Tip: Make your browser faster with free DNS server testing app

A sweet tip posted at TUAW (The Unofficial Apple Weblog) describes how to boost surfing performance by discovering faster DNS servers with a free Google Code utility application. After tweaking the Network system preferences with the updated information, your browser will appear snappier. The tip, Manage your DNS settings for faster web browsing, comes from Brett Terpstra, a freelance web designer and blogger. Usually, we don't think about the DNS (domain name system) addresses after setting up our Macs. But they can make a difference in performance. The tip leverages a Google project called namebench, which is a benchmarking utility for DNS servers. The free software is available for Mac OS X, Windows and Unix.

After running the software, which runs dozens of tests concurrently, it presented me with a list of tested servers including the ones already entered in my Network control panel. There are charts even. One was more than 100 percent faster. Sweet. Namebench recommends the fastest and nearest DNS servers. I entered the new IP addresses into the Network pane and clicked the Apply button. The pages appear to load faster. Thanks to Lorca Hanns, webmaster at the San Francisco State Bookstore and co-leader of San Francisco's monthly BMUGWest meeting, for pointing me to this tip.