DNS Client service + OpenDNS Question?

Up until yesterday, I had the "DNS Client" service DISABLED in XP and I was using OpenDNS. Apparently many "tweak" sites recommend to have the DNS Client service set to AUTO and running at startup because it somewhat improves your web page loading while on the internet.

a) is it recommended to have the DNS Client service enabled or disabled? (using SBC Yahoo! DSL)

b) if enabled, can I still use OpenDNS (or will it not matter)?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Hello Birdman.

I've been using 'Open DNS', with Verizon DSL for along time. I just checked services & found DNS set to 'manual' the service was not started. This has worked very well for me


Take Care
Rico

 

DNS Client only caches DNS request, so lets say, that you type - www.wilderssecurity.com - DNS will resolve the IP of the webpage and you will connect there and DNS Client will save its IP to the cache, it saves about 100 IPs by default. When you type the same webpage again, DNS Client will use cached IP instead of looking for the IP again, so a webpage could load faster by a few ms. But if DNS servers are fast enough, you will not notice a difference, the best way to find out, is to try it out. DNS Client could actually cause problems like 100% CPU, especially with HOSTS file or just not to be able to open a webpage until DNS cache would be flushed. It could be also used by a cracker, who could change an IP in a cache to redirect an user to the webpage, that would look similar, but it is unlikely if a security software is used. By the way, I use Open DNS and I have DNS Client disabled for years.

 

I use OpenDNS and never had DNSclient service ensabled.

See also
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318803
and
http://www.theeldergeek.com/dns_client.htm

Gerard

 

i use opendns and the dns client service is off
lodore

 

In any case, you are able to use OpenDNS.
If you connect through a router, then just configure the router. Windows will pick up the router DNS settings.

 

No router, just direct modem connection.

I disabled DNS Client service and went back to OpenDNS. Too bad that SBC Yahoo! would allow me to configure their DNS server settings (had to do it through my computers' LAN instead).