Evermore:

Your network is the IP address where your DNS requests are originating. This is generally displayed in the upper-right of your screen when logged in to your Dashboard. You can also view it by visiting http://whatismyip.org from any browser you use.

Good tutorials on setting it up are here:
video: https://store.opendns.com/setup/
text: http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2010/05/filter-home-internet-free-with-opendns/

Adding a network is not necessary, but useful if you have more than one PC behind a router, or if you wish to use all the website filtering features. (block categories, whitelist/blacklist sites).

You can confirm OpenDNS is working by visiting:
http://www.opendns.com/welcome/

It should say:
Welcome to OpenDNS!
Your Internet is safer, faster, and smarter
because you're using OpenDNS.
Thank you!

You can test to see if phishing block is working by visiting this (safe) test demo site:
http://www.internetbadguys.com/

Thanks  Joe53. You gave me all the answers. Good information.

Joe wrote:  "Adding a network is not necessary, but useful if you have more than one PC behind a router, or if you wish to use all the website filtering features. (block categories, whitelist/blacklist sites)".

Even with only one PC hooked up through a router, if IP addresses are assigned dynamically (meaning they can potentially change over time), adding a network and setting up OpenDNS for dynamic IP assignments, is necessary for those who have opted into Web filtering features.

As I understand it, that's the bottom line criteria:   registering a network with OpenDNS and allowing for dynamic IP assignments is required if and only if you have opted into the Web filtering features.   This way, your particular customizations (web filtering) can "follow you around" wherever you go [or even on a home PC whose IP address can change dynamically].

I have not opted into the Web filtering... just using OpenDNS basic "as-is".   I travel with my laptop, so I hook up using different IP addresses, depending where I am.   And OpenDNS "basic, as-is" follows me everywhere I use my laptop, without having to add any networks.

Thanks ky331 for the added information. For the time being, I'm just going with the basic openDNS. I sure do get lots of good information on the dell forum. Some of the information sounds good enough to try OpenDNS was one was one of them. Thanks to you and Joe.

NY Times article on OpenDNS: Simplifying The Lives Of Web Users

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/technology/personaltech/19pogue.html?_r=1

Dale,

I did several edits of the preceding post.   I thinks it's "finalized" now.   Please read it, in its entirety, after seeing this post.

EDIT:  Just did another edit (!!) above, to mention the "family shield" version.

yes, you can set up an individual computer for OpenDNS.   (I intentionally used the words "set up", rather than "install", because there's nothing to download, nothing to install.   All you have to do is enter the OpenDNS IP address in the appropriate locations.   for details on how to do so, see

https://store.opendns.com/setup/ for the basic [or optionally customized] version; or

https://store.opendns.com/familyshield/setup/ for the "family shield" version, which, without further customization, automatically blocks "adult" sites ) .

As for "get(ting) an idea of how it will work", it's really something you shouldn't notice.

about the only way you'll "see" it is if

1) you go to the test page that Joe listed above, http://www.opendns.com/welcome/

or 2) you intentionally mis-type a suffix, to see OpenDNS automatically correct it:  e.g., you type www.yahoo.cm

(without the 'o') but it nevertheless takes you to yahoo.com 

or 3) you stumble on a phishing site , like http://www.internetbadguys.com/ , and you see that OpenDNS has intercepted that phishing site, preventing you from going there.

or 4) you type an invalid domain, like www.whatchamecallit.com 

 and you get a list of suggestions from the OpenDNS Guide.

or 5) you opt-in to various "content filters", and you see that OpenDNS prevents you from going to these filtered sites.

Other aspects, such as its reliability and speed, are harder/difficult to detect.   In short, you really shouldn't notice it... until it "kicks in" and saves you.

EDIT:   This post appears as "suggested answer".   If someone else clicked that, that's fine.   If I accidentally hit that, I apologize.

I don't have a router, just the high speed modem that feeds both computers. Can I just install it on just one to start with to get an idea of how it will work?

Evermore: Your network is the IP address where your DNS requests are originating. This is generally displayed in the upper-right of your screen when logged in to your Dashboard. You can also view it by visiting http://whatismyip.org from any browser you use. Good tutorials on setting it up are here: video: https://store.opendns.com/setup/ text: http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2010/05/filter-home-internet-free-with-opendns/ Adding a network is not necessary, but useful if you have more than one PC behind a router, or if you wish to use all the website filtering features. (block categories, whitelist/blacklist sites). You can confirm OpenDNS is working by visiting: http://www.opendns.com/welcome/ It should say: Welcome to OpenDNS! Your Internet is safer, faster, and smarter because you're using OpenDNS. Thank you! You can test to see if phishing block is working by visiting this (safe) test demo site: http://www.internetbadguys.com/

"Is the link expired?"

I'm not sure which link in the above message you're referring to... so I just tried all 5... and each one is working.

re: the last one (internetBadGuys), when you click on that one, you simply get a warning message from OpenDNS saying that it blocked a phishing site.... that is, provided you have set up OpenDNS on your machine.   I don't know what happens in case you're testing it withOUT OpenDNS enabled... perhaps then it's just a "dead" link???

thanks BB.

I had noticed that earlier... but hadn't distinguished the forest from the trees.

Several members seem to be having a problem lately with links that do not work.

Hi David.

I believe it is:

http://www.whatismyip.com/

and not .org

Regards.

Hernan,

the .org link was working the other day when I tested it... although I'm having trouble connecting to it right now.   As you noted, the .com version (also) works.