Soluții

Why You Shouldn’t Use Your ISP’s Default DNS Server

Your computers, phones, and other devices normally use the Domain Name System (DNS) server with which the router is configured. Unfortunately, this is often the one provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). These lack privacy features and also might be slower than some alternatives.

DNS was designed nearly 40 years ago, and it hasn’t evolved much since. It’s entirely unencrypted. This means it offers the same level of protection against nosy third parties as unsecured HTTP traffic, which is not much at all. Even if you use HTTPS, any third party in the middle of your traffic can see the websites to which you’re connecting (but not the contents of your visit). For example, on a public Wi-Fi network, the operator of that network could monitor which websites you visit.

The solution to this issue is DNS over HTTPS (DoH). This new protocol simply encrypts the contents of a DNS query so third parties can’t sniff it out. Major DNS providers, like Cloudflare, OpenDNS, and Google Public DNS, already support it. However, Chrome and Firefox are also in the process of rolling it out.

Aside from the privacy improvements, DoH prevents any tampering with DNS queries in transit. It’s just a more secure protocol, and everyone should use it.

However, even if you enable DoH in your browser, it’s up to the DNS provider to implement it. Most home network connections are configured by default to use the ISP’s DNS servers, which probably don’t support DoH. If you haven’t changed it manually, this is probably the case with your browser and operating system.

There are some exceptions, though. In the U.S., Mozilla Firefox is automatically enabling DNS over HTTPS and using Cloudflare’s DNS servers. Comcast’s DNS servers support DoH and work with Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

Generally, though, the only way to really get DoH is to use a different DNS service.

Your ISP Can Log Your Browsing History

If you care at all about privacy online, using your ISP’s DNS server is a massive problem. Every request sent can be logged and tells your ISP which websites you browse, down to the hostnames and subdomains. Browsing history like this is the kind of valuable data off of which many companies make huge profits.

Many ISPs, including Comcast, claim they don’t log customer data. However, Comcast actively lobbied against DoH. Although U.S. ISPs claim they don’t collect data, (and even though it’s legal to do so), it would be very easy to implement since they control the DNS servers you use. The FTC was concerned enough to investigate whether ISPs are doing this. Laws and regulations in other countries vary, so it’s up to you whether you trust your ISP.

It’s worth noting that Comcast has adopted DoH, but this doesn’t protect your privacy when it comes to the company monitoring your DNS queries. DoH secures the connection between you and the DNS provider, but, in this case, Comcast is the DNS provider and, therefore, can still see the queries.

Of course, DNS isn’t the only way ISPs track you. They can also see the IP addresses you connect to, regardless of which DNS server you use. They can glean a lot of information about your browsing habits this way. Changing DNS servers won’t stop your ISP from tracking, but it will make it a little harder.

Using a virtual private network (VPN) for your daily browsing is the only real way to prevent your ISP from seeing what you’re connecting to online. You can check out our guide on VPNs to learn more about them.

Third-Party DNS Servers Might Be Faster, Too

In addition to privacy concerns, DNS services provided by ISPs can be slower than Google or Cloudflare. This isn’t always the case, as your ISP will generally be closer to you than a third party, but many people get faster speeds with a third-party DNS server. It’s usually just a difference of milliseconds, though, which might not matter much to you.

Which Public DNS Server Should You Use?

If you want to switch to a public DNS server, you have a few options. The most common is Google’s Public DNS, which use the addresses 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.

If you trust Google less than your ISP, you can also use CloudFlare’s DNS, which claims to be the fastest and takes a privacy-first stance. The main address for it is 1.1.1.1, with an alternate of 1.0.0.1.

Lastly, you can also use OpenDNS, from Cisco. You can find the addresses for that here.

How to Change Your DNS Settings

The best way to change your DNS settings is at the router level. If you change your DNS server on your router, this change will apply to every device on your home network.

To get started, type either 192.168.1.1 or 10.0.0.1 to log in to your router.

A router "Login" page.

The exact location of the DNS setting varies depending on which router you have. However, it should be somewhere in the network settings.

For example, on a Verizon router, it’s under My Network > Network Connections > Broadband > Edit. Once there, you can change the address manually and replace your ISP’s automatic servers.

router DNs settings

If you have any trouble finding it, just do a Google search for your router model to find out where this setting is.

If you’re in a situation in which you can’t change the DNS settings on the router (like a college dorm or another location where you don’t control the Wi-Fi), you can still change the settings for your specific device. We’ll show you how to change these settings on a Mac and Windows machine (go here to find out how to change these on an Android phone or iPhone).

On a Windows machine, open “Control Panel” from the Start menu, and then navigate to the “Network and Sharing Center.” In the sidebar, click “Change Adapter Settings.”

You should see a list of your network devices on both Ethernet and Wi-Fi. If you want to change the settings for both, you’ll have to repeat the following instructions for each device.

Right-click the first device for which you want to change the DNS settings, and then click “Properties.”

Click "Change Adapter Settings," right-click the device for which you want to change the settings, and then click "Properties."

Select “Internet Protocol Version 4” from the list.

Select "Internet Protocol Version 4."

In the dialog box that appears, select the radio button next to “Use the Following DNS Server Addresses,” type your preferred DNS server addresses, and then click “OK.”

Type the DNS server addresses, and then click "OK."

On a Mac, you’ll find this option in “System Preferences” under “Network.” Click “Wi-Fi” or “Ethernet,” and then click “Advanced” at the bottom of the menu.

Click "Wi-Fi," and then click "Advanced."

Under the “DNS” tab, you can modify the DNS settings for your device. Click the plus (+) or minus (-) signs at the bottom to add or remove servers.

DNS tab

How to Enable DNS Over HTTPS (DoH)

If you want to enable DoH on your browser, you can do so on Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

On Chrome, go to chrome://flags/#dns-over-https, and then select “Enabled” from the drop-down menu. Relaunch Chrome for the changes to take effect.

Select "Enabled" from the drop-down menu.

In Firefox, the option is a bit buried. Open the menu and go to Options > General. Scroll down and click “Settings” at the bottom. Select the checkbox next to the “Enable DNS over HTTPS” option. You can also select a DNS provider manually here if you prefer.

Select the "Enable DNS over HTTPS" option.

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How to Add Exclusions in Windows Defender on Windows 10

Windows Defender, integrated into Windows 10, runs in the background and scans your files for malware. To improve performance for tasks like compiling code or running virtual machines, you can add an exclusion and Windows Defender will never scan those files. Exclusions can also help if you’re running into false positives where Windows Defender marks legitimate files as malware.

First, we need to launch Windows Security to change some settings. Open the Start menu and type “Windows Security.” Then, select the “Windows Security” app.

Launch Windows Security from Start menu in Windows 10

In Windows Security, navigate to “Virus & Threat Protection.” Then, click “Manage Settings.”

Click manage settings in Windows Security on Windows 10

In “Virus & Threat Protection Settings,” scroll down to the very bottom of the page, and click “Add or Remove Exclusions.”

Select add or remove exclusions to Windows Defender in Windows 10

On the Exclusions page, you can add or remove files that you want to exclude from Windows Defender scans. To add an exclusion, click the “Add An Exclusion” button beside the large plus symbol (+).

Click Add an exclusion in Windows Security Settings for Windows 10

A small menu will pop up allowing you to define your exclusion by File, Folder, File type, or Process.

Exclusion types menu in Windows Security for Windows 10

What you choose depends on what type of exclusion you are trying to make. Here’s what each choice does.

  • File: If you select this, a box will pop up allowing you to browse your computer to select a single file that will be excluded from future scans. Select the file you’d like, then click “Open.”
  • Folder: Like the File option, this will let your browse your computer for a specific folder to exclude from scans. The folder’s contents and subfolders will be excluded as well.
  • File type: A box will pop up asking you to enter a file extension (e.g., “.MID”) representing the file type that you’d like to exclude. All files of that type will be excluded from future scans. This one is dangerous because you might accidentally exclude a large class of potentially hazardous files, such as PDF or DOC files.
  • Process: A pop-up will ask you to enter the name of a process (a running program, i.e., “explorer.exe”) to exclude from scans. If a certain program you know is safe keeps getting flagged by Defender, you can enter it here.

Select one of these options and make the necessary selections in the pop-up dialog that follows.

Selecting a file to exclude from Windows Defender scans in Windows Security Settings for Windows 10

Once you add an exclusion, it will show up in a list on the Exclusions page.

A list of Windows Defender scan exclusions in Windows 10

If you’d like to remove an exclusion you’ve already defined, hover your mouse cursor over the item until the downward-pointing carat arrow appears, then click the “Remove” button that pops up.

Removing an exclusion from Windows Defender scan settings in Windows 10

When you’re all done, close Windows Security and your settings will be saved. The next time your system does a Defender scan, the items you added to the exclusions list will no longer cause trouble.

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Cum să generați rapoarte de întâlnire în zoom

Zoom oferă o modalitate de a genera rapoarte de ședințe ale reuniunilor anterioare. Aceste rapoarte pot conține informații specifice despre participanți, precum și rezultate din întrebările de sondaj. Iată cum puteți genera rapoarte de întâlnire în Zoom.

Înainte de a începe, există câteva cerințe pentru generarea de rapoarte. În primul rând, această caracteristică este disponibilă numai pentru utilizatorii autorizați, așa că ai nevoie de un cont plătit. În continuare, înregistrarea și / sau scrutinul participanților trebuie să fi fost anterior activate în cadrul ședinței pentru care doriți să generați un raport. În cele din urmă, trebuia să fii gazda reuniunii sau să fi avut permisiunile raportului de utilizare pentru a genera și vizualiza raportul.
O ultimă notă importantă: rapoartele sunt șterse după 30 de zile. Întâmplător, aceasta se întâmplă să fie și durata în care ședințele sunt eliminate din fila „Întâlniri anterioare”. Asigurați-vă că colectați raportul imediat după încheierea unei reuniuni, astfel încât să nu pierdeți date importante.

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Ce este Microsoft Whiteboard și cum îl utilizați?

The Microsoft Whiteboard logo.

Nu există o modalitate vizuală mai bună de a vă exprima ideile decât de a le scrie pe o tablă. Dacă vă lipsește, consultați Microsoft Whiteboard! O mulțime de oameni descoperă că lucrul de acasă poate fi productiv și plăcut, dar lipsesc sesiunile de brainstorming integrale pentru dezvoltarea și perfecționarea ideilor. Panourile albe simplifică exprimarea ideilor, colaborarea la proiectări și învățarea oamenilor despre concepte noi. Microsoft Whiteboard este o aplicație gratuită destinată re-creării acestei experiențe.

Microsoft a înțeles această posibilitate și vă oferă șabloane, precum și vă permite să adăugați imagini și documente. Nu este același lucru cu lucrările la birou, dar oferă multe beneficii și mai puține dezavantaje. Aplicația Whiteboard este disponibilă pentru Windows, iPhone și iPad. Pentru a-l folosi, veți avea nevoie de un cont Microsoft gratuit sau de un abonament M365 / O365 plătit. Există, de asemenea, o versiune web pe care o puteți utiliza pentru a crea tablouri albe simple sau pentru a vizualiza cele partajate, dar nu este aproape la fel de funcțională ca aplicația.

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Cum să editați Windows Registry din Command Prompt

Windows și o mulțime de aplicații terțe stochează setări în registru. Dacă doriți să editați registrul, există câteva moduri în care îl puteți face. Iată cum puteți edita registrul Windows din promptul de comandă. Înainte de a începe, este important să faceți o copie de rezervă a registrului, precum și a computerului, înainte de a efectua modificări. O mutare greșită poate face ca sistemul dvs. să fie instabil sau chiar complet nefuncțional.

De asemenea, puteți crea un punct de restaurare a sistemului pentru a reveni rapid la sistemul dvs. dacă ceva nu merge bine. Microsoft înșiși afirmă în mod public că adăugarea, modificarea sau ștergerea subchiourilor și valorilor registrului Windows ar trebui să fie făcută doar de utilizatori avansați, adminservatori și profesioniști IT. Aveți grijă înainte de a face modificări.

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