"DNS queries are faster now than with our previous DNS solution from [our ISP]. By looking at our stats through OpenDNS, we are able to see what sites our users frequent and, if necessary, block access to sites deemed inappropriate. OpenDNS has proved to be an extremely useful tool in managing our network."
— Jarrod Holder, Network Administrator

Frustrating DNS Outages with AT&T

Catoosa County Schools is an award-winning district in the state of Georgia with a total of ten thousand students in sixteen schools and one district office.

Recognizing that today’s students face a future where technology will affect their lives in every aspect, the district provides the children with access to the Internet as a learning tool. For this reason, having a safe and reliable network is one of the district’s top priorities.

Unreliable DNS: a Thing of the Past

After a DNS outage with its previous provider, AT&T, Catoosa County Schools Network Administrator Jarrod Holder knew it was time to advance to a more reliable service. With datacenters around the globe and zero downtime, OpenDNS proved to be the perfect solution at no cost to the district – requiring nothing to download, install or purchase. And switching to OpenDNS had an excellent benefit on top of the improved reliability and performance: it freed the district’s limited budget for other educational purposes.

OpenDNS is invaluable for keeping both students and staff safe from harmful content online. The district is using OpenDNS adult site blocking to help protect its students from accessing inappropriate Web sites and phishing protection to help protect all users from potentially devastating phishing scams. Furthermore, network administrators are able to view which sites are being visited most frequently and block access to those sites, if necessary. Holder describes his experience with OpenDNS as “excellent” and urges other school districts to make the switch.