Add redundancy by removing external dependencies like third party resolvers. Running your own local resolver is as simple as: apt-get install unbound echo

Add redundancy by removing external dependencies like third party resolvers. Running your own local resolver is as simple as: apt-get install unbound echo "nameserver 127.0.0.1" > /etc/resolv.conf If you want to take advantage of a shared cache by using a third party resolver, shove this at the bottom of your /etc/unbound/unbound.conf: forward-zone: name: "." forward-addr: ip.of.recursive.resolver forward-first: yes The "forward-first" option means that it will attempt to contact ip.of.recursive.resolver to do the query first, and if it fails because it is down, then it will do the lookup it's self.