Fast DNS-servers: why speed is so important here
DNS (Domain Name System) – it is a kind of Internet address book. It compares domain names and IP-addresses belonging to them, writes them down. This ensures that purely technical information (a set of numbers) used by the system to load a specific site is linked to a name (url address) that will be easy for a person to remember. The DNS mechanism itself is rather complicated, and we will not dwell on it now. We only note that the amount of data that this system should store is unrealistically large. And there is not enough space for them even on the most powerful device. Therefore, a system of DNS-servers distributed around the world is provided. Internet users get access to them automatically, through the Internet provider.
Now we will dwell in more detail on such a moment as fast DNS-servers. What does it mean? Why is the speed of their work so important for the user? How to identify the fastest DNS and is it possible to switch between servers? Can a regular user independently check the connection speed, test the service? How can you secure your online activities? Let's dwell on these issues in more detail.
Why are there special requirements for the speed of DNS-servers?
All DNS-servers that operate around the world today will differ in speed. The denser the coverage in a certain region, the faster the connection speed and vice versa. So, for regions with poor network coverage (today South America, Africa, Oceania are in the lead here), the response time is about 300 milliseconds, while in most European countries and the USA this parameter is no more than 30 milliseconds. Judging by the numbers themselves, it seems that everything is not so critical. Well, isn't it a problem to wait 5 seconds for the site to load. I would like to draw attention to the difference – 10 times! Yes, the same 30 milliseconds for Europe – that's already quite a delay. Usually, thanks to data caching, this time can be significantly reduced.
Significant delays in loading can negatively affect the work of most users. This will be especially true for participants in online games, those who bet on sports and all other users who value their time and are not inclined to spend it on a long wait. We invite you to go to link right now and check the speed of your Internet connection. So you can see in numbers how much "slows down" your internet. If the speed is low, if you often find that your ISP's DNS-server simply "drops"; and you can't access the resources you need, it's time to look for an alternative solution.
In particular, we are talking about switching work from the provider's server to public DNS-servers that can provide faster, but at the same time stable and efficient operation. There are a lot of such options that anyone can use, and completely free of charge, today there are quite a lot on the network. Here you can get acquainted with a selection of the best public DNS-servers and how they connect to work. But still, we recommend that you initially check the speed of the option you like. This way you can easily choose a fast DNS-server for yourself.
Checking the speed of public DNS-servers
Before proceeding to testing the speed of DNS-servers, it is important to understand what factors it depends on. Here are the highlights:
- physical distance to the nearest server;
- the technical capabilities of your network's ISP;
- server bandwidth.
Today, we would single out two of the simplest ways to check the speed of a particular public DNS:
- DNS jumper utility. Anyone can use it for free. It allows you to simultaneously check several options and choose the fastest DNS-server from all. Despite the abundance of settings, the application is quite simple and easy to use. So, you only need a couple of mouse clicks. We launch the program, select the "Quick DNS" option, and then – "Run DNS Test". Just a few seconds, and you will see a complete list of options, already sorted by speed. Please note: the program automatically selects servers based on your geolocation. But she does not conduct any additional tests. You only get momentary measurements, which may differ from the average for a particular device.
- DNSPerf service. Conducts minute-by-minute testing of a specific set of servers from more than 200 locations from different parts of the world and uploads the results for public review. Using this service, you can get a fairly clear picture of both the performance of the device and its operating time. This information will be enough to choose a reliable and fast DNS-server for yourself.
The nuances of switching DNS-servers
The best solution for setting up a DNS-server depends on the hardware you have and the type of operating system. So, initially I identify the main and auxiliary server. Direct configuration can be done in two ways:
- Through a router. Detailed instructions for setting up DNS-servers for the most popular router models are given in the article DNS-server - what is it and why. We will not repeat now information that has already been described in as much detail as possible.
- Through the operating system. If you plan to configure through the Windows operating system, then we offer a detailed step-by-step instruction here.
Has the work been completed? Amazing! But this is not a reason to relax completely. It is also very important to monitor the health of your current DNS-servers from time to time in order to prevent previous errors.
Now let's look at two more questions that may be of interest to Internet users: how to check current DNS-servers and how to test them in case your search engine returns a "server IP-address not found" error.
Checking current DNS-servers
If you encounter problems with your Internet connection at work, then before changing the provider's server, you need to know which DNS you are currently using. To solve this problem, you can use the DNSLeakTest.com service. We go to the online service and click on the "Standard Test" button. Just a couple of seconds, and you will see the IP-addresses of the main and additional servers that the provider provided to you, as well as the corresponding host names. In some cases, the name of the provider itself may also be displayed.
What's next? There are several options here:
- your device is configured to use specific servers;
- your device constantly queries the addresses of the best DNS-servers when connected to the network;
- The router takes care of the full processing of the servers.
You also have the option to check the DNS-server bound to the network adapter directly through the operating system. In this case, it is worth executing the "ipconfig /all" command. If in the output results in the corresponding line you see only the address of your router (mainly 192.168.x.x), then DNS processing is assigned directly to the router. In this case, you will only have to enter this address in the search engine, go to the control panel of the router and specify the parameters of the DNS-servers there.
Testing the DNS-server
If you are sure that the Internet site you want to visit is up and available at the moment, and when you try to connect to it, the browser returns the error "Server IP-address not found", it is highly likely that the problem hidden in the DNS-server itself. To conduct appropriate testing, it is not necessary to make adjustments to the system setup. Windows operating system users can use the "nslookup.exe" tool to directly from the command line. To do this, do the following:
- Launch the cmd.exe command line in the operating system.
- Enter the command "nslookup website.com" in it, then specify the address of the target Internet resource, and then press the "Enter" button.
- Nslookup uses your DNS-server to access the site. If the site is not found, then the target domain is not recorded on the server you are currently using.
- For comparison, repeat the steps from point "2", but instead of the address of the target site, specify the address of another server.
If it turns out that one server returns an IP-address, while the other – no, it means that there is really a problem with your DNS and it's time to think about replacing it.
But, in any case, when working on the network, you should never forget about security. This is especially true for those who are quite active on the Internet, work with multi-accounting, data parsing, etc. And here we would recommend connecting a mobile proxy from the MobileProxy.Space service to work. They will also be useful for those who are trying to find a fast DNS-server, because this problem will disappear by itself. The fact is that after connecting such proxies, you will automatically be tied to the DNS-servers of mobile network operators, and they are the fastest and most reliable today.
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