Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

Sector11 · 2019-10-13 15:11:57

Seeing this thread: Cannot connect to internet in Helium release

I'm curious: Why add the Google Public DNS server in /etc/network/interfaces

dns-nameservers 8.8.8.8

What is the advantage of adding that?

Mine is simply:

# This file describes the network interfaces available on your system
# and how to activate them. For more information, see interfaces(5).

## https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic.php?pid=88338#p88338

#source /etc/network/interfaces.d/*

# changed enp2s0 to enp3s0  12/09/19
# The loopback network interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

#allow-hotplug enp3s0
auto enp3s0
iface enp3s0 inet dhcp

####
#### see /etc/resolve.conf
####

NOTE: I use no network manager - My desktop computer is connected to a Cable Modem/Router

 13 Oct 19 @ 12:04:31 ~
   $ nwk
Network:   Card: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: d000 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168
           IF: enp3s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
           WAN IP: <filter> IF: enp3s0 ip-v4: <filter> ip-v6: <filter>
 
 13 Oct 19 @ 12:04:39 ~
   $

ALSO: I have ip-v6 so would:

dns-nameservers 2001:4860:4860::8888

be better?

Or both?

manyroads · 2019-10-13 17:03:59

There are many free (DNS) nameservers. You should use those you trust and believe are most well suited to your needs. If you use 8.8.8.8 as your primary you should use 8.8.4.4 as your secondary. Here are some other options:

https://www.lifewire.com/free-and-publi … rs-2626062

ohnonot · 2019-10-14 05:51:15

Sector11 wrote:

I'm curious: Why add the Google Public DNS server in /etc/network/interfaces
dns-nameservers 8.8.8.8
What is the advantage of adding that?

Because otherwise it would use the nameservers that your router/ISP (automatically) provides.
Some folks apparently think they're 'leet just because they're able to change it, but I agree: if you change it, why in dog's name would you choose google dns...

OTOH, it's a fairly safe (google never sleeps) fallback.

I use opennic's nameservers, and have for many years. It makes me happy to have skirted that part of surveillance monopoly.

deleted0 · 2019-10-14 10:07:51

Cloadflare claims the fastest servers. 1.1.1.1,1.0.0.1

8bit

DeepDayze · 2019-10-14 17:01:26

Good to have alternate nameservers in case your ISP's nameserver goes down. I have Comcast and have experienced numerous DNS outages because of the poor state of many of their nameservers. I've used Google's and OpenDNS's with good results and might try Cloudflare's sometime.

It's fairly easy to temporarily override your ISP's nameserver with another one.

Last edited by DeepDayze (2019-10-14 17:02:22)

Sector11 · 2019-10-14 17:30:01

Thank you guys ....

manyroads wrote:

You should use those you trust and believe are most well suited to your needs.

That's almost a joke. How would I know "who to trust"? I trust GUGL to sell anything and everything they can get from me, other than that "Our Privacy Policy" pages that are 76 layers deep and connect to all those 3rd/4th and 5th parties as well.

ohnonot wrote:

Sector11 wrote:
I'm curious: Why add the Google Public DNS server in /etc/network/interfaces
dns-nameservers 8.8.8.8
What is the advantage of adding that?
Because otherwise it would use the nameservers that your router/ISP (automatically) provides.

And how is this bad?

ohnonot wrote:

Some folks apparently think they're 'leet just because they're able to change it, but I agree: if you change it, why in dog's name would you choose google dns...
OTOH, it's a fairly safe (google never sleeps) fallback.
I use opennic's nameservers, and have for many years. It makes me happy to have skirted that part of surveillance monopoly.

And my ISP is known around the net as a SPAM server. I got locked out of Debian Forums once because of my ISP being blocked completely. I had to contact the site admin to regain access. And even MY email from my ISP was getting SPAM from my ISP!

EXACTLY! I am NOT a GUGL lover and it was my ISP that suggested:

dns-nameservers 8.8.8.8

at the same time they suggested I install Windows on another partition here and use Chrome to get my email, that they messed up, after having the same email since my #! days.

So I had one option, get free email: where? gmail, hotmail, yahoo etc all the same so gmail it was {sigh}.

My ISP bought out another ISP and were merging the two systems.... my mail was off and on for about a week then completely gone. After 12 days of not being able to fix the problem, they suggested the above "solution". There was NO change here to warrant loss of email access.

So ... using a nameservers isn't a bad thing. But would this be the same as VPN?
I use some sites that do not allow VPN and I see from manyroad's link at livewire there are a lot of options (Thank you for the link). Cloudflare being one of them eight.bit.al. Thank you

How does "speed" come into play? Isn't that something provided by the ISP?
I also saw, just today, an addon for FF to use a different DNS and Android devices as well.

@ ohnonot - I notice that OpenNIC Public Servers has none in South America. And their "Why you shouldn't pick Tier 2 anycast servers" just confuses me.

This wasn't answered:

ALSO: I have ip-v6 so would:
dns-nameservers 2001:4860:4860::8888
be better?
Or both?

Could I do:

# This file describes the network interfaces available on your system
# and how to activate them. For more information, see interfaces(5).

## https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic.php?pid=88338#p88338

#source /etc/network/interfaces.d/*

# changed enp2s0 to enp3s0  12/09/19
# The loopback network interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

#allow-hotplug enp3s0
auto enp3s0
iface enp3s0 inet dhcp

##### USING GOOGLE AS AN EXAMPLE ONLY FOR THE MOMENT #####

## IPv4 Servers:  
dns-nameservers 8.8.8.8
dns-nameservers 8.8.4.4

## IPv6 Servers:
dns-nameservers 2001:4860:4860::8888
dns-nameservers 2001:4860:4860::8844


####
#### see /etc/resolve.conf
####

RECAP the questions:

And how is this bad? -->> using the supplied nameserver from my ISP
- I'm guessing in my case: YEA VERY! since: my ISP is known around the net as a SPAM server
Can I use IPv4 and IPv6
- Never mind - yes I can and IPv6 will be used before IPv4 - apparently
- ANSWER:
  Sure. You have an A record (for IPv4) and an AAAA record (for IPv6). Typically the AAAA record gets resolved first, then the A record.
  You can either have just an A name (for an IPv4-only host), AAAA name (IPv6-only host) or both. You could even have different servers for both.
  You could even have multiple A and AAAA names (for different dual-stack or mix of ipv4 and 6) servers.
So ... using a nameservers isn't a bad thing. But would this be the same as VPN?

Feel free to add any do's and or don't I may have missed here.

ohnonot · 2019-10-14 18:06:33

Ho-hum...

Sector11 wrote:

And my ISP is known around the net as a SPAM server. I got locked out of Debian Forums once because of my ISP being blocked completely. I had to contact the site admin to regain access. And even MY email from my ISP was getting SPAM from my ISP!

that happens quite a lot on forums.debian.net; they have strict spam filters; nothing to worry about really.
In any case, both these cases have nothing to do with namservers. That's about your IP, which does not change if you change nameservers.

So ... using a nameservers isn't a bad thing. But would this be the same as VPN?

No.
It just means that you take (some) control of something that is usually controlled (and logged) by someone else, namely your ISP, with a commercial interest in your usage statistics.

How does "speed" come into play?

Do you know what name resolution is?
The internet itself doesn't know "archive.org" - it only knows a numerical IP address.
So whenever you send "archive.org", it gets send to a nameserver first, which replies with a numerical IP.
If that is slow, then it slows down your browsing etc.

This wasn't answered:
ALSO: I have ip-v6 so would:
dns-nameservers 2001:4860:4860::8888
be better?
Or both?

That's an IPv6 address.
To my knowledge it doesn't make a difference - a namserver situated at an IPv6 address can still return IPv4 addresses and vice versa.
At this point in the history of the internet it's just an additional option - but there will come the future when there's no more IPv4 addresses anymore and sites will have only IPv6 addresses.
Please do some web searches on this.

Sector11 · 2019-10-15 00:05:29

Oh sorry to bore you but this is all new to me.

But thank you for the response.

dbvolvox · 2019-10-15 15:21:34

eight.bit.al wrote:

Cloadflare claims the fastest servers. 1.1.1.1,1.0.0.1
8bit

I just changed to this on "non-logging" grounds but I have noticed it is quick!

ohnonot · 2019-10-17 05:14:55

^ there you are, most people are only interested in response times anyhow; not who you give that data to.

Sector11 wrote:

Oh sorry to bore you but this is all new to me.

Are you miffed cause I asked you to look it up?
The whole IPv4/IPv6 story really goes beyond this topic and is well documented - better than I could explain it.
Start here.

Sector11 · 2019-10-17 12:48:39

ohnonot wrote:

^ there you are, most people are only interested in response times anyhow; not who you give that data to.
Sector11 wrote:
Oh sorry to bore you but this is all new to me.
Are you miffed cause I asked you to look it up?

Noooooooo! Not even close ... it was a comment for the "Ho hum..." you put out

Trust me, known you too long and have too much respect for you. IF someday you said something that I did get miffed at - I would send a PM and request that we clear it up because I'm certain it would be a misunderstanding on my part.

ohnonot wrote:

The whole IPv4/IPv6 story really goes beyond this topic and is well documented - better than I could explain it.
Start here.

And yes, I knew about the IPv4 numbers running out, read about it years ago, but as you said "goes beyond the scope" of "why use different name servers". I did however re-research and read up on it again because it is "loosely" connected.

tynman · 2019-10-17 16:51:33

To your question,

So ... using a nameservers isn't a bad thing. But would this be the same as VPN?

IMHO, this question needs to be clarified. To me at least, it doesn't really make sense. Nameservers just translate URLs into IP addresses. The use VPNs is not related. (But I am probably just misunderstanding the question ).

Sector11 · 2019-10-17 17:26:53

tynman wrote:

To your question,
So ... using a nameservers isn't a bad thing. But would this be the same as VPN?
IMHO, this question needs to be clarified. To me at least, it doesn't really make sense. Nameservers just translate URLs into IP addresses. The use VPNs is not related. (But I am probably just misunderstanding the question ).

Probably not ... like I said I'm only now learning of such things.

And while researching as mentioned before I did do one on VPN too - not related.

ohnonot · 2019-10-19 08:18:39

Sector11 wrote:

... it was a comment for the "Ho hum..." you put out

Indeed, looking up various online dictionaries, it seems I didn't use that word correctly.
I thought it was the sound a middle-aged male makes before embarking on a lengthy, slightly codescending and tedious explanation.
Something like this:
"Ho-hum. I'm telling ya, back in the days we used to... blah blah blah..."

Sector11 · 2019-10-19 14:35:18

@ ohnonot .. so glad we got that cleared up.
No harm, no foul, {extending hand} shake.

Think that would be:
"Hmmm... I'm telling ya, back in the day, we used to... blah blah blah..."

damo · 2019-10-19 18:32:55

So is "ho-hum" a more polite equivalent to "sheesh"?

Sector11 · 2019-10-19 20:34:18

Could be under certain circumstances damo.

hhh · 2019-10-19 21:50:05

Growing up in New England in the late sixties and seventies, I always associated "Ho hum" as something boring. It definitely had/has a British, A.A. Milne/Winnie the Pooh sentiment about it, for me at least.

"Oh, bother. Ho hum."

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ho-hum

Weariness, boredom, disdain. Well, we've just described humanity. Ho hum.

ohnonot · 2019-10-21 21:06:29

Sector11 wrote:

@ ohnonot .. so glad we got that cleared up.
No harm, no foul, {extending hand} shake.
Think that would be:
"Hmmm... I'm telling ya, back in the day, we used to... blah blah blah..."

{shakes hand}
Actually I'm quite thankful because I like to sprinkle my posts correctly.
...
Can't go wrong with "Hmmmm", but it doesn't really cut it. I was thinking something between clearing your throat and a santa-clausish ho ho ho.

#1 2019-10-13 15:11:57

Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#2 2019-10-13 17:03:59

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#3 2019-10-14 05:51:15

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#4 2019-10-14 10:07:51

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#5 2019-10-14 17:01:26

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#6 2019-10-14 17:30:01

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#7 2019-10-14 18:06:33

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#8 2019-10-15 00:05:29

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#9 2019-10-15 15:21:34

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#10 2019-10-17 05:14:55

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#11 2019-10-17 12:48:39

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#12 2019-10-17 16:51:33

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#13 2019-10-17 17:26:53

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#14 2019-10-19 08:18:39

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#15 2019-10-19 14:35:18

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#16 2019-10-19 18:32:55

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#17 2019-10-19 20:34:18

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#18 2019-10-19 21:50:05

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

#19 2019-10-21 21:06:29

Re: Why use: nameserver 8.8.8.8 ??

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