Fastest DNS

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Ordinary users typically measure ping response speed of plaintext DNS IP addresses, but this rarely reflects actual server connection performance. Modern DNS requires encrypted DNS protocols to ensure service integrity against hijacking.

From client to destination, traffic usually passes through 5-8 network devices. Any of these can hijack UDP:53 requests through simple commands. Never rely on plaintext DNS, especially in enterprise environments where hijacking is nearly inevitable.

Example hijacking command: sudo iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -p udp --dport 53 -j DNAT --to-destination 1.1.1.1:53

Hijacking setup is trivial. Enterprise internal DNS speeds often stay under single-digit milliseconds while home networks typically see sub-1ms latency. Whatever plaintext DNS you configure, responses ultimately come from local DNS services.

Now discussing encrypted DNS speeds. Three common protocols: DNS over TLS (DoT), DNS over HTTP (DoH), and DNS over QUIC (DoQ).

Theoretical comparison:

  • Fastest: DoQ. QUIC (UDP-based) requires 1 round-trip (RTT) for connection + 1 RTT for DNS request
  • DoT: TLS 1.2 needs 4 RTT, TLS 1.3 needs 3 RTT connection + 1 RTT DNS request
  • DoH: HTTPS requires ≥4 RTT connection + HTTP overhead makes it slower than DoT
  • Traditional UDP:53: 0 RTT connection + 1 RTT

Encrypted DNS requires 2-4x longer for initial requests, but matches plaintext DNS speed once connected (ignoring connection timeouts).

Network reality: ISPs randomly drop UDP packets during congestion. TCP’s retransmission mechanism prevents this, making TCP DNS more stable during peak hours.

Connection time alone won’t significantly improve browsing experience. Proper DNS parameter configuration often yields better results than server selection.

Internet access involves two steps: domain IP lookup followed by direct IP communication. Local DNS cache checks happen first - cache queries take nanoseconds. TTL (Time to Live) controls cache duration. For example, TTL=600 keeps records valid 10 minutes. Many enterprises set TTL=10 (10 seconds).

Self-hosted DNS servers can modify TTL values. Services like www.adguardprivate.com allow DNS customization with extended TTL to reduce queries and improve browsing.

This article only discusses connection speed - DNS services offer many other performance-affecting features.