Has anybody experience with DNA-testing?
I think it’s a wonderful way to find distant relatives, but since I’m female, I don’t have the Y-Gene. I thought of testing my mtDNA, but I haven’t come to a final decision where to get it tested yet. Any recommendations?

So, I can trace back my paternal side to 1705, but finding information on my maternal side is really tough.

My grandgrandfather was born to an unmarried mother (his father was already married, I think) and given to his married aunt. He kept his father’s surname until his 13th birthday, and then he got his aunt’s and uncle’s surname, so that prospective employers wouldn’t have a bad impression.
His biological father was already married or married soon after and had some more children. I don’t know anything about them. They’re absolutely incooperative and won’t talk with my whole family. They think we want my grandgrandfather’s patrimony (which is absolutely not our intention). duh