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How to check if a computer is using OpenDNS

How can someone, particularly a non-technical computer user, ensure that their computer is configured to use OpenDNS? It's easy.

Michael Horowitz

Michael Horowitz wrote his first computer program in 1973 and has been a computer nerd ever since. He spent more than 20 years working in an IBM mainframe (MVS) environment. He has worked in the research and development group of a large Wall Street financial company, and has been a technical writer for a mainframe software company.

He teaches a large range of self-developed classes, the underlying theme being Defensive Computing. Michael is an independent computer consultant, working with small businesses and the self-employed. He can be heard weekly on The Personal Computer Show on WBAI.

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Michael Horowitz

In response to the recent DNS problems on the Internet I had earlier suggested changing some network configuration parameters to use the free OpenDNS service.

As I did this myself for a number of machines that I maintain, the question arose of verifying the change. That is, how can someone, particularly a non-technical computer user, ensure that their computer is configured to use OpenDNS?

This is, it turns out, remarkably easy.

Go to www.opendns.com. At the top of the home page, just under the tabs, there will be a message whose content depends on whether the computer is using OpenDNS or not.

If the computer is not using OpenDNS, the message reads: "Start using the world's largest and fastest-growing DNS service. Make your network safer, faster, smarter and more reliable. It's free." See a full size image.


If the computer is using OpenDNS, the message reads: "You're using OpenDNS. Thanks! You are now navigating the Internet safer, faster, smarter and more reliably than ever before." See a full size image.


Update: According to the company, this should work for all operating systems.

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