele20, Myst

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The easiest/fastest way to change DNS resolvers is using the command line.

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Someone would probably say via PowerShell too

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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woody

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Indeed, PowerShell is running on the command line too.

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Why do you recommend that people should change their DNS provider even if they are not having problems? My router is currently configured to get the DNS server address automatically from my ISP.

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You may be a customer of a good ISP. And have minimal concerns over privacy. There is nothing wrong with that and it can simplify things.

Other users like the idea to separate their internet traffic records from the company that has their billing address. Or they have found their ISP is overloaded, and a third-party gives faster or better service. Some just really like learning more about what is possible by trying new things.

Staying with a stock setup will make it easier if you need the ISP tech’s help to troubleshoot some future problem. I would still recommend changing the password from the default, even if you choose to stay with the ISP provided DNS. This protects you from bad people who do not work for your ISP.

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ISPs are allowed to collect and sell the information they gather by logging your on-line activities… They know each and every website you go to when you use their default DNS service… and make you the product, rather than just a customer.

For why that might be problematic, see EFF’s Why Metadata Matters.

There are DNS services that will just perform the service and not keep track of it at all, so there is no log, no potential for exploiting, or selling your data… sort of like StartPage search, compared to Google search, but for DNS. Your ISP may see your traffic go to a non-logging DNS service, but they can’t see where you go from there.

Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter

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rc primak

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Elly wrote:

ISPs are allowed to collect and sell the information they gather by logging your on-line activities…

Well, that part is very much variable, internationally.

Though if they’re not allowed but they do it anyway, how would you know? And, if not using an encrypting VPN, they’ll usually be able to snoop both the names you want to resolve and the IPs they resolve to, no matter whose DNS servers you’re using. DNS over TLS and DNSCrypt do exist, though…

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Speed.

Fewer blocked sites.

Fewer targeted ads.

Fewer time-out errors.

Fewer “Not Found” errors.

-- rc primak

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Using a 3rd party DNS will not prevent your ISP logging all the sites you visit. That data is always in plain text unless you use a VPN or TOR.

cheers, Paul

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rc primak

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The reason I have set my operating systems to use alternative DNS servers is speed. Comcast is slow, possibly because it’s so heavily used. Cloudflare is much faster. And less prone to time-outs and not being able to find a site. If I hadn’t experienced significant improvements I would have reverted to Comcast in a heartbeat.

I am aware that just changing DNS servers does not conceal your identity, but it does seem to discourage some of the targeted ads in my experience. Your Mileage may vary.

-- rc primak

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rc primak wrote:

I am aware that just changing DNS servers does not conceal your identity, but it does seem to discourage some of the targeted ads in my experience.

Unless your ISP is injecting ads I can’t see how changing DNS would have an affect.

cheers, Paul

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