OpenDNS

General Topics
1

With OpenDNS, they have a dynamic IP software that updates your ip address. Do I need that? If I change the servers to OpenDNS, doesn’t all of that DNS stuff go through that anyways, why does it need to keep my IP address up to date? I have dialup, btw.

2

I think it means,if you have a dynamic ip address( not static ),your ISP may from time to time change that address.If this happens,opendns will not recognise that address,and any filtering settings ( blocking porn ) may no longer work.With the updater,this will not happen

3

Also if you restart your router, you will lose the filtering option.

4

Do you mean without the updater Frank ? I turn my router off every night.I have never lost the filtering option :slight_smile:

5

Yes, without the updater. Most ISP’s assign a new IP address when a router is re-booted. The updater tells OpenDNS that it’s you again.

6

Thanks for that :slight_smile:

7

No worries!

8

But what if there is no client software for your platform? Like Ubuntu.

How do you know if your IP is dynamic or static?

9

You don’t need it if you haven’t got the Dashboard stuff set-up, e.g. customised personal blocking preferences set. That needs to know your IP address so with a dynamically assigned IP you need to pass that up to OpenDNS.

If you only use the basic functions, e.g. just use their DNS servers provided (not dashboard) you set your computer to use their dns server, then they don’t need to know your IP address.

If you don’t know if your IP is dynamic or static, I would say it is dynamic. You usually have to pay extra for a static IP.

10

Dial-up over telephone line is dynamic almost without exception for reasons of resource allocation. ISPs will not prioritise static IPs to potentially mobile, temporary connections.

11

Just FYI … for many of us (at least here in the US) cable and DSL ISP services are known to keep DHCP users with the same IP address for extended periods of time. My IP address on my cable provider has remained the same for more than 15 months now, for one of the folks I support on DSL it has remained the same for more than 2 years.

However, the possibility of change is ever present even though the reality is that - for long periods - it appears static.

12

There is a way of keeping OpenDNS informed of IP address changes in Linux so the filtering account remains active, but I haven’t tried it. It’s certainly not as simple as Windows, but it does exist. See the OpenDNS web site.