Why set up OpenDNS on your Home Wi-Fi Network?
OpenDNS is a Domain Name System (DNS) service provider that offers a range of services, including DNS resolution, security, and content filtering. It was founded in 2006 and later acquired by Cisco Systems in 2015. DNS is a crucial component of the internet, as it translates human-readable domain names (e.g., www.example.com) into IP addresses that computers can understand and use to route traffic.
Setting up OpenDNS on your router offers several advantages that can improve your overall internet experience:
- Enhanced security: OpenDNS provides protection against malicious websites, phishing attacks, and other online threats by blocking access to harmful sites. It can help secure your network and protect your devices from potential risks.
- Content filtering: OpenDNS allows you to set up custom content filtering, enabling you to block specific categories of websites, such as adult content, social media, or gaming. This is particularly useful for parents who want to control what their children can access online.
- Faster browsing experience: OpenDNS often provides faster DNS resolution than default DNS servers provided by your ISP. This can result in quicker page loading times and a more responsive browsing experience.
- Reliability: OpenDNS has a robust infrastructure with multiple data centers worldwide. This redundancy ensures that if one DNS server goes down, others can still resolve your requests, providing a more reliable internet connection.
- Global coverage: OpenDNS has a vast network of DNS servers across the globe, ensuring that your DNS queries are resolved by the nearest server, reducing latency and improving performance.
- Easy setup and network-wide protection: By setting up OpenDNS on your router, you can apply its benefits to all devices connected to your network without the need to configure each device individually.
In summary, setting up OpenDNS on your router can enhance security, enable content filtering, improve browsing speed and reliability, and provide network-wide protection with minimal effort.
How to set up OpenDNS on the Home router?
Setting up OpenDNS on your router involves updating the DNS settings to use OpenDNS servers. Here’s a general guide on how to configure OpenDNS on most routers:
- Access your router’s admin interface: a. Open a web browser on a device connected to your router’s network. b. Type your router’s IP address (commonly “192.168.0.1” or “192.168.1.1”) in the address bar and press Enter. If you’re unsure of your router’s IP address, check your router’s documentation or look for a label on the device itself. c. Log in with your router’s admin username and password. If you haven’t changed them, the default login credentials should be in the router’s documentation or on a label on the device.
- Locate DNS settings: a. Once logged in, look for settings related to “DNS,” “WAN,” “Internet,” or “DHCP.” The location varies depending on the router model and firmware. b. Find the fields where you can enter custom DNS server addresses.
- Update DNS settings: a. Replace any existing DNS server addresses with OpenDNS server addresses. The primary OpenDNS server is “208.67.222.222,” and the secondary server is “208.67.220.220.” b. Save your changes and exit the router’s admin interface.
- Restart your devices: a. To ensure your devices use the new DNS settings, restart them, or disconnect and reconnect to the Wi-Fi network. b. It may also be helpful to restart the router itself to apply the changes.
- Test your settings: a. Visit the following link to check if your network is using OpenDNS: https://www.opendns.com/welcome/ b. If the test is successful, you’ll see a “Welcome to OpenDNS” message.
Please note that the exact steps may differ depending on your router’s make and model. Consult your router’s documentation or the manufacturer’s support website for specific instructions related to your device.
By setting up OpenDNS on your router, you can enhance the security, performance, and reliability of your internet connection for all devices on your network.
Disclaimer: The recommended apps come from reputed companies that have a proven track record of delivering high-quality products. These apps have been selected based on their privacy and security aspects, but I cannot be held responsible for any issues or problems that may arise with these companies in the future. Please use these apps at your own risk.