Google Public DNS

[Geek-9pm]

This is a recommendation. 

Google Public DNS: what it is and isn't

Google Public DNS is a recursive DNS resolver, similar to other publicly available services. We think it provides many benefits, including improved security, fast performance, and more valid results. See below for an overview of the technical enhancements we've implemented.

Google Public DNS is not, however, any of the following:

    A top-level domain (TLD) name service. Google is not an operator of top-level domain servers (generic or country-code), such as Verisign.
    A DNS hosting or failover service. Google Public DNS is not a third-party DNS application service provider, such as DynDNS, that hosts authoritative records for other domains.
    An authoritative name service. Google Public DNS servers are not authoritative for any domain. Google maintains a set of other nameservers that are authoritative for domains it has registered, hosted at ns[1-4].google.com.
    A malware-blocking service. Google Public DNS does not perform blocking or filtering of any kind.

Source:
https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/intro

FYI:
In view of the recent concern about DNS, you may want to give  Google Public DNS a try. You may find that it can resolve some odd issues you may have had with some kinds of services. Specifically, some ISPs, namely ComCast, will block FTP to some sites on their 'blacklist'. This is documented elsewhere.
 Just Google Comcast blocks FTP IP

EDIT: Here are the instructions:
https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using

[patio]

I prefer OpenDNS.

[Geek-9pm]

I prefer OpenDNS.

Very good choice. Ideal for most home users and is free for most users. Business users with special needs can get Open DNS tailored to fit the Enterprise.
http://www.opendns.com/

However, because I am a web developer, the Google DNS has my attention.I resolved my log in issues by going Google DNS. Have not tried the Open DNS for this issue.

[evilfantasy]

(DNS) Domain name server or Name server

It's important to note that everyone is using a DNS server by default from your ISP. The third party software allows you to customize your DNS settings.

This guy can't seem to make up his mind.

How Fast Is Your ISP’s DNS Server; Compare with Speed of OpenDNS

OpenDNS speeds up your web surfing because their DNS servers have a large cache and hence can resolve web domains into IP addresses much faster than your local ISP.

Before You Change your DNS Server, Read this!

Public DNS services, like OpenDNS or Google DNS, may offer more reliable and faster lookups than the DNS server of your ISP but in some cases, you may get much better download speeds if you continue to stick to your ISP’s DNS server.

If your not sure you can always do a before and after using http://www.speedtest.net

[BC_Programmer]

I had major problems with internet occasionally when I kept DNS set to DHCP. changing it to OpenDNS resolved all those issues. (issues being things like "page not found" for sites like google.com or my own site, randomly losing access to some sites via their domain, etc.)

[Geek-9pm]

I had major problems with internet occasionally when I kept DNS set to DHCP. changing it to OpenDNS resolved all those issues. (issues being things like "page not found" for sites like google.com or my own site, randomly losing access to some sites via their domain, etc.)

There are variations. I let my router do DCHP but disable DNS. I set static DNS in the TCP/IP properties for my network adapter.
#1 as 8.8.8.8
#2 as 8.8.4.4
Which are the Public Google things.

 But the 'experts' are telling users to NOT to do it yourself. I find that had to believe! I never heard of a PC being destroyed by a incorrect DNS.
In Windows, you don't have to be a geek to change DNS!
Here is a part of the latest AP story.

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Internet users scanning their Twitter feeds or Facebook accounts Sunday might want to add one more quick click to check their computer for malware.

Thousands of people around the country whose computers were infected with malicious software more than a year ago faced the possibility of not being able to get online after midnight EDT.   ...

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=153&sid=21171023

See you at midnight!   

[BC_Programmer]

There are variations. I let my router do DCHP but disable DNS. I set static DNS in the TCP/IP properties for my network adapter.
#1 as 8.8.8.8
#2 as 8.8.4.4

I had my router set directly to use OpenDNS, so I just had to change it in one place. I don't recall the specifics. I didn't disable the router DHCP that assigns IPs. I mistakenly remembered using some DHCP setting to change it but that makes no sense since the router doesn't hand out DNS settings via DHCP as far as I recall.

But the 'experts' are telling users to NOT to do it yourself. I find that had to believe! I never heard of a PC being destroyed by a incorrect DNS.
In Windows, you don't have to be a geek to change DNS!

I agree!

[Zylstra]

I have used OpenDNS for a very long time. I recommend it to parents who want filtering abilities.
Recently, I quit using it. I had some issues that I was suspecting might be from OpenDNS. I never proved it, but since changing whatever issue I was having did stop.. just saying. (In all honesty, I don't think using OpenDNS was causing the problems.)

I switched to Google's Public DNS server because I know what I can expect speed-wise from Google, and I feel like I need to get the absolute most out of my Internet. (I have rural fiber, I get a throughput of about 50 up and down).

My ISP does not provide incredible DNS at all.

OpenDNS' malware filtering was also proving to be useless. Chrome already warns me about the worst-of-the-worst sites, myWOT takes care of the rest. OpenDNS was also blocking some download sites that weren't as bad as it seemed to indicate.