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Google Chrome to add option for custom DNS servers
Google Chrome's (and Chromium's) about:flags page is becoming quite the playground for intrepid feature testers. In a recent Chromium snapshot build, another handy new feature has appeared: user-specified DNS servers.
Being able to specify custom servers right in the browser might not be a big deal on other operating systems -- where you can already do that in your network settings. On Chrome OS, however, it could provide an easy way for parents to lock their child's netbook into the OpenDNS FamilyShield in order to block inappropriate content (for example).
I'm sure there are other applications for this as well -- testing, for example. Want to run GoogleDNS in Canary against your ISP's servers in Chromium to see how they perform side-by-side? Go for it!
...Or maybe your favorite site won't load, or an outdated copy of a page you're working on keeps loading when you refresh (I'm looking at you, MTS). If it's your DNS servers at fault, you could quickly pop a new server into Chrome, reload, and off you go.
Sure, you could achieve the same result using a proxy server, but why bother if the functionality is built right into your browser?
Being able to specify custom servers right in the browser might not be a big deal on other operating systems -- where you can already do that in your network settings. On Chrome OS, however, it could provide an easy way for parents to lock their child's netbook into the OpenDNS FamilyShield in order to block inappropriate content (for example).
I'm sure there are other applications for this as well -- testing, for example. Want to run GoogleDNS in Canary against your ISP's servers in Chromium to see how they perform side-by-side? Go for it!
...Or maybe your favorite site won't load, or an outdated copy of a page you're working on keeps loading when you refresh (I'm looking at you, MTS). If it's your DNS servers at fault, you could quickly pop a new server into Chrome, reload, and off you go.
Sure, you could achieve the same result using a proxy server, but why bother if the functionality is built right into your browser?
Comments
11
Subscribe to commentsSeanBestOct 24th 2010 10:36AM
Nice. Mint 10 that is.
Lee MathewsOct 24th 2010 10:37AM
Agreed -- more on that in a few days!
...and well spotted.
Drew GreenOct 24th 2010 11:14AM
One more way for smarter-than-average users to bypass lazily-configured browsing restrictions (ie web filter DNS servers).
Nice!Oct 24th 2010 1:33PM
This is useful if you're on a corporate VPN that forces non-local DNS servers on you, causing you to resolve google.com as if you're on the east coast when in fact you're on the west coast.
jared.heinrichsOct 24th 2010 2:32PM
Another fellow Winnipeg I see :P
ragtagOct 24th 2010 5:14PM
Couldn't this be a possible security hole. If a JavaScript on a malicious site were able to change that setting (this may not be possible, but who knows), a hacker could set up his own DNS server and point your browser to that, making a man in the middle attack relatively easy.
NyaROct 24th 2010 8:53PM
Thats a valid assumption.
Its best to change these sorts of settings in your router config anyway.
ChaimOct 25th 2010 10:43AM
Does anyone which build this is?
James HartigNov 3rd 2010 5:30PM
I don't see this in my Chromium (Windows 7 64-bit), I have the latest version (64954), as well. Is it not available on Windows?
A.J. Potrebka - digginITNov 5th 2010 11:50AM
More Winnipeggers, I see! Yeah, we changed the DNS settings for our clients on MTS to Google's Public DNS awhile ago, MTS's is just atrocious. We love it, no problems with us, and having this option in Google Chrome without having to change the system defaults is just wicked!
dstruct2kDec 24th 2010 3:53AM
Nice to see an option like this being added directly into the browser; I use Chrome in addition to IE9, not to replace it, as both have their ups and their downs. Being able to config each browser separately like this makes them even more independent!
Also, I find it funny that there's only 10 comments so far, and 2 of them are from fellow Winnipeggers. :)
Merry Christmas!