I'm very sure that IE isn't coded into Namebench, in any way. You can check the source code here. https://code.google.com/p/namebench/downloads/detail?name=namebench-1.3.1-source.tgz

I might suspect that you are geographically close to the poster above, then. ;)

I'm glad you found it useful!

You may use a random server supplied by any person on the internet. Results will be random, of course. Why not use a tool designed to find the best servers FOR YOU? You could see an even greater improvement.

https://code.google.com/p/namebench/

Default ISP servers are often the worst of the worst.

The typical workstation DNS server doesn't serve anyone outside of the local LAN. And, if it were configured to serve requests from the WAN, it's unlikely that your personal server would attract much notice outside of your LAN.

DDOS attacks don't rely on private DNS servers. It's really that simple.

As Nerdfest points out, Google makes namebench available for free. It does help to locate the best DNS server available in your area. In fact, I have used namebench a number of times, and Google's servers always rank high in the results. Seldom are they "the best", but they always rank high. Depending on the criteria you use to determine "the best", there are always much worse servers than Google's. The only criteria that you might use that would ever disqualify Google's DNS servers, is if you put in "not Google". There has never been any evidence that Google misuses or abuses it's DNS servers. If you have any such evidence, I would be happy to see it.

Pssst! Hey, Nestea_Zen! Feed him the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving!

No, no, no, not the one from last month's Thanksgiving! The other one, the freezer burnt one down in the bottom of the freezer. Yeah, THAT ONE! The one from LAST YEAR'S THANKSGIVING!

Actually - that idea isn't as stupid as it sounds, out here in the sticks. Cell phone coverage sucks. Let's say the kid wants to get hold of me, because his motorcycle is broke down. My cell phone doesn't receive worth crap, here at the house. I may or may not answer the house phone if it rings. He can text me on the cell phone, if I remembered to plug the blasted thing in. But, if I am at home, I check email pretty frequently. If I had Skype installed, I would almost certainly be close enough to answer him.

Granted, it's not really the best of all possible worlds - that's obvious. But, sometimes, it might really be a pretty good idea.

Except that I can't be bothered with Skype. Email or text, unless he wants to wait for the answering machine, then yells, "HEY DAD, IT'S ME, ANSWER THE PHONE!!"

We celebrated our silver anniversary last year. "Interesting problems" generally consist of trying to cohabitate with a member of the opposite sex. Linux problems can be interesting, but never as interesting as the problems that the special other causes. ;^)

There's only one thing to do. Revel in your status as the black sheep of the family. Take pride. Adopt that status as a badge of honor.

How do you think I became "Runaway"? Grandma says, "There's our runaway!" so I just took the name as my own. There wasn't any internet back then, but I used the name on the CB radio, and later brought it to the net.

Yes, and no. Without surge protectors, I lost a lot of modems, and a lot of hard drives, and occasionally a mainboard. Rarely, I lost a peripheral device. With surge protectors, I lose a lot of modems. The rest of my stuff just keeps on running. Surge protectors DO HELP. I really need to have the big surge protector installed on the meter, to reduce the impact on those inside the home. But, I don't suppose even that will help with the modems. *sigh*

Please don't discourage people from installing surge protectors. As cheap as they are, if it saves even one high capacity hard drive, then it has paid for itself.

"Sending letters to the White House will get you mail you dont want"

We had a Master Chief who kept two rubber stamps on his desk. On said "bullshit bullshit bullshit" in small print, many times. The other said "BULLSHIT!" three or four times in big bold letters. I enjoy hitting "reply" to some of those emails, and "stamping" them before sending them back.

"and on lists you dont want to be on."

I actually want to be on the lists of real patriots who love their country. If being on those lists offends some arsewipe, so be it. I really don't give a damn. I hope that I'm on a whole lot of lists. Ultimately, being on a list may be the death of me - but what the hell? I've already had a good run for my money.

Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever? [GySgt. Daniel J. "Dan" Daly, USMC; near Lucy-`le-Bocage as he led the 5th Marines' attack into Belleau Wood, 6 June 1918]

Yeah, but that was cheating. The Chinese had no idea there were TWENTY Canadians up there!

http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~magi/personal/humour/General_Audience/Red%20Rory%20o'%20th'%20Glen.html

Red Rory o' th' Glen

The story is told of the English Regiment marching through
the Highlands of Scotland (when English Regiments were wont to
do such). As they passed through a very narrow defile, a voice
mocked them from above.

"I'm Red Rory of the Glen," the voice called. "And I challenge you!
Send up your best man."

The Colonel of the Regiment looked up to the hilltop and beheld the
BIGGEST Scot he had ever seen. His kilt-girthed form must have stood
7 foot and the Claymore in his hand would dwarf most men.

Again the challenge echoed across the hills. "I'm Red Rory of the Glen
and I challenge you! If anyone amongst you would dare to call himself
``Champion'', then send him up!"

The Colonel, unwilling to let this challenge to the flower of English
Soldiery pass unanswered, called over his Adjunct. "Major," he seethed,
"send up the Regiment's champion. I want this Scot's head!"

And so the Champion went forth. Up the hill he strode, confidence
in every step, to do battle with this Challenger. The Challenger
roared his mirth and stepped over the crest, out of site; the Champion
followed. Soon the sounds of battle rolled over the hill and the
Regiment waited. And then, THUMP Thump thump.... A head! Rolling down
the hill came a head. And then, from the hilltop, came the rumble of
the Challenger's laughter. "I'm Red Rory of the Glen! Again I challenge
you! Send up your best Squad!"

"Major," shouted the Colonel! "This cannot be stood! Send up the best
Squad." Up the hill forged the Squad, then over the crest to face the
Challenger. Soon the sounds of battle were heard again and then THUMP
THUMP THUMP Thump Thump thump! The heads of the squad came rolling down
the hill.

"I'm Red Rory of the Glen," came the voice, "and I challenge you! Send up
your best company!"

Rage contorted the Colonel's face as he screamed, "Major! Send up
Company C. I want that man's head and I want it now!" "Yes, sir," was
the only response, and soon Company C was advancing up the hill. Again,
from over the crest, came the sounds of terrible battle but this time,
floating above them, came the sound of the Challenger's laughter!

Slowly, the sounds of battle died away but still the laughter continued.
And then, from the top of the hill, came a avalanche of heads to pile
up around the Colonel's feet.

"I'm Red Rory of the Glen, and I challenge you! I have beaten the best
you have to send, now come yourself!"

"Major," said the Colonel, his rage now turned icy cold. "Take the
Regiment up that hill and destroy him! I don't want anyone to return
without his head!"

So, in good form, the Regiment marched up the hill and out of the sight
of the Colonel waiting at the bottom of the hill. This time the battle
raged for hours. Then as the sun sank into the hills, the Adjunct came
hurtling down the hill, his uniform disarrayed and splattered with
blood. His eyes spoke books of terror. "Colonel," he screamed, his
terror edging his voice with panic, "RUN, it's a trap. There's two
of them!"

No - he isn't. It's so easy to BELIEVE that he is in charge, what with all the melodrama we put on each four years at election time. But, he't not in charge.

I don't even really know who IS in charge. I look at the Federal Reserve, and wonder if they are in charge, or if they are just a front for the people who ARE in charge. Then NSA figures in somewhere - but I figure that those people are just one of the tools used by the people in charge. Who is in charge? Hmmm. I suspect that Rupert Murdoch might have a very good idea. Of course, he isn't about to share any knowledge with us.

Bottom line, I don't know WHO IS IN CHARGE, but it damned sure isn't that funny looking nappy headed dude with Islamic leanings. He is just a tool, being used by the real people in charge.

Meanwhile, most of us mere mortals don't even rank highly enough to be used as tools - unless you consider sheep to be tools.

"except to catch terrorists"

Our government is pretty effective at brainwashing the masses. Hollywood has set a fine example for them. MSM cooperates so well, it's hard to tell where government efforts end, and the media takes over. It's a damned shame - but I also have to point out that the more liberal minded people among us have been working for decades to emasculate the population. No one has the balls to stand up to anyone anymore. Hell, our typical response to violence is to roll over and cooperate. Dial 911, if you can, but cooperate, hoping to survive.

Phhhhtttt . . . . 9/11/01 changed America's psyche, that much is certain. The change had already begun long before that, of course. Standard procedure during aircraft hijackings was to cooperate. We had at least 20 years of indoctrination before 9/11/01.

Not even a close comparison? Really?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_and_the_Holocaust

Adolph chose to tabulate data that was largely based on race and ethnic criteria. The US government is tabulating data based on other criteria. The US really isn't very "racist" anymore, so it may be safe to ASSume that they won't go after citizens based on ethnic and racial grounds. But - they do keep tabs on race, religion, ethnicity, age - EVERYTHING.

The US government certainly won't round up tens or hundreds of thousands of people in each state based on race. Instead, they will round up TERRORISTS.

Let us examine that term, "terrorist". http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/terrorism-2002-2005
Definitions

There is no single, universally accepted, definition of terrorism. Terrorism is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives” (28 C.F.R. Section 0.85).

The FBI further describes terrorism as either domestic or international, depending on the origin, base, and objectives of the terrorist organization. For the purpose of this report, the FBI will use the following definitions:

Domestic terrorism is the unlawful use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the United States or Puerto Rico without foreign direction committed against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives.
International terrorism involves violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any state, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or any state. These acts appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, or affect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping. International terrorist acts occur outside the United States or transcend national boundaries in terms of the means by which they are accomplished, the persons they appear intended to coerce or intimidate, or the locale in which their perpetrators operate or seek asylum.

I have heard a lot of people described as terrorists. Edward Snowden immediately comes to mind. Check up on the incident at Ruby Ridge. And, the one at Waco, Tx. Over the years, a lot of people with a political agenda have been described as "terrorists". Funny - an awful lot of those persons have never used a weapon against another human being.

The US is most certainly engaged in some of the same activities that Hitler's Germany engaged in, in the 1930's.

I can only extrapolate from the facts where the government MIGHT be headed with all this information.

We also know for certain that the United States has an industry based on imprisoning people for profit. We already imprison more people than all the rest of the world. We imprison people for some awfully stupid reasons - like toking on a joint. Or growing plants. Or, "distributing" copyrighted material. For looking at pictures which other people disapprove of. For supporting movements deemed to be "terroristic" by the government. For possessing a firearm or other weapon.

You go on and stick your head in the sand. Ignore what is happening around you. Some of the rest of us will continue to sound the alarm. For many of us, it is alarming that the government can intrude into our private communications, and cherry pick our words to build a case of terrorism against us. But, you need not be alarmed - all you need to do, is keep drinking that Kool-Aid. Keep your head down, and don't think any "treasonous" thoughts. Don't make any friends who might have "terroristic" ideas. You'll be perfectly fine - until you're not.