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DNS Server and MI424WR
LexLuthor1
Enthusiast - Level 3
โ€Ž09-14-2011 11:14 AM
My MI424WR Rev F hands out itself as the DNS Server to the clients via DHCP. Is there way (without creating it statically) to have the router give the clients the direct DNS Server IPs? My DNS just "feels" slow and in testing using the GRC DNS Benchmark, getting DNS through the Actiontec is slower than going to OpenDNS servers directly.
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Anthony_VZ
Master - Level 3
โ€Ž09-17-2011 08:07 PM

Unfortunately there is now. Best you could do would be to use static assignment to set up the DNS in your computers to the OpenDNS servers.

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smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader
โ€Ž09-17-2011 08:31 PM

I'm surprised the routers don't have an option for DNS Pass-through. A lot of routers I've seen running Open Source software usually run nothing more than DNSMasq as the DNS Proxy. DNSMasq has an option that can be configured to set up DNS Passthrough via DHCP out of the box, and it always has. I'm unaware of what the FiOS routers run, I'll have to check it out the next time I am on a FiOS connection (My ActionTec MI424WR has DD-WRT loaded onto it, so I do have DNSMasq), but if it is DNSMasq, perhaps somewhere in the UI in the next firmware build, they could set up an option to permit DNS Passthrough using either the WAN-provided DNS servers, or by setting up a strict user-definied server setup.

In this case, specifing in DNSMasq "dhcp-option=6" would enable DNS Passthrough via DHCP and unload the DNS Proxy located within the router. What follows after that command would be the DNS Servers the user specifies, or the WAN DNS servers if none are specified. In my case, I have mentioned OpenDNS in this config, and my PC receives the OpenDNS Server IPs directly.

It certainly keeps things running snappy, especially when a router is under load. It isn't bypassing the NAT Table, but either way eliminating the Proxy at the choice of the user with one check box can make a world of difference especially with DNS-request heavy programs. I've seen older Linksys WRT54GLs go from being unable to handle a 35Mbps connection with DD-WRT due to DNS timing out to handling the connection as if nothing was running just by using dhcp-option=6 . I might also point out, since router firmware often isn't running upgraded builds of a DNS proxy software, or if it is, it's been gutted, setting up DNS Passthrough helps those particularly large DNS requests get processed. EDNS requests especially, and those pertaining to IPv6.

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