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Comment by micro-ram | Hacker News Reader

There are different reasons to use the various dns servers:

Both Google (8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4) and OpenDNS (208.67.220.220 / 208.67.222.222) can be troublesome on small networks when trying to reach local LAN devices because they resolve failures to their own search pages. My fallback here is to always try one of the L3 servers (4.2.2.1 - .6)

OpenDNS is my goto when I need filtering. OpenDNS is also great when changing ip addresses on domains because you can clear their public cache and make sure everything is updated and is working immediately. http://www.opendns.com/support/cache/

Google DNS tends to make youtube streaming work much better for me.

Even Comcast has even recently changed their dns to memorable numbers 75.75.75.75 / 75.75.76.76

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I have neither heard of Google`s DNS servers resolving failures to their own search pages, nor experienced it myself after using it since it`s release.

OpenDNS on the other hand...

I stand corrected. Google does not respond to incorrect domains. I mistook the auto search from the address bar in firefox as similar behavior to OpenDNS.

I hope this comes across in the constructive manner I intend it: when I am curious about a network issue, especially DNS related, a browser is never the tool I use for asking such questions. If you're on a modern OS then "dig" is an amazing tool, and on that other OS "nslookup" will do in a pinch.

There is a cache flush tool for Google DNS too!

https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/cache

I am reminded of the Apple slogan "Redmond, start your photocopiers!"

Google just does it in the browser. (they call it "omnibox")

DNS is for the most part a pass-fail type system. It can in no way make streaming better, unless your ISP is purposely giving wrong addresses for YouTube. Is that common now? It wouldn't surprise me, to be honest..

DNS can give you IPs for things close by, or far away. 8.8.8.8 uses EDNS0 Client Subnet to try and improve which IP address you get served back.

Geo based DNS is the job of the auth nameserver, not the recursive as you know. So, the client subnet extension is a good idea, as otherwise it just relies on the address of the recursive resolver. I assumed, wrongly perhaps, that the ISPs recursive ns would be located close to the user, which has always been the case in my town. Well, moreso helpful than hoping the auth recognizes the client subnet extension.

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