Open DNS

This could get a bit technical, so apologies, but please stick with it - I'll do my best to make it understandable.

A DNS (Domain Name Server) is a computer that translates the website address you type into, say, Internet Explorer (e.g., www.google.co.uk), into numbers - the internet is happier with numbers than with words.

Most of us use the DNS of our Internet Service Provider(ISP) - you didn't know that, but you do! There's nothing to set up, it's all automatic.

But you have a choice, and you can use another DNS. The main one available is called OpenDNS, at www.opendns.com - and it's free!

They claim their service is faster - well, that may be true, but I like the idea of being able to make a choice, and not being totally dependent on my ISP.

If you go to the OpenDNS website, there are clear details there of what you have to do. You will need to change some settings on your router, and then all the computers that connect to that router will have access to OpenDNS.

There is another advantage, though. You have to open an account with OpenDNS, with the usual features: access ID plus password. Your account lets you use what they call the "Dashboard". There, you can choose the security settings for your router - and, therefore, for ALL the computers in your house/network. The advantage over software like NetNanny is that you don't have to install it on all relevant computers - and it's free!

That seems to me to be a real bonus, especially in a house where there are youngsters or just multiple users of the network. As the "controller", i.e., the one with the password, you know that you are keeping the users around you safe from straying into inappropriate areas.

Purely for research purposes, you understand, I tried changing my security setting. I'm happy with "Minimal", but we're just two adults on this network. I changed it to "Low" to see what would happen. It would not let me access Page 3 of the Sun newspaper's website - all in the name of research, you must understand!

Seriously, though, this is well worth considering, and I shall certainly be mentioning it to my customers.