Sometimes, the user is not aware, but having a good DNS server is a big deal. The user can optimize the DNS lookups by some simple steps. The user will save a lot of time after doing it.
Well first, does the user know about the DNS? DNS is like the personal address book of the user. It forwards the internet traffic to the websites and emails to the user inbox. Domain names are mapped to IPv4 addresses via this service. Each time an internet user clicks on a link, their DNS interacts with it.
Although, the average time the DNS takes to find an address is thirty-two milliseconds. This looks like very little, but an average DNS search for an address requires a lot of DNS lookups. The users are not comfortable with the slow internet. So a good DNS server will enhance the speed of the internet too.
In this blog, we will discuss the way to find out the best DNS server for the user’s computer.
Five ways to find the Best DNS server for the user’s computer
O1. The user can use the already available tools to find the best DNS server for their computer:
The users can use tools like DNS Benchmark and Name Bench to find the best DNS server for their computer. These tools are so simple to use that they do not even require any installation. These tools collect data about the time taken by every server to respond to the query of a client.
For example, the DNS benchmark is such a tool. This tool allows the user to test the performance of various DNS servers used by the client. The user can use the DNS Benchmark in the way discussed follows.
- The user shall download and install the DNS Benchmark on their computer. They can search the software online by searching for “DNS Benchmark”. The user can also download it from the official website of the tool.
- Once the user has downloaded the software, they shall launch the application. It will take some time to start. Once it starts, the user will see a list of default DNS servers.
- The user shall then click on the “Run Benchmark”. It will start the testing process. The tool will do amazing work. It will test the response times of each DNS server on the list. It will also rank the servers on the list, based on their performance.
- The user can see the results of the benchmark after they click on the “Name Servers” tab. The result will show the user’s average response time for each server that came on the list. It will also show the reliability and other statistics for each server on the list.
- Other than these things, these tools are also very useful for other tasks as well. The user can use the tools to test custom DNS servers. The user can do so by clicking on the “Add /Remove” button. This adds the desired DNS server the user wants to test.
- There are many other tasks that the user can carry out with the results. Users can determine which DNS servers are the fastest and most reliable for their network based on the results. The user shall select the best-performing servers from the list. Then, according to that, they will update the DNS settings.
The user also has an easy option as discussed follows.
O2.The user shall use the default DNS server:
Every laptop has a default DNS server. Using it is a choice for the user.
The user shall use the default DNS servers for the following reasons:
- It is the easiest option for the user. The default server is pre-configured on the usual device. It does not even need any extra configuration or setup.
- They have their own caching mechanism. It stores the frequently accessed domain name information. Websites can be accessed more quickly this way.
- They provide localized content, depending upon the location the server is present. For example, the server can provide easy access to the news local to the user’s area.
- The user can improve the speed of the DNS server by flushing the default DNS server of her network.
However, using the default server has some disadvantages as well. Let us discuss a few of them:
- The default server is not always forever.
- It is not the most reliable option for the user.
- The default server sometimes does not prioritize privacy and security for the user.
- Also, some internet service providers use the default servers to monitor and track the user’s online activity. Thus they use the default servers to harm the user’s interest.
So, the best solution to the above-mentioned problem is that the user shall use a third-party DNS for their laptop. There are plenty of options available for the user online.
The user also has a third option as discussed down the line.
03. The user can also use a public DNS Server:
There are plenty of public DNS servers available online for a user network. Some of them are Cloudflare DNS, OpenDNS, and Google Public DNS. These servers are faster and more reliable for the user’s network as compared to the default DNS servers. Servers with these features have maximum uptime, faster speeds, and enhanced security. Moreover, Google Public DNS is the safer option in terms of privacy. Since it does not store any personal information or IP addresses and also prevents phishing attacks.
The user also has better options for finding the DNS servers that ensure the privacy of the user.
O4. The user has the following options in the DNS servers to ensure privacy servers boat do not automatically save the data of the user.
Users can feel confident that their privacy is protected on these servers. Many servers like Cloudflare DNS are quite good at it. The user shall also consider one more parameter for finding the best DNS servers for a user.
05. The user shall consider the global traffic management of the company to find the best DNS server for its network:
Some DNS servers provide global network services. Load balancing is optimized for maximum performance on these DNS servers. Akamai and Dyn are the top companies that provide these services.
Once the user has identified the best DNS server for the user’s computer, they shall update the network settings to update that server. Moreover, the user shall use different internet servers for good speed and accuracy. Since it prevents DNS-based attacks.
Relevant Questions:
Question 1: What is a DNS?
Answer: The full form of the DNS is the “Domain Name System”. It converts the domain names into a user-understandable form. Making internet addresses easy to use is made possible by this. Users’ systems are therefore more efficient as a result.
Question 2: Discuss the types of zones of the DNS.
Answer: The user of the network can utilize the three types of DNS zones. These are named the primary zone, the stub zone, and the secondary zone. Each of these zones provides a different type of service. So, the user can use them on different problems.
Question 3: Discuss the types of records, the DNS utilizes.
Answer: The DNS can use many different kinds of record types. These include the AAAA, Name server, Reverse-lookup Painter, certificate record, and the Canonical name. Every type of record has different functions and thus different roles in the DNS.
Question 4: Can the user define aging and scavenging?
Answer: Many DNS servers have this feature of aging and scavenging. The users use these features to perform the cleanup and delete useless information from the server or zone. The user can enable this feature in the servers’ settings.
Question 5: What is the use of forwarding in the DNS server?
Answer: DNS uses this feature to forward DNS queries to the servers outside of the network. The user can configure a DNS server as a forwarder. So, the user can forward the name query to the different DNS servers in the network, if they cannot resolve it locally.
Question 6: Discuss the utility of the DNS.
Answer: A user can use the DNS for different reasons. First, the user can access the different websites. A page on the web can also be identified using an IP address. The DNS also makes it easier for the user to remember different web pages as it can convert the human-readable address into a machine address.
Question 7: Discuss the types of lookup Zones in the DNS.
Answer: The forward lookup zones and backward lookup zones are the two different types of DNS lookup zones. The forward lookup zones convert domain names into IP addresses. On the other hand, the reverse lookup zone resolves the IP address into the domain name.
Question 8: Can you define a cache-only server?
Answer: A cache-only server is a DNS server that caches the answers of every query after performing a name resolution query. Then, it saves the results in the cache. So that similar queries can be resolved in the future, the server can use this information.