The Best Guide to Google DNS: Benefits and Setup Instructions

What Is Google DNS?

Google Domain Name System ranks among the world’s top DNS servers. The Google Public DNS service was launched in 2009 and is set out to give everyone increased internet speed and security.

You can spot it by its main IP addresses:

• 8.8.8.8
• 8.8.4.4

These are simple DNS server addresses that work well and are easy to set up.

However, keep in mind that Google Public DNS isn’t the same as Google Cloud DNS, which helps developers handle domain names in Google Cloud. Instead, Google Public DNS focuses on regular internet users.

Benefits of Using Google Public DNS

Performance Enhancements

Google DNS could make your internet work faster while enhancing security at the same time. It handles DNS queries quickly by spreading the work across many servers. This means websites could load faster when you browse, especially if you’re in relatively close proximity to Google’s DNS servers.

Security Advantages

Google DNS servers protect you from several online threats like fake websites and DNS spoofing. They use encrypted protocols like DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT) to keep your DNS queries safer from unwanted eyes.

Reliability

It works through servers that are distributed all over the world. As such, the Google Domain Name System keeps running smoothly even when millions of people use it at the same time. In turn, you get stable access to the internet all day long.

How to Configure Google Public DNS on Various Devices

You can easily set up Google Public DNS on different devices in a few simple steps. Keep in mind that on different devices the steps may vary slightly or the names of the setting options could be different.

Here’s a quick guide that shows how you can update your DNS settings.

Windows 10

• Open “Control Panel” and go to “Network and Internet”.
• Click on “Network and Sharing Center”.
• Click on your active connection, then choose “Properties”.
• Select “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and click “Properties”.
• Select “Use the following DNS server addresses” and enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
• Save your changes.

Windows 11

• Open “Settings” and navigate to “Network & Internet”.
• Select “W-Fi” or “Ethernet”, depending on your connection.
• Under “DNS Settings”, select “Edit” and manually enter Google DNS servers. (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4)

macOS

• Go to “System Preferences” and open “Network”.
• Select your connection and click “Advanced”.
• Under the DNS settings tab, add 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.

Android

• Open your device’s settings and go to “Wi-Fi”.
• Long-press your active network, then choose “Modify Network”. Alternatively, you may need to select “Details” and click the gear symbol to access more settings.
• Scroll to “Advanced Options” and enter Google DNS IPs in the DNS server IP addresses field (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4).

iOS

• Go to “Settings” and tap on “Wi-Fi”.
• Tap the “i” icon next to your network and select “Configure DNS”.
• Choose “Manual” and add Google DNS IPs.

Home Routers

Be mindful that this will set up Google DNS at the network level, not for your device alone. Also, the actual tab names and configurations may vary significantly based on the brand.

• Log in to your router’s admin panel (check your router to find the address).
• Locate the DNS configuration settings under the “Internet” or “Network” tab.
• Enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 as the primary and secondary DNS server addresses.

Verifying and Testing Your DNS Configuration

After you set up new Domain Name System servers on your device, make sure to test if it works right. You can try these simple tests:

• Open your web browser and check if websites load normally.
• Use basic tools like “nslookup” or “ping” to test DNS queries and see how fast they work.

To check DNS performance, you can use online tools like “DNSPerf” to see how quick it responds.