HOSTS file or DNS?

[bob3160]

@ Mike

Hi,

Have you read the lines under the "Information that we collect about you" in this link : http://nortondns.com/privacy.html ?

I see

To provide Norton DNS, we partner with Ask.com.

so that is enough to not make me use Norton DNS.

See:
Products with Ask Toolbar

1. Symantec did not only add Ask.com Search Assistant in its installer for new installations or re-install (if the user downloaded the new installer with Ask.com Search Assistant) but also pushed the Ask.com Search Assistant together as or with a "patch" or "program update" to existing Norton users. No option to remove the Ask.com Search Assistant. They originally enabled Ask.com Search Assistant by default and later decided to disable it by default but again, no option to remove the unnecessary Ask.com Search Assistant.

http://www.calendarofupdates.com/updates/index.php?app=calendar&module=calendar&cal_id=1&do=showevent&event_id=44516

Strange but right now I'm trying the Norton DNS service and I received no toolbar Ask or any other.

[rdmaloyjr]

I used NortonDNS for a while.  When a page wouldn't load (such as sometimes avast forums at times) I would get the ask search bar (not a toolbar), the ask search bar wasn't downloaded onto my computer.  I'm probably not explaining it well.

When a page wont load with OpenDNS you get something similar but it isn't "ask search".

[Hard_ROCKER]

Norton Safe Search uses the ask.com search engine, the DNS service(btw the DNS service is powered by DynDNS) doesn't display the Safe Search page so you get no Safe Search results displayed if you go to a page that doesn't exist. All you get is this:



If you would be using Norton Safe Web toolbar however, then you would have the Safe Search included with it. Can be disabled though.


@rdmaloyjr: When Norton DNS was in beta it DID display the Safe Search web page but they removed that later, people were complaining about it.

@YoKenny: That's irrelevant, your link is talking about installable programs from Symantec, not the DNS service(which isn't something you install, you just set the DNS servers). Like i said, the DNS service doesn't display any Safe Search results.

[yongsua]

I used NortonDNS for a while.  When a page wouldn't load (such as sometimes avast forums at times)

Same as me.

[ky331]

Re: ClearCloud DNS
Effective September 1, 2011, GFI's ClearCloud DNS service will be discontinued and no longer available for consumer use...
you will need to reconfigure your network connection [removing ClearCloud].  If this is not done prior to September 1, 2011, your Internet connectivity will be interrupted.


http://forums.clearclouddns.com/messageview.aspx?catid=274&threadid=7955

[sded]

The behavior of the two approaches is a bit different.  DNS blocks whole sites.  HOSTS files will block whole sites, but also will let you go to sites, and block their access to things like ads that are an annoyance-you just get an empty space that says "advertisement".  HOSTS files also let you pick your own good/bad guys, independent of what a DNS service might think.  So use one or both depending on what you are trying to accomplish.