Changing DNS can significantly improve your computer's defense against various online threats. It is one of the many advantages of using DNS servers.
If you are thinking about changing or using DNS and are wondering which company to contact, below we will list five different options, with their main features but also some disadvantages.
Google Public DNS
IP addresses: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
They are two of the most well-known servers, belonging to Google Public DNS.
Google DNS has one major advantage over others, which is speed. DNS congestion often causes congestion, which can slow down your browsing. According to a Google study, the biggest cause of bottlenecks is “cache weaknesses.”.
Google is trying to mitigate this problem by offering three key performance features:
Global coverage – There are servers nearby, no matter where you are in the world.
DoS attack prevention: Google provides security with DNSSEC
Load balancing: Shared caching improves cache performance.
Disadvantage: Although Google offers DNSSEC and DNS-over-HTTPS standards for more security, there is one major security drawback to using the service: data collection.
You know that Google is an advertising company and user data is its biggest asset. Even though the data it collects from its DNS servers is theoretically anonymous, the company does collect data.
OpenDNS
IP addresses: 208.67.220.220 and 208.67.222.222
Another well-known DNS provider is OpenDNS. As of November 2016, the service is owned by Cisco.
Users can choose from three service levels: OpenDNS Family Shield, OpenDNS Home , and OpenDNS VIP Home.
The first two services, OpenDNS Family Shield and OpenDNS Home, are free. Their features are almost identical. Both services come with built-in identity theft protection and parental controls for every device in your home. The only major difference is the customizable filtering: Family Shield is pre-configured, while the Home package requires configuration.
The VIP Home package has detailed statistics on internet usage but is not free. The company also offers business packages.
Cons: Unfortunately, the company stores information from DNS and IPs. It also uses web beacons on the pages you visit using its servers to learn what content interests you.
DNS Watch
IP addresses: 84.200.69.80 and 84.200.70.40
DNS Watch is a highly secure DNS service. It is completely free for everyone and does not offer different packages like OpenDNS.
The service offers free:
DNS Neutrality: Servers do not censor DNS requests.
Privacy Protection: The company does not log DNS queries and generally does not record any of your actions, according to the company.
No data sold: The company has no business agreements with ad networks or other companies interested in learning your online habits.
No ISP DNS Hijacking: If you use your ISP's DNS servers, any browsing you do is collected and classified by your ISP. DNS Watch does not do this.
OpenNIC
IP addresses: 206.125.173.29 and 45.32.230.225
The OpenNIC project is a better-known high-level network center. It offers an alternative to typical top-level domains (TLDs) like ICANN.
However, the company also provides free DNS servers. There are four servers to choose from. We've listed two with the best uptime (100 percent and 99.95 percent, respectively).
Once again, there are some basic security features you should be aware of. Like DNS Watch, it offers neutrality and prevents DNS abuse by ISPs. But it also provides a few additional features.
First, you can choose how much data is recorded by OpenNIC. This gives you an unprecedented level of control over your data.
Second, and perhaps most impressively, you can also vote on how OpenNIC works. You can have a say in everything from decisions on new TLDs to changes to project policy.
UncensoredDNS
IP addresses: 91.239.100.100 and 89.233.43.71
It is perhaps the least recognizable service on our list.
The service was first run by Dane Thomas Steen Rasmussen who describes the start of the service in his own words:
“I am a systems administrator at a Danish internet provider, and I was born in 1979. I run this service as a private individual with my own money. The DNS service consists of two unencrypted DNS servers and they are available for anyone to use, free of charge.”
The best thing about the UncensoredDNS service is that both of its servers, in addition to being completely free, do not collect a trace of data.
Both servers are physically located in Denmark.
Which DNS servers do you use?
Which service is the best is hard to say and probably depends on what each person is looking for. If you want parental controls, go with OpenDNS. If you want to improve your speed and don't care about your personal data being logged, use Google. If you want to be as discreet as possible but potentially sacrifice speed, consider one of the last three options.
