How to bypass unreliable BT name servers on apple mac computer or windows computer

BT DNS (Domain name resolution service) has been unreliable and its BT Homehub does not permit the user setting of alternative DNS servers.

However each computer can be configured for alternative DNS servers individually and manually.

This is how you can choose to use Google's public DNS servers (thank you Google!).

For the apple mac :-

1. Select Network Preferences
2. Select Advanced.  
3. In the next window select DNS from the pull-down menu. 
4. Now select the + sign and a window with 0.0.0.0 comes up. Enter two ipv4 addresses consecutively: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4  then if you can enter two ipv6 addresses consecutively 2001:4860:4860::8888 and 2001:4860:4860::8844
5. Return to the first page and the DNS server IP addresses are shown.

See the apple mac screen shots below:-

For Microsoft Windows computers :-

1. Go the Control Panel.
2. Click Network and Internet, then Network and Sharing Center, and click Change adapter settings. See screenshot
   
3. Select the connection for which you want to configure Google Public DNS. For example:
   • To change the settings for an Ethernet connection, right-click Local Area Connection, and click Properties.
   • To change the settings for a wireless connection, right-click Wireless Network Connection, and click Properties
     
     .
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
4. Highlight the ipv4 protocol item and click properties button
   
    
5. Select the radio button for manually supplied dns settings and enter the google ipv4 public dns values 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
   
    
6.  Highlight the ipv6 protocol item and click properties button
   
   .
7. Select the radio button for manually supplied dns settings and enter the google ipv6 public dns values 2001:4860:4860::8888 and 2001:4860:4860::8844
   
   
   Now restart the network connection if you wish to test the settings.
   There is similar information available at google at
   https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using
   
   For developers with the luxury of a linux server on their home network, they can alternatively set up their own DHCP server as outlined in my previous blog post