OpenNIC
OpenNIC is an alternate DNS root. Since January 2011, the VTLUUG has operated a tier 2 OpenNIC server on lordnikon.
Contents
Simple configuration
The easiest way to set up OpenNIC is to edit resolv.conf and replace your existing DNS servers with some of OpenNIC's servers. You should add at least two in case one of them goes down. I personally use three: 128.173.89.246, 69.164.208.50, and 64.0.55.201.
Advanced configuration
If you run your own DNS server, you may want to instead use OpenNIC's DNS servers only for OpenNIC TLDs and use a DNS server that is closer to you for other domains. This also will allow you continue to use the ICANN root servers, so you can have full support for things like DNSSEC.
BIND
A sample configuration is available at [1]. To use, simply add the contents of the sample configuration to your named.conf.
You can replace 69.164.208.50, 69.164.211.225, and 128.173.89.246 with other OpenNIC tier 2 DNS servers if you'd like.
Dnsmasq
Add these lines to your Dnsmasq configuration file:
server=/bbs./128.173.89.246 server=/bbs./69.164.208.50 server=/bzh./128.173.89.246 server=/bzh./69.164.208.50 server=/dyn./128.173.89.246 server=/dyn./69.164.208.50 server=/fur./128.173.89.246 server=/fur./69.164.208.50 server=/free./128.173.89.246 server=/free./69.164.208.50 server=/geek./128.173.89.246 server=/geek./69.164.208.50 server=/glue./128.173.89.246 server=/glue./69.164.208.50 server=/gopher./128.173.89.246 server=/gopher./69.164.208.50 server=/indy./128.173.89.246 server=/indy./69.164.208.50 server=/ing./128.173.89.246 server=/ing./69.164.208.50 server=/ko./128.173.89.246 server=/ko./69.164.208.50 server=/ku./128.173.89.246 server=/ku./69.164.208.50 server=/micro./128.173.89.246 server=/micro./69.164.208.50 server=/null./128.173.89.246 server=/null./69.164.208.50 server=/oss./128.173.89.246 server=/oss./69.164.208.50 server=/parody./128.173.89.246 server=/parody./69.164.208.50 server=/rm./128.173.89.246 server=/rm./69.164.208.50 server=/te./128.173.89.246 server=/te./69.164.208.50 server=/ti./128.173.89.246 server=/ti./69.164.208.50 server=/uu./128.173.89.246 server=/uu./69.164.208.50
You can replace 128.173.89.246 and 69.164.208.50 with any of the other OpenNIC tier 2 DNS servers if you so choose.
Unbound
To configure OpenNIC to work with the Unbound recursive DNS server, simply add the contents of the sample configuration at [2] to your unbound.conf.
You can replace 128.173.89.246, 69.164.208.50, and 64.0.55.201 with some of the other tier 2 DNS servers listed on the OpenNIC site if you wish.