Best DNS servers ? - DNS options ?

B

bb_matt

Executive Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
5,616
Reaction score
7
Location
Hampshire, UK
I'm wondering what DNS servers other ADSL users are using.

This is related to ADSL surfing problems, which I'll come to now.

I use any of the following :-

196.41.128.254
196.26.208.2
196.25.1.1
196.25.1.11
196.41.0.11

My problems are that some sites I request takes ages to respond and then obviously "timeout" with a browser error dialogue box. "site cannot be found"

Reloading the same site request will then load the site without a problem.

This is obviously some kind of DNS request issue and I'm not sure if it's related to my configuration or not.

I'm running smoothwall and not using the squid proxy - as I find that to be troublesome - sites I've never visited before will exhibit the "timeout" issue and on reload, will work.

This is a fairly new issue that has only been occuring over the last 3 weeks or so.

Is this a common internet problem ? - I don't recall it being such an issue before - now, 3 out of 10 sites give me trouble.
 
I'm using 196.43.1.13 without any problems.
 
bb_matt said:
...
I'm running smoothwall and not using the squid proxy - as I find that to be troublesome - sites I've never visited before will exhibit the "timeout" issue and on reload, will work.
Click to expand...
<off_topic>
I've been using it for a while now, the only problems I've had were Burst-i related, in which case the SWE2 proxy yaps out a complaint, and recovers on a reload, hardly happens anymore though.​
</off_topic>
 
You can also try these:
196.7.0.138
196.7.142.132

They are UUNET dns's but also worked for me on a Telkom account.
 
Why use the main servers of ISP's which can get overloaded? Its rather better to use the one's assigned by your isp (dynamically when you connect).

If you really want better performance, why not set up your own caching dns server at home, that wat its even faster...
 
Ok to the problem where you couldn;t reach some websites...just read some news...

A security company has issued a warning over a possible hijacking of the Internet's DNS system, which has resulted in some users being unable to reach some Web sites—instead being redirected to sites maintained by the attackers. According to the SANS Internet Storm Center, the company first received reports of so-called DNS cache poisoning attacks on March 3 and has been monitoring the problem since then.
Click to expand...

news source: eWeek

Thus its not SAIX's dns servers that caused your problem, but in general the dns servers hosted internationally caused the problem.

Like they say, rather get to the root of the problem...or something like that.
 
Tinuva said:
Why use the main servers of ISP's which can get overloaded?
Click to expand...
Once you have actually seen what IS uses for there DNS servers then speak about this. Barring a major DoS attack it is very unlikely they will be overloaded.

Tinuva said:
Thus its not SAIX's dns servers that caused your problem, but in general the dns servers hosted internationally caused the problem.
Click to expand...
WRONG.
The article is about DNS poising. DNS poising is a method of attack used in conjunction with something like identity theft and has been around for about 3 years. The point is that in that attack you are not directed the real site but a fake version. The problem being described here is that there is about DNS not loading on the first attempt and loading on the second. They are different problems.
 
Yeah true its a different problem. But if you have a server that checks for dns poisening, and it cant get the correct dns answer, it will seem to be the same fault, as the dns server wont reply fast enough because it blocks the poisened ip + it never gets the correct ip, and therefor doesnt respond...
 
Tinuva said:
Yeah true its a different problem. But if you have a server that checks for dns poisening, and it cant get the correct dns answer, it will seem to be the same fault, as the dns server wont reply fast enough because it blocks the poisened ip + it never gets the correct ip, and therefor doesnt respond...
Click to expand...

Care to show me a DNS server run by an ISP in this country that does test for DNS poisening? I'm almost tempted to say show me any DNS server that can test for DNS poisening since AFAIK they don't exist.

Just going back to the real problem, I've noticed massive slow downs on lookups via 196.43.1.11 today. Replaced it with 196.25.1.11 and voila problem fixed.
Also if you can specify DNS on your router/modem you may want to check it there as well.
 
DNS problems

I have been having alot of problems with DNS settings in the last while. Some clients reporting mail just gets lost, or it only gets delivered a week later. Also some clients reporting above mentioned timing out of certain sites. It seems that the problem occurs mostly on local sites.
I contacted my ISP & they were very helpful.
It seems telkom had a shortage of DNS Servers, which got overloaded. They now have added (apparently) some 16 servers to share the load.
The original
196.25.1.1
196.25.1.11
should work, but I still seem to have some trouble here & there.
Anyone can confirm this report on Saix DNS Servers?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X