How to get the most local OpenDNS number

[prittman]

I've been using OpenDNS for a while, but I'm tired of online stores thinking that I live in a big city 80 miles away. Since I don't recall this happening before I switched to OpenDNS, I can only assume that the DNS numbers I've inserted into my router are the reason for this.

I called my ISP (charter) and the guy had no idea what Charter's own DNS numbers were, even when I told him where I lived.

 DOes OpenDNS have different numbers, based on someone's location? I've been using the numbers that on the OpenDNS page say something like "our nameservers are always." I take it that the answer to my question is no, but I'm hoping that I can get some new ones, OR that DNS has NOTHING to do with my original predicament.

Can someone here please enlighten me?

[rotblitz]

The online stores take the information about your location from your ISP assigned IP address, not from the DNS service you're using. However, many CDNs use the DNS server location to feed it with related information in the effort to route you to their closest servers.

And no, you cannot determine to what OpenDNS server location your DNS lookups are routed, because they use Anycast technology where the goal is to route you automatically to their closed location, from a network point of view. Therefore the OpenDNS resolver addresses are always the same, worldwide.
You can read more about this at http://www.opendns.com/technology/

You can, however, see what OpenDNS location you're using by executing the following in a terminal / command prompt window:

nslookup  -type=txt  which.opendns.com.

Here you can find the meaning of the abbreviations: https://system.opendns.com/

[prittman]

OK, I did that, and what I got was:

Server: google--public-dns-a.google.com

non-athoritative answer:

which.opendns.com   text=

"I am not an OpenDNS resolver."

Sorry but I have no idea what any of that means.

OK so the fact that I've been using OpenDNS doesn't mean that this is why online stores think I'm from somewhere else.

[cervezafria]

@prittman... Did your ISP assign you a proxy server (some contend that page loads are more responsive when you go through their proxy). That could explain the 80-mile "discrepancy". Or it could just be a fact of life with your ISP. 

[prittman]

I don't know if they assign a proxy or not.

[rotblitz]

"Sorry but I have no idea what any of that means."

It means that you are not using OpenDNS at all ("I am not an OpenDNS resolver."), but Google DNS (Server: google--public-dns-a.google.com). You'll want to configure the OpenDNS resolver addresses 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220, 208.67.222.220 and 208.67.220.222, but you currently have configured the Google DNS resolver addresses 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 instead.

Start all over again: https://store.opendns.com/start/

[prittman]

I have since that command prompt, done just that. OK at least I'm on a fast DNS, and I know that its not the DNS that is making folks think I live 60 miles from where I do live. 

Thanks.

[rotblitz]

"I know that its not the DNS that is making folks think I live 60 miles from where I do live."

Don't even think that Google DNS makes a difference in comparison to OpenDNS from this perspective. As I said, websites identify your location by your IP address, not by the DNS service you're using. They normally have no way to find out what DNS service you're using anyway, to make it even clearer.

[rotblitz]

"I don't know if they assign a proxy or not."

In case you want to know:

http://www.lagado.com/proxy-test

http://www.lagado.com/tools/cache-test

[prittman]

No proxy is evidently being used.  Thanks.

[matth79]

DNS geolocation generally works only down to country level, since most providers will only have a few DNS servers. Some services do use it because it is conveniently broad brush - you may get a non-local Google search page if your DNS is out of country.

IP based geolocation is only down to the nearest host, so it can be a fair way away. If the ISP load balances and reassigns some IP pools, that can also degrade IP based location.

[cervezafria]

You responded to an old post that was already answered by rotblitz (see first comment)