What Is DNS, And Why Do I Care?
Andrew Clarke – the IT Magician
DNS stands for Domain Name Server. These servers make it possible for you to navigate the internet using
words like www.google.com instead of IP addresses like 173.194.123.82. If you type those numbers into your
browser, they will take you to Google. Go ahead ... you know you want to try it. : )
Why should you care about DNS? There was recently an issue that prevented some users from reaching my
company's web pages. The solution was to have my users change their Domain Name Servers from those
supplied they their ISP (Internet Service Provider) to those managed by Google. While Domain Name Servers
provided by ISPs like Comcast and Verizon were affected, Google's Domain Name Servers were not.
If you get an error indicating a problem with DNS or Domain Name Servers, try visiting the IP address above. If
you are able to do so, modifying your DNS settings might correct your problem without having to contact your
ISP. It's easy to do. Here are the steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Open Control Panel
Type share in the Control Panel Search box
Click Network and Sharing Center
Click on your internet connection [see picture below - In this case, you would click on Wi-Fi (NETGEAR)]
5. Click Properties
6. Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4
7. Click Use the following DNS server addresses
8. Set Preferred DNS Server to 8.8.8.8 and Alternate DNS Server to 8.8.4.4
9. Click Ok and close all open windows