Which DNS Server

I recently subscribed to AlwaysVPN to use while on the road so I was testing it by using my router's DNS rather than AlwaysVPN DNS servers.

If I use my Routers DNS then my connection is through my ISP, and if I use AlwaysVPN DNS servers then my web connection is not through my ISP, but through their servers, is this correct?

I can use AlwaysVPN through my ISP or through their servers, is there a preferred way to use AlwaysVPN?

Thanks,

Jim

 

I'm using PCLinuxOS 10 kde 64bit.

AlwaysVPN admin made this statement which I found to be confusing:

"If the ip check web page says that you are connected then most of your internet traffic is being sent over the vpn connection.
However your DNS requests are most likely still being sent to your local router over an unencrypted link. This may be fine for you depending on your situation."

AlwaysVPN, in their instructions for a non-debian Linux system, says to manually change the network setting to their DNS servers. Debian systems have a script that changes the DNS address. Initially I did not change to their adddress but connected to their VPN network using mt routers DNS setting of 192.168.1.1. My question to AlwaysVPN was "if I can connect to your vpn network using my local settings, then why should I change to your new settings? They gave me the above answer.

Thanks,

Jim

 

Thanks, I'll take a look at Shorewall.

Jim

 

The DNS server address that AlwaysVPN recommends are actually OpenDNS servers, that's the reason I could connect to AlwaysVPN through my local DNS of 192.68.1.1 without changing to their recommended DNS addresses. When I changed my local DNS settings to AlwaysVPN DNS settings then AlwaysVPN runs through OpenDNS, which I suppose is a good thing.

Jim

 

To those of you citing 192.68.1.1:

I too have my DNS queries setup to use 192.68.1.1 which referes DNS queries to my router.

As I have logged into my router and modified the default DNS IP numeric addresses of my ISP to OpenDNS servers - then all of my DNS queries are not going to my ISP DNS servers, but to OpenDNS servers (primary and secondary).

Additionally, unless you modify your router's password from the ISP's default password for your router, and turned off the router's logging - then your ISP can monitor your DNS traffic.

-- Tom

 

Hi,

can you not leave to obtain automatically as long as you have your router set up for your preferred DNS.

What benchmarking tools are there?..(one I found was at GRC.)