John Cox

Blogs · @wyome

Tagged dns · everything

How-To Geek

Stop trusting Reddit's DNS recommendations—here's how to find the best one for your home

Rather than assuming popular DNS providers work best for everyone, you should benchmark which DNS server performs fastest on your specific network, since your location and ISP routing both affect speed. The article explains how to use two free benchmark tools (DNS Speed Test and Control D's DNS Speed Test) to measure latency, jitter, availability, and resolve times across providers, then recommends choosing a reasonably fast option that also offers features you value—like ad-blocking or content filtering—rather than obsessing over marginal millisecond differences.

Permalink performancetutorialinternetdns

www.howtogeek.com

Stop using the same DNS for every device (do this instead to block ads and boost speeds)

Argues against using a single DNS provider for every device on a home network, instead recommending a tiered approach: ad/tracking-blocking resolvers like NextDNS or AdGuard for smart TVs, family-filtering DNS like OpenDNS FamilyShield for kids' devices, performance-first options like Cloudflare or Quad9 for phones/laptops, and a self-hosted sinkhole (Pi-hole/AdGuard Home) to quarantine chatty, insecure IoT gadgets. It's worth keeping as a practical, device-by-device DNS configuration guide rather than a generic "switch your DNS" tip, including caveats about devices bypassing custom DNS and restrictive filters occasionally blocking legitimate work sites.

Permalink technologyprivacysecuritysmart home

www.digitalocean.com

How To Set Up Apache Virtual Hosts on Ubuntu 16.04

This tutorial by [[Brennen Bearnes]] explains how to configure name-based virtual hosting with the [[Apache]] web server on [[Ubuntu 16.04]], enabling a single server to serve multiple domains such as [[example.com]] and [[test.com]]. It walks through creating site directory structures under [[/var/www]], setting ownership and permissions, adding simple demo index.html pages, and creating per-site configuration files by copying and customizing [[000-default.conf]] in [[/etc/apache2/sites-available]]. The guide covers enabling sites with [[a2ensite]] and disabling the default host, restarting [[apache2]], and optionally editing the local [[/etc/hosts]] file to test domains locally. Also included are troubleshooting tips and explanations of ServerName, ServerAlias, DocumentRoot, and log directives so administrators can expand the setup to host additional domains on one VPS. It emphasizes proper permissions, ownership, and testing, and recommends registering real domains and configuring DNS when moving to production.

Permalink tutorialdns

Google for Developers

Using Google Public DNS

Google Public DNS is a free service allowing users to replace their ISP's domain name servers with Google's addresses (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4 for IPv4; 2001:4860:4860::8888, 2001:4860:4860::8844 for IPv6) to potentially improve performance and reliability. The guide provides step-by-step instructions for configuring these settings across multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android, as well as routers and mobile devices. It emphasizes backing up original DNS settings before making changes and includes testing procedures to verify proper functionality after configuration.

Permalink privacynetworkinggoogletutorial

OpenDNS

OpenDNS | Providing A Safer And Faster DNS

OpenDNS is a DNS service that improves home internet speed through optimized routing and data centers, while providing content filtering and parental controls to protect against malware, phishing, and inappropriate content across all household devices. The service emphasizes ease of setup and reliability as core features for consumer users.

Permalink privacysecuritysmart homewindows