Set up your computer to use specific DNS's how-to

[Vitalius]

DNS Benchmark is a cool tool that will ping maaaany DNSs to see which one has the lowest response time (and actually responds) to you.

This is useful in case your ISP's DNS, for whatever reason, isn't working optimally. You'll need to be using a static IP for this.

Run the program, then sort by response time. Only look at ones with green and not red or yellow. Like this:



Note that if the circles are hollow, that means your computer is connecting to them on it's own and it's DNS Benchmark that's doing it. If they are solid, then that means your computer has it in it's list and is using it as a DNS option.

Then put those into your DNS list like so on Win7/8:

Go to Network and Sharing center by right clicking your Network icon in the bottom right corner and selecting it.



Go to/look for "connections" and click your current connection (likely Ethernet 1, 2, or 3).



The status box for it will come up, click properties (you'll need admin rights).



Then scroll to the bottom of the list and click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).



Then click properties and you'll be at a screen that looks similarly to this: 



Now, if you want to, you can just use 2 DNS servers from the list by entering their IP's in the "Preferred DNS server" and "Alternate DNS server". However, if you want to set up a long list of backup DNS servers, for whatever reason, click Advanced, select the DNS tab, and start adding them all to the first input box via the "Add..." button like this:



I'm going to be completely honest with you. This isn't likely to increase your internet's performance any, but it will (depending on your ISP) likely make it more reliable. My ISP is crap, so I do this for a reason. 

It may even affect pings, but I haven't tested that explicitly. 

It's also useful for servers and their admins, for obvious reasons.

A DNS can be infected which means that if you use it, when you type in URL's, it will redirect you to wherever the one who infected it says for it to. This is one way to avoid that problem entirely.

[Bleedman0xx]

I prefer to use Google's public DNS servers. But cool program. I may give it a try.

 

https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/

[Levent]

i usually use either google's or opendns' dns depending on what i am trying to browse  <_<  but still i will face ISP's censorship

google's dns slows my youtube experience by a lot i mean videos load instanly in ttnet's(my isp) dns(they mirror youtube with faster connection) and i used to cant browse ltt with my isp's dns 

and there is no easy way to test which dns is better if you are a hardcore gamer you are probably running cable to your pc and you can always ping the server of your game and see which is better

[Vitalius]

i usually use either google's or opendns' dns depending on what i am trying to browse  <_<  but still i will face ISP's censorship

google's dns slows my youtube experience by a lot i mean videos load instanly in ttnet's(my isp) dns(they mirror youtube with faster connection) and i used to cant browse ltt with my isp's dns 

and there is no easy way to test which dns is better if you are a hardcore gamer you are probably running cable to your pc and you can always ping the server of your game and see which is better

 

True. But that's what this DNS benchmark is for. To test ALL the DNSs. :P

I prefer to use Google's public DNS servers. But cool program. I may give it a try.

 

https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/

Yeah, I use them too. But Verizon's (4.2.2.1-4.2.2.6) actually respond faster for me.

I updated the OP with pictures.

[Bleedman0xx]

Yeah, I use them too. But Verizon's (4.2.2.1-4.2.2.6) actually respond faster for me.

I'm not in it for the speed really. It's the reliability that I use it for. Sometimes, with the DNS IPs my ISP provides bugs out and only lets me access google and facebook and nowhere else. Hate when that happens. >.<

[Vitalius]

I'm not in it for the speed really. It's the reliability that I use it for. Sometimes, with the DNS IPs my ISP provides bugs out and only lets me access google and facebook and nowhere else. Hate when that happens. >.<

Yeah, same here.

I do it for both. I list many DNS's, but I order them from fastest response to slowest. Google's are just below Verizon's for this reason.

[Bleedman0xx]

Yeah, same here.

I do it for both. I list many DNS's, but I order them from fastest response to slowest. Google's are just below Verizon's for this reason.

I personally can't just let myself sacrifice some reliability for a slight speed increase. I mean, when's the last time you've seen Google's servers down? :P Google's "up-time" is the best I've seen so far. Amazing, really.

[Vitalius]

I personally can't just let myself sacrifice some reliability for a slight speed increase. I mean, when's the last time you've seen Google's servers down? :P Google's "up-time" is the best I've seen so far. Amazing, really.

Well.... That's the point of having a list of DNS's. When one fails, it moves to the next one. 

So if Verizon's fails, it will move on to Google's as a backup. I use the fast ones until the fast ones don't work, then I use the reliable ones. 

I get to have both speed and reliability :P.

[Bleedman0xx]

Well.... That's the point of having a list of DNS's. When one fails, it moves to the next one. 

So if Verizon's fails, it will move on to Google's as a backup. I use the fast ones until the fast ones don't work, then I use the reliable ones. 

I get to have both speed and reliability :P.

Hmm. Good point.

[SubTract]

this is really cool. Have you run the  35 minute scan that checks against 5000 DNS' and the re-runs the benchmark with the 50 fastest?

 

I'm running it now, I live in a small town in Australia and the default 72 are all shocking for me.

I'll update when the scan has finished and let you know if it actually makes a difference.

[Kimera]

Very interesting, personally I use OpenDNS' DNSCrypt so there isn't much point me swapping without sacrificing the encryption.

 

Great tool though.

[SubTract]

Ok so scan finished. That made a huge difference. It turns out there are 24 DNS' with faster response times than Google DNS' which is what I've been using for years now. Think I'm going to have to update my DNS caching.

 

Thanks for this dude :D

[Vitalius]

Ok so scan finished. That made a huge difference. It turns out there are 24 DNS' with faster response times than Google DNS' which is what I've been using for years now. Think I'm going to have to update my DNS caching.

 

Thanks for this dude :D

You're welcome bro.

Just keep those Google DNS' at the bottom of the list in case all 24 of the other ones fail (not likely to happen, but eh).

[Sheldon]

DNS Benchmark is a cool tool that will ping maaaany DNSs to see which one has the lowest response time (and actually responds) to you.

This is useful in case your ISP's DNS, for whatever reason, isn't working optimally. You'll need to be using a static IP for this.

Run the program, then sort by response time. Only look at ones with green and not red or yellow. Like this:

Note that if the circles are hollow, that means your computer is connecting to them on it's own and it's DNS Benchmark that's doing it. If they are solid, then that means your computer has it in it's list and is using it as a DNS option.

Then put those into your DNS list like so on Win7/8:

Go to Network and Sharing center by right clicking your Network icon in the bottom right corner and selecting it.

Go to/look for "connections" and click your current connection (likely Ethernet 1, 2, or 3).

The status box for it will come up, click properties (you'll need admin rights).

Then scroll to the bottom of the list and click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).

Then click properties and you'll be at a screen that looks similarly to this: 

Now, if you want to, you can just use 2 DNS servers from the list by entering their IP's in the "Preferred DNS server" and "Alternate DNS server". However, if you want to set up a long list of backup DNS servers, for whatever reason, click Advanced, select the DNS tab, and start adding them all to the first input box via the "Add..." button like this:

I'm going to be completely honest with you. This isn't likely to increase your internet's performance any, but it will (depending on your ISP) likely make it more reliable. My ISP is crap, so I do this for a reason. 

It may even affect pings, but I haven't tested that explicitly. 

It's also useful for servers and their admins, for obvious reasons.

A DNS can be infected which means that if you use it, when you type in URL's, it will redirect you to wherever the one who infected it says for it to. This is one way to avoid that problem entirely.

 

 

Great Post.

This is a great tool.

 

Thanks @Vitalius 

[Vitalius]

Great Post.

This is a great tool.

 

Thanks @Vitalius 

You're welcome bro. :)

I figured it would help people in the EU, AU, NZ, and Africa the most. :)