DNS stands for Domain Name System. But what is that?
To quote Wikipedia’s entry on DNS:
“translates domain names meaningful to humans into the numerical (binary) identifiers associated with networking equipment for the purpose of locating and addressing these devices worldwide. An often used analogy to explain the Domain Name System is that it serves as the “phone book” for the Internet by translating human-friendly computer hostnames into IP addresses. For example, www.example.com translates to 208.77.188.166.”
OK, so why do I care about DNS and how does it help me protect my kids while they are surfing the web?
Your Internet service provider grants you access to a DNS server as part of your service (Cable, DSL, Wireless, or other Internet access). But, there is an alternative FREE DNS service out there that P3C Technologies often recommends for protecting young children online: OpenDNS.com
Why use it? The free version offers:
– Very reliable DNS infrastructure (even if your ISP’s DNS servers go down, OpenDNS servers stay up and running!)
– Web content filtering (here’s the part that helps your kids…you can filter out pornography, junk, spyware, malware, phishing sites, etc) including blocking specific websites – click the picture below for a view of these options.
– Typo correction (did you mean to type in Google.com and typed in Goggle.com? OpenDNS recognizes typos and suggests the proper site you were looking for).
This is just one of the recommendations P3C Technologies makes on safer Internet browsing for homes with young children and small businesses concerned with employee Internet surfing. For a complete consultation and list of recommendations, contact P3C Technologies to setup an appointment.