Cable Forum - Virgin & DNS Servers

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- - Virgin & DNS Servers (https://www.cableforum.uk/board/showthread.php?t=33637848)

Welshchris

23-08-2008 02:14

Virgin & DNS Servers

What are the better servers to use?

Virgins own or Open DNS?

Or are there any better ones?

I get a problem accessing some sites with Open DNS saying it cant resolve a DNS problem.

Axegrinder

25-08-2008 14:05

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

OpenDNS works fine for me.

tomjleeds

25-08-2008 14:10

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Most routers (and Windows) will only allow two DNS servers to be specified. Your best bet in that case is to set one to OpenDNS and the other to Virgin's. Best of both worlds.

eth01

25-08-2008 14:23

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomjleeds (Post 34626398)

Most routers (and Windows) will only allow two DNS servers to be specified. Your best bet in that case is to set one to OpenDNS and the other to Virgin's. Best of both worlds.

I can see your logic behind that -- it's not that effective though. there is big space between the two.

tomjleeds

25-08-2008 14:24

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by eth01 (Post 34626418)

I can see your logic behind that -- it's not that effective though. there is big space between the two.

...eh?

eth01

25-08-2008 14:26

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomjleeds (Post 34626419)

...eh?

VM DNS is internal, whereas OpenDNS isn't. What don't you understand?

VM DNS is much better than OpenDNS (when it works) ;)

tomjleeds

25-08-2008 14:29

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by eth01 (Post 34626421)

VM DNS is internal, whereas OpenDNS isn't. What don't you understand?

VM DNS is much better than OpenDNS (when it works) ;)

So it's internal, so what? Faster resolution? In theory maybe, but not in practice.

eth01

25-08-2008 14:35

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomjleeds (Post 34626429)

So it's internal, so what? Faster resolution? In theory maybe, but not in practice.

I'm afraid the DNS that VM are supplying customers with is much faster than OpenDNS... :)

As per:

Quote:

6 47 ms 29 ms 26 ms 212.187.136.125
7 33 ms 38 ms 35 ms ae-4-4.ebr1.London1.Level3.net [4.69.133.102]
8 26 ms 29 ms 45 ms ae-11-51.car1.London1.Level3.net [4.68.116.15]
9 74 ms 203 ms 214 ms xe-3-3.r01.londen03.uk.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.8
.137]
10 26 ms 27 ms 25 ms 83.231.146.198
11 54 ms 27 ms 26 ms resolver1.opendns.com [208.67.222.222]

Trace complete.

Quote:

5 7 ms 9 ms 10 ms cache1.service.virginmedia.net [194.168.4.100]

Trace complete.

p.s this is local to your uBr.

tomjleeds

25-08-2008 14:38

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

I get around a 10-15ms ping to VM's DNS and a 20-25ms ping to OpenDNS. That 10ms is absolutely negligible - not only that, but it's not even the only limiting factor. The capability and load of the server itself is as much of an issue.

eth01

25-08-2008 14:43

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomjleeds (Post 34626434)

the millions of incoming connections give you that slightly low latency :rolleyes:

Horace

25-08-2008 14:43

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

I'd rather not have all those horribly busy and often congested London (notice London is misspelt in the later hops? )based links between me and my DNS. OpenDNS also often randomly blocks legitimate sites which I've mention before in my arguments against it.
If VM's DNS was as horrible as BT's (used to be) then fine but VM's DNS has worked flawlessly for me for years.

Code:

 1     2 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.1.1

 2    35 ms    14 ms     6 ms  10.133.224.1

 3    20 ms    26 ms    28 ms  midd-t2cam1-b-ge94.network.virginmedia.net [213.106.238.221]

 4    10 ms     7 ms    25 ms  midd-t3core-1b-ge-011-0.network.virginmedia.net [195.182.176.117]

 5     7 ms    26 ms     9 ms  cache1.service.virginmedia.net [194.168.4.100]

Code:

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.1.1

  2    14 ms     9 ms    11 ms  10.133.224.1

  3    10 ms     8 ms    10 ms  midd-t2cam1-b-ge94.network.virginmedia.net [213.106.238.221]

  4    10 ms     6 ms     9 ms  midd-t3core-1b-ge-011-0.network.virginmedia.net [195.182.176.117]

  5    18 ms    19 ms    25 ms  man-bb-b-so-310-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.105.75.49]

  6    20 ms    37 ms    17 ms  po6-0.mctbb1.Manchester.opentransit.net [193.251.250.105]

  7    26 ms    25 ms    26 ms  po10-0.brsbb1.Bristol.opentransit.net [193.251.242.133]

  8    30 ms    30 ms    48 ms  so-5-2-0-0.loncr5.London.opentransit.net [193.251.243.37]

  9    26 ms    27 ms    28 ms  p16-2-0-2.r22.londen03.uk.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.8.49]

 10    26 ms    31 ms    24 ms  xe-4-4.r01.londen03.uk.bb.gin.ntt.net [129.250.2.66]

 11    26 ms    25 ms    20 ms  83.231.146.198

 12    25 ms    35 ms    35 ms  resolver1.opendns.com [208.67.222.222]

tomjleeds

25-08-2008 14:44

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by eth01 (Post 34626439)

the millions of incoming connections give you that slightly low latency :rolleyes:

OK, so you're just going to ignore the fact that I've shot you down and post sentences which don't really make a lot of sense, neither are they particularly relevant. Oh well, no surprises there.

I'm no OpenDNS fanboy, I just like keeping my options open.

dev	25-08-2008 14:47

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

if i didnt run my own i'd use VMs over OpenDNS's for one simple reason, VM's servers dont mess with the replies and actually tell me when something doesn't resolve.

eth01

25-08-2008 15:12

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomjleeds (Post 34626444)

it'd be nearly impossible to get the latency any lower than what it already is...

tomjleeds

25-08-2008 15:19

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by eth01 (Post 34626469)

it'd be nearly impossible to get the latency any lower than what it already is...

I'm not suggesting anybody decrease their latency. What I'm contesting is your assertion that connection latency is the be-all and end-all of DNS resolution.

Stuart

25-08-2008 15:28

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomjleeds (Post 34626475)

I'm not suggesting anybody decrease their latency. What I'm contesting is your assertion that connection latency is the be-all and end-all of DNS resolution.

Agreed. Unless the page causes hundreds of DNS lookups, and the router in use does not cache DNS (some do), the a few milliseconds of latency is not going to delay the page download much.

Wisnaeme

25-08-2008 23:36

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Are the VM DNS servers still faulty and able to be easily spoofed?
They were last week when I tried them. For me, this is one good reason NEVER to use them. If they are fixed, then fair enough, but not until.

Graham M

25-08-2008 23:38

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by dev (Post 34626448)

if i didnt run my own i'd use VMs over OpenDNS's for one simple reason, VM's servers dont mess with the replies and actually tell me when something doesn't resolve.

All well and good but your own will just be a DNS Cache surely?

Frank

26-08-2008 00:02

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart C (Post 34626477)

Agreed. Unless the page causes hundreds of DNS lookups, and the router in use does not cache DNS (some do), the a few milliseconds of latency is not going to delay the page download much.

Plus positive results are cached for 1 day by Windows dnscache service, further speeding up repeat visits to a particular domain. OpenDNS offers a layer of protection and flexibility above VM DNS servers. If VMs DNS isn't working properly, they are a good alternative.

eth01

26-08-2008 17:17

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by eth01 (Post 34626469)

it'd be nearly impossible to get the latency any lower than what it already is...

actually, that said... you could always sit a DNS server next to the uBr's :p:

(thats me being serious, really)

LaineY

26-08-2008 17:40

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

im not sure if im setting my DNS right..
however my Router auto picks up Virgins Dns's which unusually have started being 194. i set my pc to the defaults like
ip 192.168.1.100
Dns as 192.168.1.1 is that correct?
or do u actually need to set ur dns's to the same as it shows in ur router page..
i always automatically thought that if u put the 192.168.1.1 in ur tcpip settings it would use the settings the router is defaulted to for dns?

Stuart

26-08-2008 17:47

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaineY (Post 34626993)

I find it's best to use your router's addy (usually 192.168.1.1 or something like that) for DNS on your machines, then if you change the DNS settings on the router, it'll change for any machine attached to the router.

LaineY

26-08-2008 17:50

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Cheers dude..

its funny.. but i used a Linksys WRT54G router for 4-5 years.. and it was perfect.. nice and quick.. i then got another version of it WRT54GS (Wireless Speedbooster) and its dire pants... lol..

It seems a tad slow at loading pages.

dev	26-08-2008 18:26

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham M (Post 34626735)

All well and good but your own will just be a DNS Cache surely?

it works like any other dns server does, but with a rather small user base :p:

spidiweb7

26-08-2008 23:51

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

Open DNS all the way !! Virgin DNS screwed up a while ago for me and was unable to load certain websites and webpages and the ones that did load tended to have a slow responding time so i thought id try open dns and all websites work all the time and the response times are quicker :) the chances of open dns servers going faulty are pretty slim whereas virgins are more likely :)

IanGuy

27-08-2008 18:30

Re: Virgin & DNS Servers

I used to use OpenDNS as Virgin's were very slow for me at one point. Opendns once went down for about 5 mins while i was attempting to browse, switched back to the Virgin ones and they seem fine again.

I alternate between the two.

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