ChrisPC has released ChrisPC DNS Switch 2.0, a significant update for its free DNS selection tool.
The core DNS list has been updated, and in a click or two can set your PC to use OpenDNS, Google Public DNS, Comodo Secure DNS, Norton, Yandex, BlockAid, DynDNS and many more. There are 34 servers in total and you can add another 15.
The program now has an option to set automatic DNS for a particular network adapter (that is, it’ll grab them from your router via DHCP).
In addition, ChrisPC DNS Switch 2.0 also brings a $12.99 Pro edition. This gives much more flexibility, as you can freely edit the DNS list, or add as many other servers as you need (including importing them from a text file). The Pro version also comes with free technical support and allows commercial use.
Unfortunately, the Pro edition also brings a nag screen to the Free build. If you close the program window -- or just leave it open for a while -- a pop-up window appears, prompting you to upgrade. That seems a little aggressive to us, and we suspect it’s more likely to drive users away than prompt them to spend their cash.
Still, if you're looking for a no-strings free DNS switcher then there are other options available.
NirSoft's QuickSetDNS is short on features and only comes with a single built-in server (Google DNS), but you can add as many others as you need.
DNS Angel is compact, portable, and focuses on child protection, allowing you to select various family-friendly servers (Norton, OpenDNS, MetaCert) with a click.
DNS Jumper provides a wider range of starting servers, and can be freely extended just by editing an INI file, while DNS Changer can set custom DNS servers for each Windows user account.
ChrisPC DNS Switch 2.0 is a capable program in itself, though, so if you’d like to see whether you can live with the new nag screen, downloads are available now.