DNS benchmarking tools are used mainly for DNS server speed testing. DNS services tend to advertise high speeds and claim they can significantly help organizations improve website performance and the general pace of web browsing. However, performance varies based on the actual speed of the DNS server as well as how far away those servers are from the user’s location.
It is similar to the promises often made by home internet service providers. They usually claim a fairly high amount of performance, but average rates can fall far short. For DNS servers, therefore, speed tests are done to determine which service is faster for a specific situation.
Read more: Best Server Monitoring Software and Tools
- Best DNS Benchmark Tools
- GRC
- DNSPerf
- NameBench
- DNS Jumper
- DNSChecker
- MXToolbox
- DotCom-Tools
- whatsmydns.net
- What Is a DNS Server?
Best DNS Benchmark Tools
ServerWatch evaluated many DNS benchmark tools. Some are designed for power users, while others are for less knowledgeable users. In the latter case, you just enter your domain and results pop up automatically with recommendations. Note that these services may not be as thorough as the more detailed DNS benchmarking services.
Here are some of our top picks, in no particular order. We choose from across the range of simple and complex tools. However, there is no best-for-all-uses DNS speed test. Results will vary based on compute environment, location, type of application, and workload.
GRC’s DNS benchmark has plenty of features for basic as well as demanding internet users. This tool can drill down into the many facets of DNS performance required during an in-depth investigation. It is also said to be easy to run for first-time users.
Key Differentiators
- Gain visibility into what’s going on with currently assigned DNS servers
- Automatically compare server performance with publicly available alternatives
- Detailed comparison of the performance and reliability of up to 200 DNS servers
- Identifies all DNS servers the user’s system is configured to use and adds them to the list
- Characterizes each DNS server to determine suitability
- Tests each server to see if it returns an error, or redirects to a marketing page
- Results are continuously displayed and updated while the benchmark is underway
- Dynamically sorted and scaled bar chart and table of each server
- Queries for the IP addresses of the top 50 most popular domain names on the internet
- Also queries nonexistent domains
- Compatible with all versions of Windows, as well as Windows emulations running on Linux and Mac
- Coded in assembly for precision and small size: 147 KB
- Nothing to install, just run a small executable file
DNSPerf by PerfrOps can be used to compare DNS providers and their performance in different regions throughout the world. Its big data platform ingests billions of metrics from hundreds of locations, then processes that data and streams it to a dashboard endpoint in real time. In addition, it is an efficient tool when it comes to debugging and testing self-hosted DNS servers.
Key Differentiators
- Tests run in real time
- More than 200 available locations around the world
- Compare DNS providers and their performance in different regions
- Results are stored for 30 days
- Also offers a load balancer and data analytics platform to simplify global traffic management
- FlexBalancer helps improve routing decisions
- CloudPerf is its cloud benchmarking service
- CDNPerf is its content delivery network testing service
NameBench is a free, open-source DNS benchmarking utility available for Windows, macOS, and UNIX. By default, it tests current DNS servers while also letting users enter specific addresses of other servers. One of the original DNS servers, it is lightweight and portable.
Key Differentiators
- Option to include popular public DNS servers, such as Google, OpenDNS, and UltraDNS
- Can test the fastest regional DNS servers in an area
- Censorship checks to test those that provide filtering services
- Shows the fastest DNS server available based upon the exact sites visited using the browser cache
- Checks are based on the top 2,000 websites
- Users receive a prioritized list of three server addresses as final recommendations
- There is a macOS version
- Can detect when an ISP is disregarding the user’s custom settings and redirecting DNS traffic
Sordum’s DNS Jumper aids in finding and setting the fastest DNS for a particular system. It is lightweight, portable, and includes plenty of features.
Key Differentiators
- Pre-configured list of 27 different DNS services
- If the DNS service desired is not listed, it can be added easily
- Benchmark all DNS services on the list
- Displays the fastest one for a specific use case
- Helps the user to switch to a preferred DNS server
- Measures resolve time concerning incorrect domain names entered by users
- You can create DNS groups that divide DNS servers into folders
DNSChecker offers many tools related to DNS and DNS performance. If a user has recently changed DNS records, switched web hosts, or started a new website, it offers a toolset so address the problem.
Key Differentiators
- Free DNS lookup service to check against DNS servers located in multiple regions worldwide
- Performs a DNS propagation lookup for any hostname
- Checks data collected from all available DNS servers to confirm DNS records are fully propagated
- DNS health checkup for the user’s domain, including which DNS parameters need attention
- Check which blacklist services contain the user record
- Reverse IP Lookup tools resolve a given IP to Host
- Also includes NS Lookup and MX Lookup services.
MXToolbox offers tools such as DNS Check and DNS Lookup. It will run a comprehensive DNS report for any domain based on a DNS lookup against root servers. If a mail server has been blacklisted, it may have been flagged as a source of spam. This tool helps users detect this problem.
Key Differentiators
- Queries each name server to make sure DNS servers all respond
- Measures performance and audits the results against common best practices
- Supertool brings together all MX record, DNS, blacklist and SMTP diagnostics in one integrated tool
- Input a domain name, IP address, or host name and receive a chronological history of results
- A blacklist check will test a mail server IP address against over 100 DNS-based email blacklists
The DotCom-Tools DNS lookup test queries root servers to find DNS lookup records detailing the path taken to retrieve authoritative DNS server details. The DNS server returns the IP addresses associated with the requested DNS record.
Key Differentiators
- Check DNS propagation from dozens of root locations
- The DNS trace test automatically attempts to resolve IPv4 and IPv6 addresses if available
- Test results include the time to receive a response from each node along the path, as well as the answers returned from each node
whatsmydns.net is a free online tool that lets you quickly and easily perform a DNS lookup to check DNS propagation. You can also see the information of any domain from DNS servers located in many countries around the world. It provides immediate insight into how users globally may be resolving DNS records for certain websites, email, or other online services.
Key Differentiators
- Tests changes made to new or existing domains
- See if they have been updated correctly without the need to manually query remote servers
- Makes the process of performing global DNS checks easy by maintaining a range of DNS servers
- Results are parsed and displayed on a map
What Is a DNS Server?
Domain Name System (DNS) could be considered to be a directory for the internet. Domain names such as “serverwatch.com” need the help of DNS servers to translate the domain name into a numeric IP address so users will arrive at the right site.
Most ISPs provide their own DNS servers. As they are generally close to the users they serve, they often deliver adequate performance. But they may not be the fastest around. They may also fail to satisfy the reliability or security requirements of some organizations.
That’s where third-party DNS servers come in. Users can switch to a preferred server. Before they do, however, they test those DNS servers thoroughly to ensure they perform well in their environment.
Read next: RADIUS Server: Best Low-Cost RADIUS Servers
FAQs
Some popularly known best and fastest DNS Servers list:
- Google Public DNS.
- Quad9.
- OpenDNS Home.
- Cloudflare.
- Comodo Secure DNS.
- CleanBrowsing.
- Alternate DNS.
- AdGuard DNS.
nslookup. The task of DNS troubleshooting is primarily one of information gathering. Troubleshooting tools like nslookup work as checks against the configuration of DNS servers. The word nslookup is short for “name server lookup”.
Is 1.1.1.1 still the fastest DNS? ›
The independent DNS monitor DNSPerf ranks 1.1.1.1 the fastest DNS service in the world. Since nearly everything you do on the Internet starts with a DNS request, choosing the fastest DNS directory across all your devices will accelerate almost everything you do online.
Which DNS increase Internet speed? ›
There are three leading alternative DNS providers; Google DNS, OpenDNS, and Cloudflare DNS. We've compared Google DNS and Cloudflare DNS to see which provider delivers the fastest results, but you'll experience a speed and security boost switching from your default DNS to any of these alternative providers.
What DNS makes Internet faster? ›
Some of the most trustworthy, high-performance DNS public resolvers and their IPv4 DNS addresses include:
- Cisco OpenDNS: 208.67. 222.222 and 208.67. 220.220;
- Cloudflare 1.1. 1.1: 1.1. 1.1 and 1.0. 0.1;
- Google Public DNS: 8.8. 8.8 and 8.8. 4.4; and.
- Quad9: 9.9. 9.9 and 149.112. 112.112.
Quick Guide: Best Free and Public DNS Servers in 2022
| DNS Provider | Primary Address | Secondary Address |
|---|
| 1. Google Public DNS | 8.8.8.8 | 8.8.4.4 |
| 2. Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1 | 1.0.0.1 |
| 3. OpenDNS | 208.67.222.222 | 208.67.220.220 |
| 4. CyberGhost | 38.132.106.139 | 194.187.251.67 |
13 more rows6 days ago
Fortunately, both Google public DNS (8.8. 8.8) and Cloudflare DNS (1.1. 1.1) offer reliable latency and DNS optimizations to a global audience. However, when it comes to choosing the best DNS service, Cloudflare outperforms Google in some cases.
Which DNS is faster for gaming? ›
Best DNS servers for gaming
- Primary DNS: 1.1.1.1.
- Secondary DNS: 1.1.0.0.
- Download speeds: Most online games do not require fast download speeds while actually playing as the information coming in about the game world is typically very small and only contains information such as coordinates and state of other players.
The best way to test DNS speed is using nslookup command. It performs a name resolution against a DNS server. This command is available on Linux and Windows systems. It can display the time it takes for the name resolution with Windows' powershell.
How do I check if my DNS is correct? ›
To check a specific DNS record, you need to specify the nslookup command, an optional record type (for example, A , MX , or TXT ), and the host name that you want to check. Note: If you omit the record type, it defaults to A . The first two lines of output specify the server to which the request was directed.
Top DNS Lookup Tools
- dig. Short for Domain Information Groper, dig is a network administration tool for querying DNS name servers. ...
- nslookup. One of the oldest tools for DNS lookup is nslookup . ...
- host. ...
- intoDNS. ...
- MxToolbox. ...
- DNSInspect. ...
- What's My DNS.
That is not recommended and may even be a violation of your security policies, depending on the level of security required in your organization or by any governing agency. DNS forwarders that only point to 8.8. 8.8 are using your ISP connection to hop to 8.8. 8.8 when resolving DNS.
What is the 8.8 4.4 DNS server? ›
8.8. 4.4 is the secondary DNS server for Google Public DNS. Google Public DNS is a global DNS service that is run by Google for the purpose of making the Internet and the DNS system faster, safer, secure, and more reliable for everyone online.
Is Cloudflare the fastest DNS? ›
Since DNS resolvers sometimes have to ask authoritative servers for IP addresses it's also important that those servers are fast too. That's one reason why Cloudflare runs one of the world's largest and fastest authoritative DNS services.
What is the safest and fastest DNS? ›
The 5 Best DNS Servers for Improved Online Safety
- Google Public DNS. IP Addresses: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. ...
- OpenDNS. IP Addresses: 208.67.220.220 and 208.67.222.222. ...
- DNSWatch. IP Addresses: 84.200.69.80 and 84.200.70.40. ...
- OpenNIC. IP Addresses: 206.125.173.29 and 45.32.230.225. ...
- UncensoredDNS.
Does DNS Affect Ping In Games? DNS can slightly reduce ping and improve latency in games. However, the DNS must be a high-quality, high-speed server to have the desired effect. You may also need to modify in-game settings to get the result you want.
Which DNS is better Google or Cloudflare? ›
Cloudflare speeds up and protects millions of websites, APIs, SaaS services, and other properties connected to the Internet. On the other hand, Google Cloud DNS is detailed as "Reliable, resilient, low-latency DNS serving from Google's worldwide network of Anycast DNS servers".
How can I improve my DNS server performance? ›
The first and easiest option to improving DNS performance is to switch to an alternate DNS server for performing lookups. Consider using one of the free and open DNS servers rather than your ISP's. Many are available.
Is 1.1.1.1 a VPN? ›
It's important to say at the outset that 1.1. 1.1 is not a VPN. A VPN encrypts all your device's data and sends that information to a server controlled by the VPN company. This process hides your true IP address and prevents your ISP—or any spy on your network—from monitoring your traffic.
How can I increase my slow DNS speed? ›
Best DNS servers you can try
- OpenDNS.
- Google.
- Cloudflare.
- Quad9.
- Open System Preferences, then select Network. Click on the Advanced button.
- Next, go to the DNS tab.
- Click the plus (+) sign on this tab, then type your preferred DNS server address.
- Press OK, and you're set!
1.1 is a free Domain Name System (DNS) service by American company Cloudflare in partnership with APNIC. The service functions as a recursive name server providing domain name resolution for any host on the Internet.
How do I find a good DNS server? ›
Just download DNS Benchmark, launch it (no installation required), select the “Nameservers” tab, and click “Run Benchmark”. It'll benchmark the top 72 DNS servers. After it's done, it will even offer to benchmark nearly 5000 publicly available DNS servers in the world and find the best 50 for your connection.
What are the 3 types of DNS? ›
There are three main kinds of DNS Servers — primary servers, secondary servers, and caching servers.
What is the fastest public DNS? ›
Cloudflare
These start with performance, and independent testing from sites like DNSPerf shows Cloudflare is the fastest public DNS service around.
Does 1.1.1.1 Make your Internet faster? ›
1.1. 1.1 is a free, public DNS resolver from Cloudflare and Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) that could make your searches faster and more secure. But the product won't work for everyone, and some have concerns about how it will use their data.
Is Cloudflare DNS server free? ›
Is Cloudflare a free DNS (domain nameserver) provider? Yes. Cloudflare offers free DNS services to customers in all plans.
What is the best DNS for no lag? ›
When people change their DNS, it's usually to enhance either performance, security or both. And while there are many paid options, we're always fans of freebies.
...
The lower the time, the better – and faster – it is for the user.
- Google Public DNS. ...
- OpenDNS. ...
- Quad9. ...
- Cloudflare. ...
- NextDNS. ...
- Comodo Secure DNS. ...
- OpenNIC. ...
- CleanBrowsing.
A high ping, for example, while gaming, is mostly caused by the way you connect to your router, the quality of copper line and/or the ISP. A traceroute can be done to troubleshoot the issue. A traceroute will show where the latency is coming from. Try moving closer to your router.
How do I test my server speed? ›
Checking web hosting server speed is a relatively simple process.
...
Web Server Speed Test | Step-by-Step Guide
- Step One – Enter Your Website Information. From the main page, enter your website URL in the search field. ...
- Step Two – Provide Optional Testing Parameters. ...
- Step Three – Confirm Data and Receive Report.
Enter https://1.1.1.1/help on the browser address bar. Wait for the page to load and run its tests. The page will present you a summary of the type of connection you have to 1.1. 1.1, as well as the Cloudflare data center you are connected to.
Is smart DNS faster than a VPN? Yes, because a smart DNS only changes your DNS address while a VPN encrypts data traffic, obfuscates it, and spoofs your location by changing your IP – effectively taking up more of your internet bandwidth.
Does DNS affect speed test? ›
How can DNS affect your Internet speed? Although DNS is not directly related to your Internet speed, it can influence how fast an individual webpage appears on your computer. Once a connection has been established though, it should not affect download speeds.
What is DNS optimization? ›
It is a process of finding the computer-friendly address of the remote server using a human-friendly domain name. There are few performance improvement possibilities like perfect cache invalidation time. Preferring A record over CNAME. But before all these let's understand how DNS resolution actually works.
What is the 0.0 0.0 DNS server? ›
In IPv4-based routing, 0.0. 0.0 serves as a default route. This means no particular address has been designated in the routing table as the next hop in the packet's path to its final destination. When the default route is used with a subnet mask of 0.0.
Which is faster OpenDNS or Google DNS? ›
Testing the Domain Name Resolution Speed
This means OpenDNS is faster on our system than google DNS. If we use OpenDNS, we will enjoy faster domain name resolution speeds.
Why is Google DNS best? ›
Google's DNS is also very secure, thanks to the company's extensive web security expertise. Malicious web actors often poison a DNS provider's database to route users to IP addresses of malicious sites, but Google takes a lot of steps to prevent such attacks, e.g., using the DNSSEC cryptographic standards.
Should I use 4.2 2.2 DNS? ›
It is a DNS resolver, having a very easy to remember ip address, older then Google's 8.8. 8.8, hosted by Level3 on many servers (anycast ip address). Although it is open, it is recommended to use it only for testing purposes only, unless you are a Level3 customer.
Which DNS is best for Chrome? ›
Selecting Google name servers sets your DNS servers to Google's public DNS servers which are 8.8. 8.8 and 8.8. 4.4. In most cases, these are much faster than your default ISP name servers, so I would recommend you go with this option.
What is the biggest DNS server? ›
Google Public DNS
It has been in use since 2009 and is currently the largest public DNS server in the world. In order for you to use this DNS server, you'll have to change your IP addresses to 8.8. 8.8 and 8.8. 4.4.
Which is better Quad9 or Cloudflare? ›
Regarding speed, Cloudflare DNS consistently performs at or near the top, beating out all other solutions. It is very fast, stable, and secure. So, if speed is a top priority, Cloudflare DNS is hands down the best choice. Quad9 has some troubling speed issues depending on region/location.
The two providers we recommend are Quad9 and Cloudflare, both of which are free and run by reputable companies. Of the two, Quad9 is more focused on user privacy, but Cloudflare offers additional DNS filtering capabilities that may be useful.
Does 1.1.1.1 hide your IP? ›
In a significant update to Cloudflare's 1.1. 1.1 + WARP VPN service, the company added more precise geolocation to its free and premium account levels. The update now returns localized search engine and site results without exposing a user's public IP address. In 2019, Cloudflare launched the beta VPN for its 1.1.
› 2009/12 › Public-DNS-Google ›
Google is offering two DNS servers for public use, namely 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, in an attempt to further speed up browsing.
When your computer or router is connected to the internet through DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), your Internet Service Provider (ISP) automatically...
Google Public DNS uses Name Server (NS) records published in the DNS root zone and zones of top-level domains to find the names and addresses of the DNS servers...
Best DNS servers for gaming
- VPN: Many people use VPN services for privacy reasons or to appear as if you are connecting from another country or region. ...
- Primary DNS: 8.8.8.8.
- Secondary DNS: 8.8.4.4.
- Primary DNS: 1.1.1.1.
- Secondary DNS: 1.1.0.0.
That is not recommended and may even be a violation of your security policies, depending on the level of security required in your organization or by any governing agency. DNS forwarders that only point to 8.8. 8.8 are using your ISP connection to hop to 8.8. 8.8 when resolving DNS.
What is the number 1 DNS server? ›
Quick Guide: Best Free and Public DNS Servers in 2022
| DNS Provider | Primary Address | Secondary Address |
|---|
| 1. Google Public DNS | 8.8.8.8 | 8.8.4.4 |
| 2. Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1 | 1.0.0.1 |
| 3. OpenDNS | 208.67.222.222 | 208.67.220.220 |
| 4. CyberGhost | 38.132.106.139 | 194.187.251.67 |
13 more rows6 days ago
DNS improves the gaming experience for users via its speed and high-security nature. It improves latency and reduces ping, allowing gamers to enjoy their activities and minimize lag issues. DNS also reduces packet loss, enables wider customizability with websites, and eliminates jitter.
What DNS has lowest ping? ›
Effective DNS Servers For Ping
The best uptime for DNS service is Cloudflare; It is reliable and can keep your ping in a stable state and you will not experience a sudden change of ping; Optional WARP program that provides a secure connection to the standard network tunnel to increase security.
Is Cloudflare DNS the fastest? ›
Since DNS resolvers sometimes have to ask authoritative servers for IP addresses it's also important that those servers are fast too. That's one reason why Cloudflare runs one of the world's largest and fastest authoritative DNS services.
Can DNS cause lag? ›
As such, DNS does not have any influence over the actual connection speed. I think your speedtest results are within a margin of error of each other, the higher ping on the Google DNS test is probably caused by the fact that you ran the test to another server than your other two tests.
In IPv4-based routing, 0.0. 0.0 serves as a default route. This means no particular address has been designated in the routing table as the next hop in the packet's path to its final destination. When the default route is used with a subnet mask of 0.0.
What is the safest and fastest DNS? ›
The 5 Best DNS Servers for Improved Online Safety
- Google Public DNS. IP Addresses: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. ...
- OpenDNS. IP Addresses: 208.67.220.220 and 208.67.222.222. ...
- DNSWatch. IP Addresses: 84.200.69.80 and 84.200.70.40. ...
- OpenNIC. IP Addresses: 206.125.173.29 and 45.32.230.225. ...
- UncensoredDNS.
Hackers create malware programs that can change your DNS server settings. For example, if your computer uses Google's DNS servers and you want to go to your bank's website, you type in the URL of your bank and expect to be taken to your bank's official website.
What DNS server is 1111? ›
1.1 is a free Domain Name System (DNS) service by American company Cloudflare in partnership with APNIC. The service functions as a recursive name server providing domain name resolution for any host on the Internet.
Is 1111 a good DNS? ›
Does the 1.1 1.1 DNS make your internet faster? It is often the fastest option for DNS lookups. It won't make your internet speed any faster, but it can make web browsing slightly faster. The time it takes to get the IP address of a server will be milliseconds faster than using other DNS resolvers.
How do I find a good DNS server? ›
Just download DNS Benchmark, launch it (no installation required), select the “Nameservers” tab, and click “Run Benchmark”. It'll benchmark the top 72 DNS servers. After it's done, it will even offer to benchmark nearly 5000 publicly available DNS servers in the world and find the best 50 for your connection.
How do I lower my ping? ›
A reset is a simple and often effective way to lower ping. Try to restart/reset your wi-fi router and reboot your device or computer as well. Resetting your router periodically will also reset your DNS cache and discard data that is unnecessarily taking up space.
Is Google DNS fastest? ›
Fortunately, both Google public DNS (8.8. 8.8) and Cloudflare DNS (1.1. 1.1) offer reliable latency and DNS optimizations to a global audience. However, when it comes to choosing the best DNS service, Cloudflare outperforms Google in some cases.
Can DNS affect FPS? ›
It wouldn't affect anything except how long it takes you to connect to things. DNS is just for looking up the IP address associated with domain names. Once your system knows the IP address for a domain name, DNS is no longer involved. It wouldn't affect video games or streaming once you actually get st...
