We've used several Internet Service Providers (ISP) since CLAN first connected member libraries to the Internet in the mid 1990s. Each of those vendors had their own Domain Name Servers (DNS). Every time you request a web page, your computer makes an inquiry to the DNS address listed in its network connections. That DNS server provides your computer with the location of the site, and then web browser displays the page.

Even though all DNS addresses currently in use are valid, there is an advantage to using a DNS address that is located on the same segment of the Internet where your computer is connected. If the DNS is located only a few "hops" from your computer, it takes less time to send and receive queries.

Now that CLAN is using OSHEAN as its ISP, our connection to the Internet goes through Qwest. We should implement Qwest DNS addresses on all of the computers in CLAN libraries.

To provide correct internal routing to servers located inside the CLAN library network, the primary DNS server on all standalone computers should be set to: 204.17.98.72. The secondary or alternate DNS address should be set to 204.17.98.94