Domain Name System (DNS) is a system that converts the domain names you enter into a browser into the IP addresses required to access those sites. Your ISP will assign you DNS servers each time you connect to the Internet, but these will not always be the best option. Slow DNS servers can cause a delay before websites load. If your server crashes a few times, you may not be able to access any site. Switching to a free public DNS server can make all the difference, offering faster browsing and long logs with 100% uptime, greatly reducing the risk of technical issues. Some services can also block access to infected or phishing sites, and some offer content filtering to protect your kids from the worst of the Web. You need to choose your service carefully (not all providers will necessarily be better than your ISP), but to help point you in the right direction, this article will introduce six of the best free DNS servers available. .
1.OpenDNS
Primary and secondary DNS servers: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 Veteran carrier Phishing sites blocked by default Optional web filtering Founded in 2005 and now owned by Cisco, OpenDNS is one of the biggest names in public DNS. The free service offers many benefits: high speed, 100% availability, phishing sites blocked by default, optional parental-type web filtering to block websites by content type, as well as free email support in case of problems. Business plans allow you to view a history of your business on the Internet for at least a year and possibly lock down your system by only allowing access to specific websites. These features won't be essential for the average user, but if you're interested, they can cost you around $20 (£14.30) a year. If you are used to changing DNS, you can start immediately by reconfiguring your device to use OpenDNS nameservers. If you're a beginner, it doesn't matter, as OpenDNS offers setup instructions for PCs, Macs, mobile devices, routers, and more.
2. Cloudflare
Primary and secondary DNS servers: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 Impressive performance Restricted privacy level Community forum for support Best known for its leading content delivery network, Cloudflare has expanded its product line to include a new public service of DNS, the very attractive 1.1.1.1. The product does not contain any of the extras you will often see elsewhere. There is no phishing protection, no ad blocking, content filtering, or other attempts to monitor or control what you can access and what you can't. I can't. Instead, Cloudflare is much more focused on fundamentals. These start with performance, and independent tests on sites like DNSPerf show that Cloudflare is the fastest public DNS service on the market. Privacy is another important highlight. Cloudflare not only promises not to use your browsing data to serve ads. you agree never to write the query IP address (your own) to disk. All existing records will be deleted within 24 hours. And these claims aren't just soothing words on a website. Cloudflare has asked KPMG to verify its practices each year and to submit a public report confirming that the company has delivered on its promises. The 1.1.1.1 website offers setup instructions, with simple tutorials covering Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, and routers. These are very generic (eg you get one set of instructions for all versions of Windows), but there are some advantages (IPv6 and IPv4 details) and you should be able to understand it. If you're having trouble, Cloudflare offers a community forum where you can ask questions or see what others are doing—a nice little added touch that we'd like to see other providers follow.
3. Google public DNS
Primary and secondary DNS servers: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 Solid on the privacy front. Commendable transparency For experienced users Google has its fingers in most web-related pies, and DNS is no exception: it's free. Public DNS is a simple and effective replacement for your own ISP's nameservers. Confidentiality may not live up to Cloudflare's promises: "We don't deliver anything," but not bad. The service records the full IP address information of the polling device for approximately 24-48 hours for troubleshooting and diagnostic purposes. "Permanent" newspapers suppress any personally identifiable information and reduce location details to the city level. All samples except a small random sample are withdrawn after two weeks. The detailed description of the service provided by Google has another advantage for experienced users. If you want to be able to gauge the significance of Google's privacy policy, for example, you can read absolutely everything in the service logs to find out for yourself. Google's support site offers only very basic information for experienced users, advising that "only users who are proficient in configuring operating system settings (should) make these changes". If you're not sure what you're doing, check out the tutorials from a provider like OpenDNS, not forgetting to replace your nameservers with Google's: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8. 4.4.
4. Norton Connect Safe
Primary and secondary DNS servers: 199.85.126.10 and 199.85.127.10 Uses Norton Safe Web Three levels of protection available Skimpy Installation Instructions UPDATE: Norton ConnectSafe is removed and the service is no longer available. Norton ConnectSafe is a free DNS service that can automatically block access to fraudulent, phishing, and malware websites, as well as optional filtering of sites by content. It's a familiar idea: OpenDNS and Comodo, among others, do pretty much the same thing, but ConnectSafe has one big advantage. It pulls its data from Norton Safe Web, a comprehensive database of more than 50 million websites in 23 languages. The service probably offers the best web filtering performance, and the ability to get it for free, without having to install software, is a major security asset. Service configuration requires choosing between three levels of protection. The security policy only blocks malicious and fraudulent websites and uses the name servers 199.85.126.10 and 199.85.127.10. The Security and Porn Policy supports filtering of sexually explicit content and uses the name servers 199.85.126.20 and 199.85.127.20. The very strict regime of Security and Pornography and Others extends the filtering to block "sites that offer developed content, abortion, alcohol, crimes, sects, drugs, gambling, hate, gambling." Sexual orientation, suicide, smoking or violence" using the nameservers 199.85. 126.30 and 199.85.127.30. This will likely prevent you from accessing a lot of content, but could be interesting as a way to protect young children, and you don't have to use this policy everywhere. For example, you can lock your kids' tablet with this strategy, but stick to the general security policy for your own laptop. The ConnectSafe site only contains basic setup instructions, but if you're having trouble, competitor tutorials like OpenDNS can point you in the right direction – just make sure to use Norton nameserver IP addresses when changing your device settings.
5. Comodo Secure DNS
Primary and Secondary DNS Servers: 8.26.56.26 and 8.20.247.20 Focus on Security Intelligent management of parked domains. Performance may not be so hot The Comodo group is behind a multitude of excellent security products. Therefore, it is not surprising that the company also offers its own public DNS service. As you can imagine, Comodo Secure DNS is focused on security. It not only blocks phishing sites, but also warns you if you're trying to visit sites that contain malware, spyware, or even parked domains that can flood you with advertising (pop-ups, pop-ups, -over, etc.). Also, you can try the Comodo Dome Shield service, which adds additional features to Comodo Secure DNS. Comodo also claims that its service is smarter than average: it detects attempts to visit parked or "unused" domains and automatically transfers you wherever you want. Performance is essential, of course, and the company suggests that its global network of servers and smart routing technology give it an edge. DNSPerf's statistics on Comodo are sadly less impressive. At the time of writing, DNSPerf reports its average query time of around 72 ms. That said, Comodo may still be interesting if you're looking for an extra layer of web filtering, and the support website provides brief but helpful instructions for setting up the service on Windows PCs, Macs, routers, and Chromebooks.
6.Quad9
Primary and secondary DNS servers: 9.9.9.9 and 149.112.112.112 Fast performance levels Blocks malicious domains. Limited setup help Quad9 is a young DNS company that has been offering free and fast DNS service since August 2016. The company sells itself because of its ability to block malicious domains by collecting information from "various public and private sources. By December 2018, Quad9 had used 18 "threat intelligence providers," according to the website. This is too vague for us, and we're not convinced that using a large number of threat intelligence providers will necessarily help; the quality of the information is often more important than the quantity. However, no one disputes the performance of Quad9. Currently, DNSPerf gives it an average score of 7 times out of 10, late for Cloudflare and OpenDNS, but effortlessly beating competitors like Comodo. Detailed analysis reveals some variances in speed (Quad9 ranks sixth for North American queries) but overall the service still performs better than most others. The setup instructions are somewhat limited, with tutorials for the latest versions of Windows and macOS only. However, they are well presented and it is not difficult to understand what to do.
7. Verisign DNS
Primary and secondary DNS servers: 64.6.64.6 and 64.6.65.6 Fairly stable Good security Not the fastest service Verisign was founded in 1995 and over the years has offered a variety of services, including various security services, as Managed DNS. Verisign's DNS service is free, and the company highlights the three most important features: stability, security, and privacy. The service definitely meets this need, especially for security and stability. Regarding confidentiality, although you can never be 100% sure of the company's claims, there was no problem and the company assures you that your public DNS data will not be sold to third parties. The performances, however, were not as good as some other providers. It's decent though, and depending on your needs, this might not bother you. Currently, DNSPerf.com is ranked as the 7th largest in the world. On their website, you can find tutorials on how to set up your public DNS. The tutorials are available for Windows 10 and XNUMX, Mac, Linux, and mobile devices. A tutorial also explains how to configure the DNS server settings on your router. Overall, Verisign offers a good alternative to some other DNS service providers. Plus, it's free and therefore worth a try. Do you have any questions about DNS? Here are some common questions with our answers.What is DNS?
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a telephone directory for the Internet, a structure that translates domain names, such as facebook.com or twitter.com, into the IP addresses needed by devices to load those Internet resources. The mechanics of DNS can be quite complicated because the information is not contained in a single database, but is spread across a global directory with a large number of DNS servers. Fortunately, the average Internet user shouldn't normally be involved in low-level technical details. Your Internet Service Provider automatically gives you access to a DNS server every time you log in, and every time you enter a URL in your browser, it will find the right IP address for you.
Your ISP DNS is not working? Verisign is one of the many great companies offering a free alternative.
Why is DNS important to me?
DNS servers can vary greatly in speed, especially in areas where Internet coverage is not always optimal (Africa, South America, Oceania). To take an example from a day we tested, DNSPerf.com reported that Cloudflare had averaged 4.43ms for Oceania, while Yandex trailed at 350.24ms. This is potentially over a third of a second more waiting time before your browser can access any new website. This is an extreme example, to be fair. Lookups in Europe or the United States can vary by less than 30ms between most DNS services, and since your device or router will probably cache the address for later reuse, even this delay will happen very quickly. from time to time. However, a weak DNS server can significantly slow down your browsing in certain situations. It's usually wise to try an alternative, especially when the best options are free. There is a second possible advantage in terms of availability. If your ISP's DNS server fails, you may not be able to access some or all of your favorite sites. Reputable providers like OpenDNS claim to have had 100% availability in previous years.
How to find the fastest DNS service?
DNS speed depends on many factors, including your location, the distance to the nearest server, and the server with enough power and bandwidth to handle all the queries it receives. DNS Jumper is a free portable tool that tests various public DNS services to determine which one offers the best performance. The program has many options, but it is not difficult to use. Launch it, click Faster DNS > Start DNS Test. After a few seconds, you'll get a list of DNS services sorted by speed. DNS Jumper can be useful, especially since it checks the servers for operation from your location, but it doesn't run enough tests over a long enough period to give you a definitive answer.
DNSPerf tests various DNS services from more than 200 sites around the world every minute and makes the results available for free on its own website. This gives a very good overview of performance and also allows you to see how services compare on different continents, as well as assess their uptime.
How can I change the DNS server?
The steps required to modify your DNS service vary depending on your hardware and possibly your operating system version. Typically, you must first find the primary and secondary nameservers for the DNS service you want to use. These IP addresses are usually displayed very clearly on the service's website. For example, Cloudflare's DNS uses versions 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1. The easiest approach for home users is to update your router to use the new addresses. Most other devices will automatically retrieve the new DNS settings without additional work. To do this, you need to connect to your router (the default password can be printed on your base) and look up the current primary and secondary DNS nameservers. Make a note of the current values if there is a problem, and then replace them with the nameservers you want to use. If you're having trouble, check your DNS service's website for setup instructions. Don't forget that you can use tutorials from other DNS providers as well, as long as you don't forget to replace their nameservers IP addresses with your favorite options. OpenDNS, for example, offers specific advice for many types of routers on its support site. If the router settings are not suitable for your situation, you may need to change the DNS settings for each device. Cloudflare provides simple and concise instructions here, while the OpenDNS website is more detailed.
How can I find my current DNS servers?
If you are troubleshooting your Internet connection, or may be thinking of changing your DNS server, it may be helpful to check which DNS servers you are currently using. The easiest way to do this is to visit DNSLeakTest.com and press the Standard Test button. Within a few seconds, the website will typically display your DNS server IP addresses, host names, and sometimes (if applicable) your ISP's name. After that, life becomes more complicated as there are several potential options. Your device can be configured to use specific DNS servers. you can ask your router to assign the best DNS servers to each startup; or you may not know anything about DNS servers and let your router take care of everything. On Windows, you can start by entering IPCONFIG /ALL in a command line window. Find your network adapter and you should see your specified DNS servers listed. If there is only one DNS IP address pointing to your router - 192.168.xx - this suggests that the router is processing all DNS queries. Enter this IP address into your browser, connect to the router if necessary, and your DNS servers should be included in the settings.