Recommended DNS Setting

Any connected devices to a Purdue University wired network, such as Computers, Laptops and Printers, and the devices are not using automatic configuration (DHCP), check the network settings and update to use the following two DNS servers: 

• 128.210.11.5 (ns.purdue.edu) 
• 128.210.11.57 (ns2.purdue.edu) 

If there are other IP addresses in the DNS settings, such as ‘128.46.154.76’ (harbor.ecn.purdue.edu), remove those entries. The result should be two DNS servers, only. 

• To access the network settings for Windows computers, use the start menu: Window Settings > Network and Internet > Ethernet > Change adapter options > Ethernet > Properties, then select ‘Internet Protocol 4’ and click on ‘Properties’. 
• To access the network settings for Macintosh computers, use the menu: Apple Menu > System Preferences > Internet & Networks > Network, then select ‘Ethernet’ on the left side. 
• To access the network settings for Linux systems, depending on the flavor of Linux, check the network settings with ‘Network Manager’ or ‘Net Plan’. 
• For other devices, such as printers, scanners, cameras, etc., consult the device’s documentation for DNS configuration settings. 

If the connected devices are using automatic configuration (DHCP), or the connected device is maintained by ECN, no changes will be needed.

Footnote about the DNS settings

There have been several issues that plague any university of our size (Think "free pianos"). While these types of things seem benign, they can be used to vector into our organization. One of the few simple tools we can use to minimally impact regular usage is to control the DNS requests going off our network. That way, if we notice malicious traffic going to a given address, we can simply use our DNS servers to limit traffic and send it to a redirect warning page instead. This is the main reason that some of the outside DNS servers have been blocked, where they've been used by malicious players in the past. If you do wish to use any that have not been blocked yet, please be aware that you will need to use Purdue's DNS servers to reach services on internal-only networks. It is most certainly not our intent to create hardship - our apologies for the inconvenience!