Norton DNS
Norton ConnectSafe (name changed Summer of 2012) 

A safer way to surf the web
Free for home and personal use

 

First, let’s define DNS.  DNS stands for Domain Name System.  Every object that connects to the Internet has an IP address, something that looks like 192.168.25.180.  These numbers are hard to remember and can change from time to time so DNS was implemented to simplify this.  Instead of having to remember IP addresses, we just need to remember a website address or URL, something like www.google.com.  DNS is what does the translation from URL to IP address for your computer making the process transparent to you.  Norton DNS takes this an additional step and provides an assessment of the site you are requesting.  If the site is deemed malicious or inappropriate then a warning message is displayed.  If the site is safe, you are taken to the site right away.

I have been using this service from Norton for several months now and am quite impressed.  It is free and does not even require signing up in order to use the service.  While it is not a replacement for anti-virus, it certainly is a nice complement.  Symantec (which owns the Norton brand) has been cataloging websites and malicious files for years and this free service gets to leverage all of that knowledge.  On a personal note, my Internet is offered through Cox Communications and by using Norton DNS, I’ve actually seen an increase in web surfing speed since making the switch which I’ve heard as quite common from other friends and colleagues that have also started using Norton DNS.

 

Norton DNS provides several levels of content filtering:

  • Security focused
  • Security focused + pornography
  • Security focused + pornography + non-family friendly sites

 

You get to decide which level of protection you want for your computer or your household.  No software installation is required.  Instead, you simply modify the DNS settings of either your computer or your router.  Changing these settings at the router, enables you to provide protection for your whole house including any visitors or new devices added at a later date.  The Norton DNS site has step by step instructions for making this change.

 

Pros:

  • Free.
  • No signup required.
  • Leverages the power of Symantec, the world’s largest security company.
  • Simple setup.

 

Cons:

  • Not very customizable.
  • No reporting on activity within your household.

 

Supported Platforms:
All platforms are supported, including mobile devices.

 

Norton DNS is a great service.  There are some competitors in this space like OpenDNS, but none seem to have the overall focus on security that the Norton DNS service does.  By being able to leverage the power of Symantec, this service has been able to stay in front of the competition.

Do I recommend: YES

 

Where to get more information: NORTON DNS

 

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