xpgeek
10-05-2006, 06:26 AM
What do people think of this program? Good? Bad?
My ISP, Cablevision Optimum Online, is one of, if not the, best ISP's in the country, my connection now being a 30mbit down and 2mbit up, that costs me less then some other companys charge for a quarter of the speed.
But, they seem to have been adding sooo many new customers lately so fast, that their DNS servers are becoming quite congested at peak times. The problem isn't that bad, hardly noticeable most of the day, but at night and on weekends I am constantly getting failed lookups, that only take a refresh or two to resolve, but it has still been starting to annoy the hell out of me.
Soo, I finally got around to doing some Google searching for free public alternate DNS servers to use, and came upon this free program named TreeWalk DNS.
Basically the program sets up a small DNS server on my own computer, automatically configures my Windows to use it, keeping my ISP's DNS server as an alternate too. Its only using maybe 40 megs of drive space and maybe 10 megs of RAM. Its install and setup could not be easier. Just make sure to disable any active anti-virus scanners that could interfere with its install, and it just installs, switches your Windows DNS service to its own, changes your network cards DNS settings, all automatically, and wayyy easier then I thought it would be.
You only really need a program like this if your ISP's DNS servers are giving you trouble, which mine are, but it works so great I think I'll keep using it even after they're fine again.
On to the details.
TreeWalk DNS is a Domain Name Server program which fetches and converts Web Site human-readable names into the numbered addresses your computer needs so that your browser, email, instant messenger, and FTP programs can surf the Web. For Microsoft Windows® XP/2000/.NET and 2003 workstations or servers. If you wish to use it as a Mail Server or Web Server DNS application, please contact support@treewalkdns.com for important details. For DNS Servers, or multiple CPU use, including commercial business, ISP, Educational Institutes, Military, or Government environments, please contact support@treewalkdns.com to register.
You need TreeWalk DNS if:
1. Your ISP's DNS servers are slow or offline
2. Accurately resolving web sites is a problem
3. You wish to capture or debug DNS routing data
4. You want to custom configure DNS settings and servers
5. You'd simply like faster repeat visits to sites via cached lookups
6. You have poor DNS with your wireless or satellite Internet connection
7. You use Internet Connection Sharing and want to improve surfing speeds
Features:
1. Runs as a Win32 service
2. Realtime debugging ability
3. Auto-installs on small LAN's
4. Accepts BIND 9 configurations
5. DNS caching server by default
6. Updates DNS data automatically
7. Control Panel with debug options
8. Simple, automatic install and setup
9. Can protect against DNS cache poisoning
10. Easy uninstall procedure returns original settings
11. Reduce "not found", "404", and "DNS error" messages
12. Program installer fits on one floppy disk for portable setup
13. A workstation can be modified to work as a full DNS server
14. Custom Internet root server plugins available for 1,000 additional TLDs
15. Optional persistent caching is installed by default to keep DNS records between sessions
Requirements:
1. Minimum 32 MB RAM (128 MB preferred)
2. Dial-up, Cable Modem, or a DSL network
3. Must install using an Administrative logon
4. Windows 2000 Pro/XP/2003® workstation or server
TreeWalk was co-developed by NT Canuck and ObiWan, and continues to be maintained and updated by ObiWan. The site and servers are maintained by the TreeWalk DNS Crew. TreeWalk and any companion programs provided from this site are completely risk-free and will never be affiliated with any form of spyware or adware.
What is TreeWalk DNS?
TreeWalk is a "free personal use", automatically installed DNS name-caching only server which is similar to, but more efficient than using your default ISP's DNS servers. A lookup only, non-persistent caching version called BIND-LE for Windows 95/98/ME®™ is also available from our Downloads page
("non-persistent" means BIND-LE does not record the fastest routes to RAM between browsing sessions).
What does TreeWalk do?
Essentially, putting a "name" into the browser doesn't get you anywhere. The "name" must be translated into machine recognizable numbers (octets) such as 64.233.167.99 which takes you to Google.com (the Google Search Engine).
That's what DNS servers do; they match the Name with an IP address using numeric octets and send that info back to the browser. Only then can you connect to the website you wish to visit, whether for surfing, AV updates, Email or posting to and reading Newsgroups. Instead of giving the task to the ISP's DNS servers (or other servers) to do the lookups (resolutions), TreeWalk does this directly from your computer and saves the results for even quicker site access upon the next visit (only during the same session with BIND-LE). TreeWalk uses it's dynamic "cached" library which is held not on the HDD but in RAM, which is much faster. (Not much RAM is required.)
What else it does is more like fixing what the default ISP DNS servers don't or won't do:
* TWDNS allows complete access to all websites and TLDs, not just .com, .edu, .mil, .net, .org and some countries. A few .biz domains may be difficult to resolve, but those are generally server-side issues unrelated to TreeWalk. We can't fix the Internet, but we do improve it's access times.
* TreeWalk provides 99.5% to 100% accuracy instead of the fluctuating accuracy most often experienced with an ISP's DNS servers due to overload or time-outs. It is virtually impossible to overload TreeWalk on a single workstation.
I'm new to TreeWalk DNS. How do I install it?
Assuming you've already downloaded and extracted the latest version of TreeWalk to a handy location on your machine and you have ensured that you have an active Internet connection, just double-click the executable (.exe) file to begin the setup routine. Follow all prompts and read the documentation supplied during the install. Finally, you'll be asked to reboot (restart) your computer, so select the "Yes" button when you're asked if you would like to restart now. After you've rebooted, find the "Check server" icon (Start > [All] Programs > TreeWalk > tools, select "Check server") and follow the prompt you'll see in the resulting window. That's it!
For many more questions and info, and be sure to check here first if planning to use this on dial-up:
http://treewalkdns.com/faq.htm
Home Page:
http://treewalkdns.com
You probly don't need a program like this unless you're actually having problems with your ISP's DNS servers, I was, and I'm pretty pleased with it. Its made an immediate difference.
So what do people think of this program, looking for opinions? Would I be better off just using public alternate DNS servers for a while?
My ISP, Cablevision Optimum Online, is one of, if not the, best ISP's in the country, my connection now being a 30mbit down and 2mbit up, that costs me less then some other companys charge for a quarter of the speed.
But, they seem to have been adding sooo many new customers lately so fast, that their DNS servers are becoming quite congested at peak times. The problem isn't that bad, hardly noticeable most of the day, but at night and on weekends I am constantly getting failed lookups, that only take a refresh or two to resolve, but it has still been starting to annoy the hell out of me.
Soo, I finally got around to doing some Google searching for free public alternate DNS servers to use, and came upon this free program named TreeWalk DNS.
Basically the program sets up a small DNS server on my own computer, automatically configures my Windows to use it, keeping my ISP's DNS server as an alternate too. Its only using maybe 40 megs of drive space and maybe 10 megs of RAM. Its install and setup could not be easier. Just make sure to disable any active anti-virus scanners that could interfere with its install, and it just installs, switches your Windows DNS service to its own, changes your network cards DNS settings, all automatically, and wayyy easier then I thought it would be.
You only really need a program like this if your ISP's DNS servers are giving you trouble, which mine are, but it works so great I think I'll keep using it even after they're fine again.
On to the details.
TreeWalk DNS is a Domain Name Server program which fetches and converts Web Site human-readable names into the numbered addresses your computer needs so that your browser, email, instant messenger, and FTP programs can surf the Web. For Microsoft Windows® XP/2000/.NET and 2003 workstations or servers. If you wish to use it as a Mail Server or Web Server DNS application, please contact support@treewalkdns.com for important details. For DNS Servers, or multiple CPU use, including commercial business, ISP, Educational Institutes, Military, or Government environments, please contact support@treewalkdns.com to register.
You need TreeWalk DNS if:
1. Your ISP's DNS servers are slow or offline
2. Accurately resolving web sites is a problem
3. You wish to capture or debug DNS routing data
4. You want to custom configure DNS settings and servers
5. You'd simply like faster repeat visits to sites via cached lookups
6. You have poor DNS with your wireless or satellite Internet connection
7. You use Internet Connection Sharing and want to improve surfing speeds
Features:
1. Runs as a Win32 service
2. Realtime debugging ability
3. Auto-installs on small LAN's
4. Accepts BIND 9 configurations
5. DNS caching server by default
6. Updates DNS data automatically
7. Control Panel with debug options
8. Simple, automatic install and setup
9. Can protect against DNS cache poisoning
10. Easy uninstall procedure returns original settings
11. Reduce "not found", "404", and "DNS error" messages
12. Program installer fits on one floppy disk for portable setup
13. A workstation can be modified to work as a full DNS server
14. Custom Internet root server plugins available for 1,000 additional TLDs
15. Optional persistent caching is installed by default to keep DNS records between sessions
Requirements:
1. Minimum 32 MB RAM (128 MB preferred)
2. Dial-up, Cable Modem, or a DSL network
3. Must install using an Administrative logon
4. Windows 2000 Pro/XP/2003® workstation or server
TreeWalk was co-developed by NT Canuck and ObiWan, and continues to be maintained and updated by ObiWan. The site and servers are maintained by the TreeWalk DNS Crew. TreeWalk and any companion programs provided from this site are completely risk-free and will never be affiliated with any form of spyware or adware.
What is TreeWalk DNS?
TreeWalk is a "free personal use", automatically installed DNS name-caching only server which is similar to, but more efficient than using your default ISP's DNS servers. A lookup only, non-persistent caching version called BIND-LE for Windows 95/98/ME®™ is also available from our Downloads page
("non-persistent" means BIND-LE does not record the fastest routes to RAM between browsing sessions).
What does TreeWalk do?
Essentially, putting a "name" into the browser doesn't get you anywhere. The "name" must be translated into machine recognizable numbers (octets) such as 64.233.167.99 which takes you to Google.com (the Google Search Engine).
That's what DNS servers do; they match the Name with an IP address using numeric octets and send that info back to the browser. Only then can you connect to the website you wish to visit, whether for surfing, AV updates, Email or posting to and reading Newsgroups. Instead of giving the task to the ISP's DNS servers (or other servers) to do the lookups (resolutions), TreeWalk does this directly from your computer and saves the results for even quicker site access upon the next visit (only during the same session with BIND-LE). TreeWalk uses it's dynamic "cached" library which is held not on the HDD but in RAM, which is much faster. (Not much RAM is required.)
What else it does is more like fixing what the default ISP DNS servers don't or won't do:
* TWDNS allows complete access to all websites and TLDs, not just .com, .edu, .mil, .net, .org and some countries. A few .biz domains may be difficult to resolve, but those are generally server-side issues unrelated to TreeWalk. We can't fix the Internet, but we do improve it's access times.
* TreeWalk provides 99.5% to 100% accuracy instead of the fluctuating accuracy most often experienced with an ISP's DNS servers due to overload or time-outs. It is virtually impossible to overload TreeWalk on a single workstation.
I'm new to TreeWalk DNS. How do I install it?
Assuming you've already downloaded and extracted the latest version of TreeWalk to a handy location on your machine and you have ensured that you have an active Internet connection, just double-click the executable (.exe) file to begin the setup routine. Follow all prompts and read the documentation supplied during the install. Finally, you'll be asked to reboot (restart) your computer, so select the "Yes" button when you're asked if you would like to restart now. After you've rebooted, find the "Check server" icon (Start > [All] Programs > TreeWalk > tools, select "Check server") and follow the prompt you'll see in the resulting window. That's it!
For many more questions and info, and be sure to check here first if planning to use this on dial-up:
http://treewalkdns.com/faq.htm
Home Page:
http://treewalkdns.com
You probly don't need a program like this unless you're actually having problems with your ISP's DNS servers, I was, and I'm pretty pleased with it. Its made an immediate difference.
So what do people think of this program, looking for opinions? Would I be better off just using public alternate DNS servers for a while?