Mixing and matching DNS servers

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mdf

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#175433 29-Jun-2015 15:57

I've been doing some technology spring cleaning and noticed/remembered that I'd set my router's DNS servers to Google's 8.8.8.8/8.8.4.4 about a year ago after these issues.

I should probably change them back to my ISP's (Vodafone Cable - which google seems to think should still be 203.97.78.43/203.97.78.44). CDNs and local caching and all that. I have had issues with Vodafone's DNS in the past though, so I wondered whether I should make one of Vodafone's DNS servers my primary, and then something like Google or OpenDNS my secondary.

I know where to change the DNS settings in my router, but that's about the extent of my knowledge of DNS. I've no idea when the primary and the secondary servers are actually used - based on the names I figure the secondary is used if the primary isn't available for any reason. So making a completely separate DNS server my secondary seems like a reasonable thing to do.

Or is that a bad idea for some reason?

johnr

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#1333540 29-Jun-2015 16:07

Bad idea use Vodafone for both

mdf

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#1334970 1-Jul-2015 12:27

The pedant in me feels obliged to ask whether you mean

"Bad idea[,] use Vodafone for both" or

"Bad idea [to] use Vodafone for both"

Though I assume it's the former.

I've been playing around with Namebench (although I don't really know what I'm doing). My results show that a Telstra DNS would give me "34.2%" faster results than my current Vodafone Cable DNS. Interestingly, number 2 (and still somewhat faster than Vodafone Cable) is iHug. Which I thought was Vodafone anyway?

I'm not going to change unless something goes wrong, but I thought it was interesting enough to share.

Batwing

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#1335076 1-Jul-2015 14:24

It'll be interesting to know if it works out for you.

My issues with a new cable install seem pretty accurately described in that old thread you linked, but it hits me regardless of using Vodafone's own DNS or not.

Pages eventually resolve though, just super slowly on a consistent set of websites.

neoprint

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#1335090 1-Jul-2015 14:40

mdf: The pedant in me feels obliged to ask whether you mean

"Bad idea[,] use Vodafone for both" or

"Bad idea [to] use Vodafone for both"

Though I assume it's the former.

I've been playing around with Namebench (although I don't really know what I'm doing). My results show that a Telstra DNS would give me "34.2%" faster results than my current Vodafone Cable DNS. Interestingly, number 2 (and still somewhat faster than Vodafone Cable) is iHug. Which I thought was Vodafone anyway?

I'm not going to change unless something goes wrong, but I thought it was interesting enough to share.

Given my experience, I'd go with "Bad idea [to] use Vodafone for both"