DNS speed test — frequently asked questions
Straight answers about DNS, the fastest resolvers, privacy, and switching safely.
What is DNS?
DNS (Domain Name System) is the internet’s address book. It translates a human-friendly domain name like example.com into the numeric IP address computers use to connect. Every time you open a site, your device performs a DNS lookup first.
What is a DNS speed test?
A DNS speed test measures how quickly different DNS resolvers answer that lookup. By comparing several public DNS servers side by side, it shows which one responds fastest from your connection.
Which DNS is the fastest?
There is no single fastest DNS for everyone — it depends on your location and network path. Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) is frequently the quickest on home connections, but Google, Quad9, and others can win in specific regions. Running the test from your own network is the only reliable way to know.
Does changing my DNS make my internet faster?
It can make browsing feel more responsive by shortening the delay before pages start loading, especially the first time you visit a site. It does not increase your download or upload bandwidth — that is set by your internet plan and connection.
Is this DNS test accurate?
It measures real browser-to-resolver latency over DNS-over-HTTPS, using warm-up requests and multiple randomized lookups to reduce noise. Because browsers cannot send raw DNS packets, it is not identical to a native benchmark, but it is a fair, consistent comparison. See the methodology page for full detail.
What do “verified” and “≈ round-trip” mean in the results?
The browser test measures every resolver that has a DNS-over-HTTPS endpoint. When a resolver allows cross-origin requests, we read and confirm its answer and mark it verified. When a resolver blocks that, we still time the round trip with an opaque request, but we cannot read the response — so it is shown with a ≈ and labelled as an approximate round trip. Resolvers with no browser-reachable endpoint are measured by the optional edge test instead.
Is it safe to change my DNS server?
Yes. Changing DNS only changes which service answers your lookups; it does not touch your files or accounts. If anything seems off, you can revert to automatic settings in a minute. Our setup guides show exactly how, per device.
Will a faster DNS help with gaming?
A low, consistent DNS latency can slightly reduce the delay before connecting to game servers and patch hosts. It does not change your in-game ping, which depends on the route to the game server itself. For gaming, consistency (low jitter) matters more than raw speed.
What is DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), and is it more secure?
DoH encrypts your DNS queries inside HTTPS so that others on your network cannot see or tamper with which sites you look up. It improves privacy and integrity. Most modern resolvers, including the ones we test, support it.
Do you store my results or browsing data?
No. The test runs in your browser. We never store your browsing history or full IP address, and results stay on your device unless you choose to export or share them. Any optional analytics is aggregate and non-identifying.
Do I need an account or to install anything?
No. The test runs instantly in your browser with no account, download, or extension. Changing your DNS afterwards is done in your device or router settings — also free and reversible.
How often should I run the test?
Run it a few times at different moments, since networks fluctuate. The resolver that is consistently fast — low median and low jitter across runs — is the one worth switching to.