Google Rolls Out Free DNS Service

Google is essentially keeping the caches warm, a method it calls "prefetching," Ramaswami said. He also said this approach minimizes packet loss.

Security is another major area Google is focusing on. Read about how Google is mitigating against DNS cache poisoning and DoS (denial of service) attacks here on the Google Code Blog.

Savvy readers will find their curiosity piqued because Google Public DNS deals with domain and IP addresses, but Google is clear about its privacy measures for the service. Google Public DNS stores two sets of logs: temporary and permanent. The temporary logs store the full IP address of the user's computer to spot DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks; Google deletes these temporary logs within 24 to 48 hours. Google pledges not to keep personally identifiable information or IP information in the permanent logs.

Google has more information about Google Public DNS in its FAQ here, as well as instructions on how to configure a network to use the DNS. Google's Public DNS IP addresses are 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. Google also offers domestic and international phone numbers to call for help support.

Google spokesperson Nate Tyler told eWEEK that Google Public DNS is part of the company's "Make the Web Faster" campaign, which includes Google Chrome, Google Chrome Operating System and SPDY, an application-layer protocol for transporting content over the Web.

Google Public DNS is launching amid a crowded DNS field that includes OpenDNS, UltraDNS and Tucows.

But Tyler said Google Public DNS is less about competing with those providers and more about taking what Google is learning about how to improve the DNS system and offering that to Websites. "We're actually trying to improve other services," he said.

That's a noble overture, but it's unclear how the existing DNS providers, all of which are making good money from their services, will feel about this. Again, Google is entering another niche of the Web where it has the potential to be disruptive; recall the release of the free Google Maps Navigation GPS system.

GPS stocks soured. How will existing DNS providers fare after the emergence of Google Public DNS?