OpenDNS: The Ultimate In Short-Cut Coolness
- April 23rd, 2007
- Read 2253 times
- 7 Comments
DNS is boring. Seriously. I’m yawning as I type this. However, OpenDNS is adding some very unusual features to their already speedy nameserver service.
OpenDNS is a separate DNS nameserver system that offers a few interesting things. First, it speeds up your browsing time, subtracting a few seconds with each query. Second, it offers “search completion.” Whenever you mis-type a URL, instead of going to an error page, it offers a few possible sites. Fair enough. That’s useful.
However, now you can create your own shortcuts. Shortcuts are one or two letter URLs that you type into your address bar that forward straight to a certain URL. You can even add variables to the shortcuts. For example, I have “cg [search term]” automatically set up to search CrunchGear. Pretty cool. It’s not hard to see the value in this — instead of trying to hit “www.gmail.com”, you just type “gm” or something. This works on any machine with an IP being serviced by OpenDNS, so small office IT administrators can create links to webmail or intranet resources that everyone in the office can use. Families can do the same thing.
Set-up is a breeze if you know your way around a router. I saw a demo a few weeks ago and was really impressed. It’s finally working right now, so check it out.
Scott
1 year ago
Does it *really* offer any significant decrease in page-load times? A second or two doesn’t seem like it’s worth the effort, and using “keywords” in Firefox bookmarks is just as easy & useful as this OpenDNS shortcut thing…
Reply
David Ulevitch (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Scott,
You’d want to wait a second or two every time you load a new website? What planet are you from? Dialup-topia? :-)
Scott
1 year ago
David - I clicked your link & your site loaded in 2 seconds. If I used OpenDNS, would it have loaded before I clicked the link? :-)
Reply
John Biggs (Who am I?)
1 year ago
It would have loaded in -2 seconds.
Andrew (Who am I?)
1 year ago
OpenDNS is really slick, it is worth setting up for sure.
George Survey (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Scott,
DNS speed calls, no big deal if you have Linux. Just utilize the Host file.
1 or 2 alphanumeric characters, ie; G for google. I have utilized this feature for many years with no problems. You can even use upper and lower case.
Also, no additional work is required by the already overburdened IT staff, if
you program your own PCs hosts file. No mods to your router are required.
The benefit of translations on your own PC, beside higher security is;
faster connection times than if one goes to a standard or third party service provider, as in effect your machine is actually outputting the URL directly,
without the need of any DNS lookups.
Setups are typically less than a minute if your good. Just do a search on the
name (whois) and get their numeric address. Type in the numbers instead of the URL in the host file with a one or two digit abbreviated alphanumeric leter that is pointing to that address and your done.
When I type G in my Mozilla browser for google.com, it automatically checks my hosts file for a match, then I am connected much faster than if I use DNS
the old way.
Please also consider that profilers for advertising companies would love to
peek at your surfing preferences, then sell the info they aggregate.
Unfortunately, third party DNS providers can fall into this catagory.
c0t0s0d0 (Who am I?)
1 year ago
and how is this different to the “keyword” feature in firefox which has existed for years…???