Fast DNS servers. Seven reasons to use third-party DNS services

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DNS, also known as Domain Name System, is a domain name system. This system associates website names with IP addresses corresponding to pages on that site.

A DNS server is a computer on the Internet that stores information about these matches. We wrote more about what DNS is and how a DNS server works in.

DNS and website loading speed

Depending on the selected DNS server, the loading speed of Internet pages may differ, since the Internet provider's server is most often used as the DNS server. Often such DNS servers are very busy, serving a large number of user requests. Therefore, some large companies have registered alternative DNS servers that work independently of the main ones and can completely replace them. The most popular alternative DNSs are DNS addresses servers Google: "8.8.8.8" and "8.8.4.4". Any user can connect to them.

To increase page loading speed, you can change the DNS server to one whose response speed is faster. In this case, you can choose both free and paid DNS servers. An overview of recommended public DNS servers is given in.

To change the DNS to the selected one, use. Changing DNS on Android devices is different from DNS changes on Windows.

Android is one of the famous operating systems for mobile devices. This is an open operating system - anyone can make changes to the software and release their own firmware.

Changing DNS on Android Devices Without Getting Super User Rights

Without super user rights, you can change DNS only in the Wi-Fi connection properties. In this case, the DNS will have to be changed on every connection you use.

To do this, open “Settings” and select Wi-Fi settings. Long press the name of the network you are setting up and the settings menu will open. Click on "Connect to a network".

In the window that opens, check the “Show additional options” checkbox.

This will open the connection properties. Select “IP Settings” – Static.

This will make the IP and DNS fields available for completion. Enter the addresses of the DNS servers you selected in the DNS fields. After filling out all the fields, click “Connect”.

Changing DNS on Android devices with super user rights

If you have super user rights (root rights), you can use applications for DNS changes. The application will allow you to apply the specified parameters to everyone Wi-Fi connections and mobile data connections (3G and 4G). As you remember, without super user rights, it is impossible to change mobile data transfer settings. An example of such applications are: DNS Changer, Set DNS and others. After installation, you need to log into the application and set DNS server addresses manually or select DNS providers from the list.

Using Android devices with root rights, remember that the developers of the operating Android systems and applications are moving away from supporting rooted smartphones. Thus, to install updates and most applications, very soon you will have to restore the device to its original state.

In addition to increasing the speed of loading pages on the Internet, the need to change DNS may also arise when a user wants to increase his anonymity on the Internet, or access to a site is limited to users from a certain country.

No matter what reason you decide to change DNS on your Android device, our article will help you do this quickly and easily. To check the DNS server address used on this moment, use our

A DNS server, or, as it is also called, a name server, is a set of servers and software, responding to DNS requests in accordance with the established protocol. If we speak in a language understandable to the common man, he is responsible for converting a domain name that is understandable to the user into an IP address that is understandable to the machine. A good example such a transformation looks like this:
Yandex.ru → 5.255.255.55

In the example, “Yandex.ru” is the second-level domain name that the user enters in the search bar. A request with this name is sent to the DNS server, which converts it to the IP address “5.255.255.55”, where the requested page is located. If for some reason the DNS server is unavailable, the download will not be able to occur, since the domain name will remain a set of characters.

A lot depends on choosing the right DNS server location:

Resistance to DDoS attacks.
Availability at any time.
Extended functionality available. (additional records management)

Before choosing a DNS server, you need to carefully study the features of each type of name server and select the most suitable one according to the parameters.

When ordering a dedicated server service in St. Petersburg, you can be sure of reliability DNS hosting and 100% performance of protection against DDoS attacks.

Which DNS servers are better?

There are several options for placing DNS servers:

Own DNS server.
DNS servers provided by hosting providers.
Paid DNS hosting.
Free DNS hosting.

A CDN server can also operate in DNS mode; what it is and how it works is worth considering in more detail. Content Delivery Network (CDN) literally translates as “content delivery network” and, in fact, that’s what it is. A CDN consists of many servers physically located in different parts of the world and equipped with special software. The purpose of this network is to deliver the content requested by the user as quickly as possible.

By setting up a CDN proxy in DNS server mode, you can get a significant increase in the speed of the resource thanks to data caching via distributed network servers (information will be transmitted to the client from the server closest to it). In addition, the CDN can filter requests to protect the resource from DDoS attacks.

There are also significant disadvantages to using a CDN proxy. For domains located in a CDN, the IP address is assigned randomly, so you cannot access the site directly through the IP address. One more significant drawback Using a CDN on the territory of the Russian Federation poses a risk of the dedicated IPs being blacklisted by Roskomnadzor. Since IP addresses are assigned randomly, there is a chance that one of the addresses blocked by Roskomnadzo will come across.

Each type of hosting has its pros and cons, which you need to know in order to understand which DNS servers are better.

Own DNS server

This option for hosting a DNS server is suitable for owners of their own server space and owners of virtual servers.

Most often, special DNS server software (for example, BIND or PowerDNS) is installed on the same server where the site is located and does not require additional financial costs.

The undeniable advantage of this option for the location of the DNS server is its independence from third party resources. Very often, when the hosting on which the site is located is working stably, instead of accessing it, users receive the error “DNS service is not responding.” It can occur for several reasons, and the problem can be on both the server side and the client side. Owners own DNS- servers can promptly detect and correct errors that occur, maintaining the continuous operation of the site. This requires constant monitoring of the server status.

Since the installation of server software and its administration falls entirely on the shoulders of the resource owner, difficulties may arise in DNS settings. On the other hand, with sufficient qualifications, you can use your own scripts, which significantly expands the range of server capabilities. You can find many example configurations and tutorials on how to create them online.

However, it is not recommended to install DNS on the same server where the site is located. For high fault tolerance, a DNS system must consist of, at a minimum, distributed servers. Otherwise, if your server is unavailable, the site may stop working while the DNS cache is updated (from 1 to 72 hours). That is, even a short-term server reboot can lead to your site being unavailable for a long time.

DNS servers provided by hosting providers

Often, providers provide free name servers (primary or secondary) when purchasing server space. Thus, the minimum services required to host a working resource on the server are provided. Using free DNS hosting, the client has minimal access to its settings. Most often, such servers only perform basic functions(converting domain names to IP) without the ability to use additional functionality (API, IPv6, DynDNS or Geo Routing).

Hosting providers often have a free DNS server shared by all clients. Therefore, in the event of a DDoS attack on one of their clients, problems arise for all. On the other hand, hosting providers try to prevent such situations from occurring by protecting their DNS servers from DDoS.

IN constant monitoring the state of the DNS server when choosing this option for its placement is not necessary - this is constantly monitored by the hosting provider. Many people are interested in the answer to the question of how to find out the IP address of the provider’s DNS server. The easiest way is to contact the provider's support service. They will not only expertly answer all your questions, but will also help you deploy and configure your own name server.

RigWEB company provides all clients using hosting services, VPS rental or dedicated servers with DDoS-protected DNS hosting for an unlimited number of websites. You get full functionality DNS management, Creation necessary records etc.

Paid DNS hosting

First you need to decide what DNS hosting is and why it is needed. To increase the stability of the resource, it is recommended to use at least two NS servers located on different networks. Otherwise, the following situation may arise: in the event of a temporary unavailability of the service, users accessing the site will “cache” for some time (about 10-15) a negative response from the name server (the DNS service does not respond). And even if the server is restored, the user will not be able to instantly access it without first clearing the cache. This is unacceptable for resources where real-time operation is important.

Organizations providing paid DNS hosting services place their servers on different networks, and often even on the territory different countries. This ensures high fault tolerance of the system and reduces its response time to user requests. If one of the servers is unavailable for one reason or another, information is taken from the nearest available one.

The paid DNS hosting service is an excellent option for those who need a full-fledged API, a guarantee of system fault tolerance and the ability to use additional functionality.

Free DNS hosting

There are a number of resources that provide DNS server addresses for free. Among them are Yandex, Google and others. search engines, as well as specialized services. There are several advantages to using such services:

They are free.
You can choose the option that best suits the range of services provided.
There is no need to monitor server availability yourself.

Free DNS servers are usually subject to a number of restrictions. These include limiting the number of domain names available, or limited number requests served by the server. In addition, many free DNS servers do not serve commercial projects and, in their terms of use, do not assume responsibility for interruptions in operation.

What to do if the DNS service is not responding

For those who use free DNS servers for a domain, it is advisable to have several options for such servers, since it is almost impossible to influence their performance. It is necessary to leave a request to the support service, but until the functionality of the main DNS server is restored, you should switch to using one of the backup servers. Thus, the time of resource unavailability is reduced to a minimum.

If a resource is unavailable when using own servers To figure out what it is - the DNS server is not responding or there is a problem with hosting availability, you will have to figure it out yourself. If the DNS service fails, restarting the software may help.

Much depends on the right choice and dns server settings - fault tolerance, stability, protection from DDoS attacks. In case of any difficulties or questions, contact RigWEB specialists, and your clients will never receive a message that there is no DNS server or the DNS service is not responding.

When talking about securing your Internet connection or accessing blocked content in your geographic area, you've probably heard about DNS. Although all providers provide their own default DNS server, you can use an alternative one. The DNS service is used to determine the IP addresses of websites based on their domain. Everything is very simple - in fact, there are no letter addresses on the Internet like a website; all communications and messages between computers are carried out via IP address. Here's to define it by domain name and DNS servers are used, which store a huge table of correspondence between domain names and IP addresses.

Using an alternative DNS server provides several benefits:

The closer you are to the DNS server, the faster name resolution will be.
If your provider's DNS is not very reliable, an alternative DNS will improve stability.
You will get rid of restrictions on access to content based on geographic location.

If these reasons, or at least one of them, interest you, it's time to set up a DNS server on your system. In this article we will talk about how to set up a DNS server in Linux, how to find out its speed, and also look at best DNS servers. You can choose the best one depending on your needs.

Since our site is still about Linux, let’s look at how to set up Linux DNS servers. The DNS server settings in any Linux distribution are located in the /etc/resolv.conf file. The DNS server address is specified in the following format:

nameserver 192.168.137.1

Here 192.168.137.1 is the DNS server address. But the setting in this file will only work until you reboot, since this file is regenerated every time the system boots.

If you use NetworkManager, you can configure the DNS server there, in the connection properties. Open network connection settings, click on context menu And change for required connection, then on the IPv4 tab specify the desired DNS server:

Now the settings are saved even after a reboot.

You can test the speed of your DNS server using the nsloockup utility. For example:

time nslookup www.google.com 208.67.222.222

Server: 208.67.222.222
Address: 208.67.222.222#53
Non-authoritative answer:
Name: www.google.com
Address: 173.194.113.209
Name: www.google.com
Address: 173.194.113.212
Name: www.google.com
Address: 173.194.113.210
Name: www.google.com
Address: 173.194.113.211
Name: www.google.com
Address: 173.194.113.208
real 0m0.073s
user 0m0.012s
sys 0m0.004s

The first parameter is the address of the site that we will measure, the second is the DNS server address. The time command measures the execution time of nslookup in milliseconds. Now let’s move directly to the list of “good DNS servers”.

Best DNS Servers 1. Google Public DNS

The first DNS server on our list is a server from Google - Google Public DNS. It has been operating since December 2009 and its goal is to make users' online experience faster, safer and more convenient. It is currently the largest government DNS entity in the world. For using Google Public DNS is enough to use the IP address of the DNS server 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4.

Switching to Google Public DNS improves security and optimizes speed because Google actually uses Anycast routing to find the nearest server. In addition, it is resistant to DNS attacks Cache, as well as DoS.

2.OpenDNS

If you're not just looking for a replacement for regular DNS, but an advanced version that gives you more control, try OpenDNS. According to the company, you will take another step towards security by implementing this service. There are two options for OpenDNS - home and corporate. Home version comes with parental controls, phishing protection, and improved speed. The enterprise version of OpenDNS has full functionality to protect the enterprise network. For home use you can get OpenDNS for free. To configure Linux DNS servers, simply set the following DNS addresses: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. OpenDNS also supports Anycast.

3. DNS.WATCH

DNS.WATCH is a minimalistic DNS service which allows you to have fast access to the Internet without censorship. Because this service is built on freedom principles, you can be sure that your request will reach its target and no redirects will be used. The server is fast and stable. If you live in a censored country, this will be a great solution. DNS service servers: 82.200.69.80 and 84.200.70.40.

4. Norton ConnectSafe

Norton ConnectSafe is another DNS service designed for enhanced protection your internet. It should be noted that Norton has been involved in the security aspects of many devices for a long time. So you can be confident in the quality of Norton ConnectSafe. The service offers three various options protection: protection from malware, phishing and scams, protection against pornography and other threats. Each type uses different IP addresses. To protect all home network It's easy enough to configure the router.

5. Level3 DNS

Level3 DNS is a great DNS service if you are looking for a reliable DNS server with excellent performance. While Level3 isn't as big as Google, it has an impressive infrastructure. You can be sure that the speed will be at top level. DNS IP addresses servers: 209.244.0.3, 209.244.0.4, 4.2.2.1, 4.2.2.2, 4.2.2.3 and 4.2.2.4.

6. Comodo Secure DNS

Comodo Secure DNS is another service that combines speed, reliability and security. Comodo uses a huge network that includes a large number of DNS servers. Speed will be optimized by selecting a server based on your location. In addition, Comodo takes care of security by supplying a list of dangerous sites, and the DNS service will make sure that you do not visit any of them. Comodo Secure DNS IP addresses: 8.26.56.26 and 8.20.247.20.

7.OpenNIC DNS

Although OpenNIC DNS is last on the list, it is a great solution if you want free access to the Internet without government censorship. OpenNIC DNS has a very large network infrastructure and therefore will most likely find a DNS server that is close to your physical location. Just choose required server from the list .

conclusions

As you can see, some of these servers provide regular DNS bypassing the provider's restrictions, while others have additional features- protection against attacks, phishing and dangerous programs. All of them are the best DNS servers and you can choose one of them depending on your needs.

Good day!

Not long ago, one of my friends complained that his Internet pages in his browser opened with some kind of delay. Yes, it was not very noticeable, but it was still “felt.” And this, by the way, despite the fact that he has cable Internet access at a speed of 100 Mbit/s. At first the browser, OS, etc. were “blamed”, but as it turned out later, the reason was the terrible performance of the provider’s DNS server. And as soon as he was replaced in Windows settings, sites began to open instantly!

Now a little about the basics so that it is clear what we are talking about we're talking about to a wide range of readers. The fact is that when you open a page in a browser (i.e. follow a link, or manually specify a URL), your PC first sends a request to the DNS server (i.e. asks him: “where is the site located”), he, having searched the site in his database, answers him and indicates on what IP the site is located. And after that, the browser loads the page to the specified IP address.

In most cases, when a subscriber connects to the Internet, providers do not think about the convenience of the user and do not specify any DNS (their own ones are used by default). And almost always - they lose both in speed and stability to many public free DNS servers.

I think now you understand a little why the speed of opening an Internet page can depend on the DNS server?

How to find fast DNS server and specify it in Windows settings We are looking for the fastest DNS server for you

It is impossible to indicate which DNS will be the fastest for you. This depends on your Internet service provider, your geographic location, etc.

But with the help of one small utility you can do it in 1-2 minutes. test and find out the fastest DNS servers specifically for your provider. So...

After you run the utility DNSBench, open the tab "Nameservers" and press the button "Run Benchmark". In a couple of minutes, the utility will finish the test and present you with the results in sorted form (best options for you will be at the very top. In the screenshot below, in my case, these are: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, DNS from Google) .

Determine the fastest DNS server for your specific provider (DNSBench utility)

Note! The DNSBench utility does not use many well-known Russian servers. However, in my opinion this is not so critical, besides, if you want to compare them, you can add them to manual version(ADD button). Some of them will be presented below.

Fast DNS servers. Seven reasons to use third-party DNS services

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