Have you ever faced frustration over sluggish internet speeds? Entered a web address, only to stare endlessly at a loading screen? As one of the key systems governing access to websites, Domain Name Servers or DNS can play a major role here.
So what exactly is DNS and what does it do? Think of DNS as the address book of the internet – it translates the website names we enter like google.com to the numerical IP addresses that actually locate them. Your ISP assigns DNS servers automatically, but these can often underperform and even jeopardize your privacy.
The goal of this guide is to walk you through the steps for switching to faster third-party DNS providers like Cloudflare, OpenDNS etc. for a faster and safer browsing experience…
Benefits include:
- Faster page loading with reduced latency
- More reliable with near 100% uptime
- Enhanced security and privacy protections
- Unblocking of restricted content We‘ll cover ways to change DNS settings on Windows, Mac and common Linux distros like Ubuntu or Fedora. You can either configure this at the router level to affect all connected devices, or customize settings for individual devices.
Let‘s get straight into it, shall we?
A Quick Primer on Domain Name Servers
DNS servers work as the starting point for virtually all internet requests – translating memorable domain names to their corresponding IPs.
With DNS issues like:
- Misconfigured nameservers
- DNS hijacking
- Poor caching
- No encryption
Browsing can slow down and become unreliable. ISPs can even snoop on your activity or restrict access.
Using free public DNS services sidesteps these flaws with their optimized networks.
Now let‘s see how to switch DNS settings on desktop platforms for tangibly faster performance.
Changing DNS Server on Windows
Windows lets you override the default DNS in just a few clicks without any technical knowledge. Here‘s how to do it on Windows 10 and Windows 11…
1. Go to Control Panel -> Network & Internet -> Network Connections
2. Right click your active WiFi or Ethernet connection
3. Select Properties -> Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
4. Enable ‘Use the following DNS server addresses‘
5. Enter preferred and alternate DNS IP addresses
For Cloudflare, enter 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
6. Click OK to save changesThat‘s all there is to it! Within seconds any website or app will now use Cloudflare for DNS lookups rather than your ISP‘s servers.
For even faster speeds, enable DNS caching in the settings to store IP addresses in memory for websites you frequently access…
