1. Google Public DNS
It’s worth noting that Google Public DNS does not perform any blocking or filtering on the DNS requests, as some of the other services do. They state that only under extraordinary circumstances would they block anything. For me, this is a good option because I use other tools to filter out malware sites, etc and don’t necessarily want my DNS service to be involved.
The main benefit for using Google is their global data center and the fact that they have DNS servers located around the world. Some other services only have DNS servers located in one part of the world, so the performance will suffer considerably.
The main downside to using Google is that they are all about tracking and logging everything anyone does on the Internet and this is no exception. If you are leery of Google having too much information, I would suggest using a different DNS server.
Google Public DNS IPv4 Addresses:
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
Google Public DNS IPv6 Addresses:
2001:4860:4860::8888
2001:4860:4860::8844
2. Level 3 DNS
Level 3 is the company that provides a lot of ISPs their connection to the Internet backbone, so they are huge, reliable and secure. There is no filtering with Level 3, just like Google DNS, so it’s mostly used for performance and reliability.
Depending on your location in the world, any of the public DNS servers I mention here could be the fastest, so that’s why it’s necessary to read the link above on finding the fastest DNS server for your connection.
Level 3 Public DNS Server Addresses:
209.244.0.3
209.244.0.4
4.2.2.1
4.2.2.2
4.2.2.3
4.2.2.4
3. OpenDNS
OpenDNS has been around for a very long time and they are a reputable company. OpenDNS provides several services including Enhanced DNS and Parental Controls, both of which are free.
OpenDNS is also the first public DNS that I have mentioned that does automatic blocking and filtering against phishing attacks and identity theft. This is a great option if you have kids and want to prevent them from landing on malware-infested sites or if you have older family members who sometimes click on spam links in emails.
They also have a VIP service for $20 a month that gives you a bunch Internet usage statistics for all the devices on your network.
OpenDNS IP Addresses:
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
4. Norton ConnectSafe DNS
Norton ConnectSafe is the public DNS service provided by Norton. Like OpenDNS, Norton also has automatic filtering and blocking based on their database of sites. Using the free DNS speed tools I mentioned, it’s also one of the fastest public DNS servers.
Norton DNS has a couple of different DNS servers, depending on the type of protection you want. They have three options:
A – Protection against malware, phishing sties and scam sites
B – A + Pornography
C – A +Pornography + Other
Other will basically block sites related to mature content, gambling, hate, suicide, tobacco, drugs, alcohol, etc. Obviously, that could block a lot of sites, so us that option as you see fit.
Norton DNS IP Addresses:
Option A:
199.85.126.10
199.85.127.10
Option B:
199.85.126.20
199.85.127.20
Option C:
199.85.126.30
199.85.127.30
5. OpenNIC DNS
Lastly, another one I like to use is OpenNIC. They have servers all of the world run by their own members and exist to provide a democratic, non-national network that protects your privacy. The link above will show you a list of all of their Tier 2 DNS servers around the world, but you can go to the homepage and it will tell you the closest servers to your IP automatically at the top right.
6. Comodo Secure DNS
Comodo Secure DNS gives you a safer, smarter and faster Internet because it's:
More Reliable - Comodo Secure DNS's server infrastructure currently spans 15 locations (nodes) and five continents around the world. This allows Comodo to offer you the most reliable fully redundant DNS service anywhere. Each node has multiple servers and is connected by several Tier 1 carriers to the Internet.
Faster - Comodo uses strategically placed nodes are located at the most optimal intersections of the Internet. Unlike most DNS providers, the Comodo our request routing technology means that no matter where you are located in the world, your DNS requests are answered by the closest available set of servers, resulting in information becoming available faster and more reliably than ever before.
Smarter - Comodo's highly structured DNS system and guide pages get you where you want to be, when you inadvertently attempt to go to a site that doesn't exist. Parked' or 'not in use' domains are automatically detected and forwarded.
Safer - As a leading provider of computer security solutions, Comodo is keenly aware of the dangers that plague the Internet today. SecureDNS helps users keep safe online with its malware domain filtering feature. SecureDNS references a real-time block list (RBL) of harmful websites (i.e. phishing sites, malware sites, spyware sites, and parked domains that may contain excessive advertising including pop-up and/or pop-under advertisements, etc.) and will warn you whenever you attempt to access a site containing potentially threatening content. Additionally, our 'name cache invalidation' solution signals the Comodo Secure DNS recursive servers whenever a DNS record is updated - fundamentally eliminating the concept of a TTL. Directing your requests through highly secure servers can also reduce your exposure to the DNS Cache Poisoning attacks that may affect everybody else using your ISP.
Comodo Dns:
8.26.56.26
8.20.247.20
When looking at the list of servers, you can choose one that fits your privacy needs. A lot of them keep no logs, have logs completely disabled or keep anonymous logs.
So those are my top recommendations for public DNS servers that are reliable, fast, and provide extra security and filtering for those that need it. Even though most people use their ISP for DNS, it’s really much better to use a third-party. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments. Enjoy!
It’s worth noting that Google Public DNS does not perform any blocking or filtering on the DNS requests, as some of the other services do. They state that only under extraordinary circumstances would they block anything. For me, this is a good option because I use other tools to filter out malware sites, etc and don’t necessarily want my DNS service to be involved.
The main benefit for using Google is their global data center and the fact that they have DNS servers located around the world. Some other services only have DNS servers located in one part of the world, so the performance will suffer considerably.
The main downside to using Google is that they are all about tracking and logging everything anyone does on the Internet and this is no exception. If you are leery of Google having too much information, I would suggest using a different DNS server.
Google Public DNS IPv4 Addresses:
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
Google Public DNS IPv6 Addresses:
2001:4860:4860::8888
2001:4860:4860::8844
2. Level 3 DNS
Level 3 is the company that provides a lot of ISPs their connection to the Internet backbone, so they are huge, reliable and secure. There is no filtering with Level 3, just like Google DNS, so it’s mostly used for performance and reliability.
Depending on your location in the world, any of the public DNS servers I mention here could be the fastest, so that’s why it’s necessary to read the link above on finding the fastest DNS server for your connection.
Level 3 Public DNS Server Addresses:
209.244.0.3
209.244.0.4
4.2.2.1
4.2.2.2
4.2.2.3
4.2.2.4
3. OpenDNS
OpenDNS has been around for a very long time and they are a reputable company. OpenDNS provides several services including Enhanced DNS and Parental Controls, both of which are free.
OpenDNS is also the first public DNS that I have mentioned that does automatic blocking and filtering against phishing attacks and identity theft. This is a great option if you have kids and want to prevent them from landing on malware-infested sites or if you have older family members who sometimes click on spam links in emails.
They also have a VIP service for $20 a month that gives you a bunch Internet usage statistics for all the devices on your network.
OpenDNS IP Addresses:
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
4. Norton ConnectSafe DNS
Norton ConnectSafe is the public DNS service provided by Norton. Like OpenDNS, Norton also has automatic filtering and blocking based on their database of sites. Using the free DNS speed tools I mentioned, it’s also one of the fastest public DNS servers.
Norton DNS has a couple of different DNS servers, depending on the type of protection you want. They have three options:
A – Protection against malware, phishing sties and scam sites
B – A + Pornography
C – A +Pornography + Other
Other will basically block sites related to mature content, gambling, hate, suicide, tobacco, drugs, alcohol, etc. Obviously, that could block a lot of sites, so us that option as you see fit.
Norton DNS IP Addresses:
Option A:
199.85.126.10
199.85.127.10
Option B:
199.85.126.20
199.85.127.20
Option C:
199.85.126.30
199.85.127.30
5. OpenNIC DNS
Lastly, another one I like to use is OpenNIC. They have servers all of the world run by their own members and exist to provide a democratic, non-national network that protects your privacy. The link above will show you a list of all of their Tier 2 DNS servers around the world, but you can go to the homepage and it will tell you the closest servers to your IP automatically at the top right.
6. Comodo Secure DNS
Comodo Secure DNS gives you a safer, smarter and faster Internet because it's:
More Reliable - Comodo Secure DNS's server infrastructure currently spans 15 locations (nodes) and five continents around the world. This allows Comodo to offer you the most reliable fully redundant DNS service anywhere. Each node has multiple servers and is connected by several Tier 1 carriers to the Internet.
Faster - Comodo uses strategically placed nodes are located at the most optimal intersections of the Internet. Unlike most DNS providers, the Comodo our request routing technology means that no matter where you are located in the world, your DNS requests are answered by the closest available set of servers, resulting in information becoming available faster and more reliably than ever before.
Smarter - Comodo's highly structured DNS system and guide pages get you where you want to be, when you inadvertently attempt to go to a site that doesn't exist. Parked' or 'not in use' domains are automatically detected and forwarded.
Safer - As a leading provider of computer security solutions, Comodo is keenly aware of the dangers that plague the Internet today. SecureDNS helps users keep safe online with its malware domain filtering feature. SecureDNS references a real-time block list (RBL) of harmful websites (i.e. phishing sites, malware sites, spyware sites, and parked domains that may contain excessive advertising including pop-up and/or pop-under advertisements, etc.) and will warn you whenever you attempt to access a site containing potentially threatening content. Additionally, our 'name cache invalidation' solution signals the Comodo Secure DNS recursive servers whenever a DNS record is updated - fundamentally eliminating the concept of a TTL. Directing your requests through highly secure servers can also reduce your exposure to the DNS Cache Poisoning attacks that may affect everybody else using your ISP.
Comodo Dns:
8.26.56.26
8.20.247.20
When looking at the list of servers, you can choose one that fits your privacy needs. A lot of them keep no logs, have logs completely disabled or keep anonymous logs.
So those are my top recommendations for public DNS servers that are reliable, fast, and provide extra security and filtering for those that need it. Even though most people use their ISP for DNS, it’s really much better to use a third-party. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments. Enjoy!
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