One of the problems with using 'public' DNS servers like Google and OpenDNS is that content delivery networks return the IPs of their nodes that are closest to your DNS servers based on the assumption that you are on the same network as your DNS servers.<p>I just did a comparison and I am 10ms away from the Akamai node returned by my ISP's DNS servers, 88ms away from the node returned by Google Public DNS, and 20ms away from the node returned by OpenDNS. Even if DNS is faster, it may make everything else slower...
Phone support!<p><pre><code> Google Public DNS telephone support
877-590-4367 in the U.S.
770-200-1201 outside the U.S.
</code></pre>
I wonder if this will be a trend.
More data mining by google under the guise of global awesomeness.<p>The point most people miss is that all of your habits and information are under one roof and only need one subpoena to get your entire electronic life on DVD. This just adds to what they already know about your searching, emailing , communicating and spending.
It's an interesting idea, but based on some early tests it looks like a losing bet to me.<p>My ping from a dedicated 15mb Qwest circuit to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 is between 57ms and 75ms. However, cached DNS resolutions run at around 12ms from our default DNS servers. Even uncached resolutions are still way faster than the round-trip to Google.<p>Google Public DNS might be worth it if every single one of your DNS queries would result in a cache miss, but otherwise I don't see the performance improvement Google is gunning for.<p>That said, it is nice to have a public option.
In addition to speeding up the internet for everyone, there's a specific benefit to google: <a href="http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/privacy.html" rel="nofollow">http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/privacy.html</a><p>They can crunch the data on queries and infer which sites are popular (and in what geographic regions they're popular).
I tested this and it is consistently offering better results than OpenDNS and 4.2.2.2. The results are here <a href="http://www.manu-j.com/blog/opendns-alternative-google-dns-rocks/403/" rel="nofollow">http://www.manu-j.com/blog/opendns-alternative-google-dns-ro...</a><p>How are the results from inside US ?
OpenDNS on GoogleDNS is worth a read:<p><a href="http://blog.opendns.com/2009/12/03/opendns-google-dns/" rel="nofollow">http://blog.opendns.com/2009/12/03/opendns-google-dns/</a>
I always hated the redirection my ISP's DNS and OpenDNS forces. Every time I make a typo, i have to completely retype the URL because they redirect me...
Now Google can make cash off typo domains by turning it into a Google search and hopefully earning some sponsor link clicks. Not a bad idea. I wonder if they are going to record requested URLs so they know which ones have high traffic to spider more often... I can see a lot of reasons why Google would want to offer this.