In Brief having a Public DNS has two advantages.

1. Faster Performance, Page loads
2. Better Security

Below are a few way a public DNS helps in more details courtesy Google

• Performance. Many DNS service providers are not sufficiently provisioned to be able to support high-volume input/output and caching, and adequately balance load among their servers. In addition to load-balancing user traffic to ensure shared caching, Google Public DNS implements “smart” caching to increase the speed of responses. Google Public DNS independently resolves domain names and keeps the resolutions in the cache until their time-to-live (TTL) expires, at which point they are automatically refreshed. The cycle of caching and refreshing is performed offline, asynchronously with user requests, so that responses are almost always available directly from cache. For more information, see the page on performance benefits.
• Security. DNS is vulnerable to various kinds of spoofing attacks that can “poison” a nameserver’s cache and route its users to malicious sites. The prevalence of DNS exploits means that providers have to frequently apply server updates and patches. In addition, open DNS resolvers are vulnerable to being used to launch denial-of-service (DoS) attacks on other systems. To defend against such attacks, Google has implemented several recommended solutions to help guarantee the authenticity of the responses it receives from other nameservers, and to ensure our servers are not used for launching DoS attacks. These include adding entropy to requests, rate-limiting client traffic, and more. For more information, see the page on security benefits.
• Correct results. Google Public DNS does its best to return the right answer to every query every time, in accordance with the DNS standards. Sometimes, in the case of a query for a mistyped or non-existent domain name, the right answer means no answer, or an error message stating the domain name could not be resolved. Google Public DNS never blocks, filters, or redirects users, unlike some open resolvers and ISPs.

Before we Begin on how to configure Google Public DNS Service I have listed out a few more alternatives below

List Of Free Public DNS Servers

Google

• 8.8.8.8
• 8.8.4.4

OpenDNS

• 208.67.222.222
• 208.67.220.220

ScrubIt

• 67.138.54.100
• 207.225.209.66

dnsadvantage

• 156.154.70.1
• 156.154.71.1

vnsc-pri.sys.gtei.net

• 4.2.2.1
• 4.2.2.2
• 4.2.2.3
• 4.2.2.4
• 4.2.2.5
• 4.2.2.6

Configuring your network settings to use Google Public DNS

When you use Google Public DNS, you are changing your DNS “switchboard” operator from your ISP to Google Public DNS.

In most cases, the IP addresses used by your ISP’s domain name servers are automatically set by your ISP via the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). To use Google Public DNS, you need to explicitly change the DNS settings in your operating system or device to use the Google Public DNS IP addresses. The procedure for changing your DNS settings varies according to operating system and version (Windows, Mac or Linux) or the device (computer, phone, or router). We give general procedures here that might not apply for your OS or device; please consult your vendor documentation for authoritative information.

Note: We recommend that only users who are proficient with configuring operating system settings make these changes.

Important: Before you start

Before you change your DNS settings to use Google Public DNS, be sure to write down the current server addresses or settings on a piece of paper. It is very important that you keep these numbers for backup purposes, in case you need to revert to them at any time.

After changing your settings, if you encounter a problem and cannot connect to the Internet, call Google’s support numbers for troubleshooting instructions.

you can download this tutorial and print it, in the event that you encounter a problem and need to refer to these instructions.

Google Public DNS IP addresses

The Google Public DNS IP addresses are as follows:

• 8.8.8.8
• 8.8.4.4

You can use either number as your primary or secondary DNS server. You can specify both numbers, but do not specify one number as both primary and secondary.

Changing your DNS servers settings

Many systems allow you to specify multiple DNS servers, to be contacted in a priority order. In the following instructions, we provide steps to specify only the Google Public DNS servers as the primary and secondary servers, to ensure that your setup will correctly use Google Public DNS in all cases.

Note: Depending on your network setup, you may need administrator/root privileges to change these settings.

Microsoft Windows

DNS settings are specified in the TCP/IP Properties window for the selected network connection.

Example: Changing DNS server settings on Microsoft Windows Vista

1. Go the Control Panel.
2. Click Network and Internet, then Network and Sharing Center, then Manage network connections.
3. Select the connection for which you want to configure Google Public DNS. For example:
   • To change the settings for an Ethernet connection, right-click Local Area Connection, and click Properties.
   • To change the settings for a wireless connection, right-click Wireless Network Connection, and click Properties.

   If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

4. Select the Networking tab. Under This connection uses the following items, click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and then click Properties.
5. Click Advanced and select the DNS tab. If there are any DNS server IP addresses listed there, write them down for future reference, and remove them from this window.
6. Click OK.
7. Select Use the following DNS server addresses. If there are any IP addresses listed in the Preferred DNS server or Alternate DNS server, write them down for future reference.
8. Replace those addresses with the IP addresses of the Google DNS servers: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
9. Restart the connection you selected in step 3.
10. Test that your setup is working correctly; see Testing your new settings below.
11. Repeat the procedure for additional network connections you want to change.

Mac OS X

DNS settings are specified in the Network window.

Example: Changing DNS server settings on Mac OS 10.5

1. From the Apple menu, click System Preferences, then click Network. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
2. Select the connection for which you want to configure Google Public DNS. For example:
   • To change the settings for an Ethernet connection, select Built-In Ethernet, and click Advanced.
   • To change the settings for a wireless connection, select Airport, and click Advanced.
3. Select the DNS tab.
4. Click + to replace any listed addresses with, or add, the Google IP addresses at the top of the list: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
5. Click Apply and OK.
6. Test that your setup is working correctly; see Testing your new settings below.
7. Repeat the procedure for additional network connections you want to change.

Linux

In most modern Linux distributions, DNS settings are configured through Network Manager.

Example: Changing DNS server settings on Ubuntu

1. In the System menu, click Preferences, then click Network Connections.
2. Select the connection for which you want to configure Google Public DNS. For example:
   • To change the settings for an Ethernet connection, select the Wired tab, then select your network interface in the list. It is usually called eth0.
   • To change the settings for a wireless connection, select the Wireless tab, then select the appropriate wireless network.
3. Click Edit, and in the window that appears, select the IPv4 Settings tab.
4. If the selected method is Automatic (DHCP), open the dropdown and select Automatic (DHCP) addresses only instead. If the method is set to something else, do not change it.
5. In the DNS servers field, enter the Google Public DNS IP addresses, separated by a space: 8.8.8.8  8.8.4.4
6. Click Apply to save the change. If you are prompted for a password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
7. Test that your setup is working correctly; see Testing your new settings below.
8. Repeat the procedure for additional network connections you want to change.

If your distribution doesn’t use Network Manager, your DNS settings are specified in /etc/resolv.conf.

Example: Changing DNS server settings on a Debian server

1. Edit /etc/resolv.conf:

   sudo vi /etc/resolv.conf

2. If any nameserver lines appear, write down the IP addresses for future reference.
3. Replace the nameserver lines with, or add, the following lines:

   nameserver 8.8.8.8
   nameserver 8.8.4.4

4. Save and exit.
5. Restart any Internet clients you are using.
6. Test that your setup is working correctly; see Testing your new settings below.

Additionally, if you are using DHCP client software that overwrites the settings in /etc/resolv.conf, you will need to set up the client accordingly by editing the client’s configuration file.

Example: Configuring DHCP client sofware on a Debian server

1. Back up /etc/resolv.conf:

   sudo cp /etc/resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf.auto

2. Edit /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf:

   sudo vi /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf

3. If there is a line containing domain-name-servers, write down the IP addresses for future reference.
4. Replace that line with, or add, the following line:

   prepend domain-name-servers 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4;

5. Save and exit.
6. Restart any Internet clients you are using.
7. Test that your setup is working correctly; see Testing your new settings below.

Routers

Every router uses a different user interface for configuring DNS server settings; we provide only a generic procedure below. For more information, please consult your router documentation.

Note: Some ISPs hard-code their DNS servers into the equipment they provide; if you are using such a device, you will not be able to configure it to use Google Public DNS. Instead, you can configure each of the computers connected to the router, as described above.

To change your settings on a router:

1. In your browser, enter the IP address to access the router’s administration console.
2. When prompted, enter the password to access network settings.
3. Find the screen in which DNS server settings are specified.
4. If there are IP addresses specified in the fields for the primary and seconday DNS servers, write them down for future reference.
5. Replace those addresses with Google IP addresses: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
6. Save and exit.
7. Restart your browser.
8. Test that your setup is working correctly; see Testing your new settings below.

Mobile or other devices

DNS servers are typically specified under advanced wi-fi settings. However, as every mobile device uses a different user interface for configuring DNS server settings, we provide only a generic procedure below. For more information, please consult your mobile provider’s documentation.

To change your settings on a mobile device:

1. Go to the screen in which wi-fi settings are specified.
2. Find the screen in which DNS server settings are specified.
3. If there are IP addresses specified in the fields for the primary and seconday DNS servers, write them down for future reference.
4. Replace those addresses with Google IP addresses: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
5. Save and exit.
6. Test that your setup is working correctly; see Testing your new settings below.

Testing your new settings

To test that the Google DNS resolver is working:

1. From your browser, type in a hostname, such as http://www.google.com. If it resolves correctly, bookmark the page, and try accessing the page from the bookmark. If both of these tests work, everything is working correctly. If not, go to step 2.
2. From your browser, type in a fixed IP address. You can use http://18.62.1.6/ (which points to the website http://eecs.mit.edu/) as the URL*. If this works correctly, bookmark the page, and try accessing the page from the bookmark. If these tests work (but step 1 fails), then there is a problem with your DNS configuration; check the steps above to make sure you have configured everything correctly. If these tests do not work, go to step 3.
3. Roll back the DNS changes you made and run the tests again. If the tests still do not work, then there is a problem with your network settings; contact your ISP or network administrator for assistance.

* Google thanks MIT for granting permission to use this URL for the purposes of testing web connectivity.

Switching back to your old DNS settings

If you had not previously configured any customized DNS servers, to switch back to your old settings, in the window in which you specified the Google IP addresses, select the option to enable obtaining DNS server addresses automatically, and/or delete the Google IP addresses. This will revert your settings to using your ISP’s default servers.

If you need to manually specify any addresses, use the procedures above to specify the old IP addresses.

If necessary, restart your system.

The Guide above has been provided by Google you can read the original tutorial at Google Code

Related posts:

1. Google Updater Service Uninstall, Disable Or Configure The Complete Guide
2. Unlimited Free International Calls & SMS After Activating Google Voice Outside US
3. Unblock Blocked Websites like Myspace, Bebo and Orkut
4. Uninstall Google Gears From Mac OS X, Windows, Linux
5. Facebook Chat, Google Gtalk Intergration Coming Soon

© Arpit Jacob for Clazh, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Catergories: Google, How To Tags: Browser, DNS, Guide, How To, Performance, Tuneup

First of all lets see how Google updater gets install, this will help in preventing you from getting the update service running in the background. If you are using any of the Google prodcuts, like Google Desktop, Google gears, Google Talk, Google Pack and Google Earth the updater gets installed and starts running in the background silently.

Scroll down if you are looking for the Mac OS X Guide

Google Updater Service on Windows 7, Vista & XP

For people using windows you can hit the CNTRL + ALT + DEL keys to bring up the task manager to see if the Google Update program is running in the background or not.

Now there are a couple of things you might want to do, completely get rid of the Google update which can cause so programs to malfunction or Configure google updater to check the internet at a specified time.

Completly Get rid Of Google Updater Service.

There are a couple of different way you can remove the Google Updater. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Uninstall from the Start Menu

1. Go to the Start menu > Programs > Google Updater > Uninstall Google Updater.
2. Restart your computer after you uninstall.

Uninstall from the Control Panel

1. Click the Start menu on your computer taskbar.
2. Select Control Panel.
3. Double-click Add or Remove Programs (on XP) or Programs and Features (on Vista).
4. Select Google Updater in the list of programs.
5. Click Remove.
6. Restart your computer after you uninstall.

Uninstall from the command line (advanced)

1. Click the Start menu on your computer taskbar.
2. Select Run.
3. Enter cmd to open a command prompt.
4. Type cd C:\Program Files\Google\Google Updater to change directories.
5. Type GoogleUpdater.exe -uninstall to uninstall.
6. Restart your computer after you uninstall.

If the Above Methods don’t work you can try the following options.
Disabling the Google Updater from startup List

1. Click on Start Button then in the Run box, type in msconfig in the Open field and click OK or press the Enter key.
2. The System Configuration Utility will open up. On the top you’ll a couple of tabs, select the Startup tab. Go down to the GoogleUpdate startup item and deselect it.
3. Restart the computer.

Disabling the Google Updater service

1. Click on Start Button then in the Run box, type in services.msc in the Open field and click OK or press the Enter key.
2. You will see a huge list of Services, scroll down to find the GoogleUpdate Service. Double click on it to open the Properties box (or right click and select Properties). The Startup Type drop-down will list three options, select Disabled.
3. Click on Apply and OK.

Customizing the Updater: Software update preferences

The Google Updater lets you choose if and how you’re notified about updates for software you’ve installed through Google Pack. To set your preferences for Pack software updates, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Start menu > Programs > Google Updater > Google Updater.
2. Click the Preferences tab.
3. Click Advanced options.
4. In the ‘Updates’ section, select one of the following options:
   • ‘Automatically update software’: The Updater will silently keep your software up-to-date without any prompts or notifications. Occasionally, an issue may need your attention, in which case you’ll be notified.
   • ‘Let me check for updates myself’: The Updater won’t send you any update notifcations and your software won’t be updated automatically. To see a list of available updates, click the Updates tab at any time.
5. Once you’ve made your selection, click Save Preferences.

Configure Google Update using Registry.

If your operating doesn’t include a policy editor (Windows XP Home, Windows Vista Home), edit the Registry directly. Just create the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Update

and add two DWORD values:

AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes – auto-update check interval (for example: 1440 to check for updates once a day)

DisableAutoUpdateChecksCheckboxValue – 1, if you want to disable the auto-updater; 0, if you want to enable it.

Configure Google Update using the Group Policy.

Change the default update check period to once per week or disable it.
Step 1. Download the Administrative Template provided by Google Google Updater Group Policy Template

Step 2. Launch Group Policy Editor

• Navigate to Start > Run: gpedit.msc

Step 3. Importing Google Update ADM template.

• Navigate to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates
• Right-click Administrative Templates, and select Add/Remove Templates
  Google Updater Configure Group Policy
• Add the GoogleUpdate.adm template via the dialog.
• Once complete, a Google folder will appear under ‘Administrative Templates’ if it’s not there already.

Step 4. Set the update check period.

• Navigate to Administrative Templates > Google > Google Update > Preferences.
  Google Updater Configure Group Policy
• Modify the Auto-update check period override property as shown or mark is a Disabled.
  Google Updater Configure Group Policy

If you want Disable Individual Google products. The Example below uses Google Chrome auto-updates as an Example.

Follow steps 1 and 2 in the first example if you haven’t imported the GoogleUpdate.adm template. Change the update policy override for Google Chrome:

• Navigate to Administrative Templates > Google > Google Update > Applications > Google Chrome.
  Disable Google Chrome
• Modify the Update policy override property as shown.
  Disable Google Chrome

Mac OS X GoogleSoftwareUpdateAgent and GoogleSoftwareUpdateDaemon

Remove GoogleSoftwareUpdateDaemon from the Mac OS X

1. Uninstall any Google programs you currently have installed on your computer.
   Failing to uninstall your Google applications may cause these applications to work improperly and, in many cases, Google Software Update will be reinstalled after a few hours.
2. Open a Terminal window by going to Applications > Utilities in Finder.
3. Google Software Update can be uninstalled for a specific user or for your whole system. Paste one of the following commands in Terminal:
   • Uninstall for a specific user:Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate/GoogleSoftwareUpdate.bundle/Contents/Resources/GoogleSoftwareUpdateAgent.app/Contents/Resources/install.py –uninstall
   • Uninstall for the whole system: (needs root access)sudo /Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate/GoogleSoftwareUpdate.bundle/Contents/Resources/GoogleSoftwareUpdateAgent.app/Contents/Resources/install.py –uninstall
4. After pasting the command, press Enter on your keyboard.

Google Software Update should now be uninstalled

Configure Google Updater for the Mac OS X

Update Frequency
To change how frequently Google Software Update checks for updates, execute the following in the Terminal application:

$ defaults write com.google.Keystone.Agent checkInterval

where is the elapsed time in seconds between update checks.

To disable Google Software Update from checking for updates, execute the following in the Terminal application:

$ defaults write com.google.Keystone.Agent checkInterval 0

Manual Updates
Google Software Update also provides a way to manually update all Google software on a user’s Mac. Here’s how:

1. In Finder, select Go > Go to Folder.
2. In the window that appears, enter one of the following locations. It’s expected that one of these folders won’t be found:
   • /Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate/GoogleSoftwareUpdate.bundle/Contents/Resources/
   • ~/Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate/GoogleSoftwareUpdate.bundle/Contents/Resources/
3. In the folder that opens, double click the file named ‘CheckForUpdatesNow.command’.

Terminal will open to run the file. When you see the message ‘[Process completed]‘ you can close Terminal. Once this is done, your Google programs will be up to date.

Related posts:

1. Uninstall Google Gears From Mac OS X, Windows, Linux
2. Free Public DNS Servers IP Addresses and How To Configure Google Public DNS
3. How to Hide or Remove A Installed Program from Add Remove
4. Unlimited Free International Calls & SMS After Activating Google Voice Outside US
5. How To Upgrade and Update WordPress A Simple Guide

© Arpit Jacob for Clazh, 2009. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Catergories: Google, How To Tags: Guide, How To, Update