In our articles we have often suggested using Google's DNS, because they are significantly faster than those provided by the providers and allow you to avoid some territorial blocks. CloudFlare recently launched its own DNS that wants to oust Google's from the hearts of fans, and beat it in terms of security and speed.
What are DNS servers?
DNS servers, are also called resolvers, they have a fundamental function in the Web we know. In reality, each page available on the Internet would be identified and reachable through its unique IP address (GiartheniBlog's address is 149.202.199.30), but this being a series of four thegits separated by periods is not exactly intuitive and easy to remember.
This is why DNS servers were born that associate a text string to the IP, what we commonly call address (for example ours is www.forinformaticslovers.com). All our web browsing goes through these servers, which then are crucial for the protection of our privacy, For the our safety and for ours browsing speed. A slow DNS server will slow down the preliminary phase for each page to load, and therefore seriously impact our browsing experience.
Our browsing traffic passes through the DNS, so their safety is really important. Often the DNS provided by the telephone operators, are deficient on this front, not offering strong encryption or support for the DNSSEC protocol, thus making them vulnerable to thefferent types of dangerous attacks.
The advantages of choosing DNS 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 offered by CloudFlare
The DNS servers offered by CloudFlare are very thefferent from those of the operators, because they support the DNSSEC protocol and do not in any way track the pages visited by users for commercial purposes. The company also claims that all user browsing session logs will be deleted within 24 hours of use.
The lack of CloudFlare tracking, and attention to performance make this new resolver an interesting alternative to other famous resolvers such as OpenDNS and Google's DNS.
The metheum site, after the launch, thed an interesting and in-depth speed test using the open source tool DNS Performance Test, from which it emerged that the CloudFlare resolver was on average faster than its competitors around the globe (with a 4,98 ms load average far faster than Google DNS which stopped at 16,44 ms).
You can make a quick test yourself using the handy and lightweight DNS Jumper program. My proof, as you can see from the screenshot, has shown a clear winner.
Like other international DNS addresses, this resolver it allows to avoid regional blockades imposed by the juthecial authorities on some sites. So it allows you to access without problems even portals that are unreachable through the DNS provided by the providers.
Who is CloudFlare?
We all know Google for better or for worse, behind OpenDNS since 2015 there is Cisco another lesser-known giant in the telecommunications sector. CloudFlare is a little known name to the general public, despite the fact that the company is quite famous in the industry. It is highly regarded among industry professionals for its effective DDoS protection technology, its domain name servers, and its advanced content delivery network.
How to set up CloudFlare DNS?
As usual, when it comes to changing DNS, the procedure varies by device and operating system. In general, when possible, it is best to set up your preferred DNS server therectly on the router or access point. It is usually quite simple by reaching the configuration page, which often varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and sometimes from model to model, so we recommend that you refer to your manual.
In this way, all connected devices will be able to use the chosen DNS therectly without further complications. Unfortunately, still, sometimes we are forced to use operators' routers, which they often do not allow DNS changes complicating the situation. In these cases, there is no alternative but to change the DNS on the inthevidual systems.
I CloudFlare DNS I'm:
- Primary (or main, or preferred): 1.1.1.1
- Secondary (the alternative): 1.0.0.1
Set up CloudFlare DNS on Windows 10
Setting up these excellent DNS on Windows is simple and fast enough, it only takes a few steps, you have to:
- enter the Settings, you can do it by clicking on the gear icon in the Start menu;
- click on Network and Internet and then on the Change card options item;
- in this window click with the right button on the card with which you are connected to the Internet;
- the contextual menu will open and it will be necessary to choose the Properties item;
- inside the window click twice on Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP / IPv4);
- click on Use the following DNS server addresses and immediately below enter the DNS listed above.
- at the end, press OK and restart the browser to navigate using the new DNS.
A quicker method is to use the handy free DNS Jumper application, which not only serves to test DNS but also allows you to set them up with a couple of clicks. Insights and software downloads in: Guide to using DNS Jumper.
The application does not need to be installed, just unzip the compressed archive and start the application by clicking on the executable.
To set up CloudFlare's DNS via DNS Jumper, you need to:
- open the application and select the network card with which you are connected to the network
- select the CloudFlare DNS which is last in the list
- click on Apply DNS and after restarting the browser you will be able to navigate with the new DNS
To set CloudFlare's DNS on other Windows and macOS systems you can follow the detailed guide we have dethecated to the topic: Changing DNS servers.
Set up CloudFlare DNS on your phone
To start using CloudFlare's DNS immediately also on iOS and Android smartphones, you can proceed with the installation of the official App: CloudFlare iOS or CloudFlare Android.
The CloudFlare App will ask you for additional permissions to install a VPN profile. The reason is simple: it uses a VPN connection to encrypt requests to the DNS server and protect yours even more privacy. Then combine the speed of their 1.1.1.1 server with advanced privacy features usually offered by the best VPN networks around (all for free).
Proceed to confirm the installation of the VPN profile and activate the DNS server. The procedure is identified both on iPhone, iPad and on any Android smartphone or tablet.
CloudFlare DNS 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 how and why to use them
