Maybe most of you have heard of DNS. Yes, sometimes DNS is the right choice when people choose DNS over VPN. Google has a service like this too, which is with Google Public DNS, have you never heard of it?
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Okay, as a first introduction before discussing Google Public DNS, the function of this is to help speed up access to a website and also get a more secure connection.
So, what exactly is Google Public DNS? How to use? Let’s talk!
Table of Contents
Get to Know the DNS First
Before discussing Google Public DNS, it’s a good idea to discuss DNS first.
What is DNS? What are the functions, advantages, and how does it work? What is DNS like? Let’s discuss the dues.
What is DNS?
The Domain Name System (DNS) is the Internet telephone book. Humans access information online through domain names, such as nytimes.com or espn.com. Web browsers interact via Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. DNS translates domain names to IP addresses so that browsers can load Internet resources.
Every device connected to the Internet has a unique IP address that other machines use to find the device. DNS servers eliminate the need for humans to remember IP addresses such as 192.168.1.1 (in IPv4), or new, more complex alphanumeric IP addresses such as 2400:cb00:2048:1::c629:d7a2 (in IPv6).
DNS function
DNS relies on two main parts: name servers and DNS records. The purpose of name servers is to explicitly store information about how to find DNS records. When your browser requests a domain, the nameservers it uses provide a location to find details about DNS records. Without going into too much detail, DNS records are what actually convert URLs into IP addresses.
Let’s look at an example below. First, you enter google.com into your browser. Next, your browser reaches the root nameservers for each .com domain name from Verisign (root) and finds the nameservers for google.com. The name server is ns1.google.com.
Now those nameservers point you to the DNS maintainer for the domain, google.com. After checking, the DNS maintainer provides 172.217.9.238 as the DNS record for google.com. Your browser then lands on the IP address above which shows the contents of the google.com site.
Advantages of DNS
What are the advantages of DNS if we already know how important its function is? Is it really safe? Okay, let’s find out first.
The following are some of the advantages of using DNS that you need to know:
- DNS is the only system that allows online users to use and browse the internet.
- DNS servers help you find websites by using your web browser (such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer) by typing the website name.
- You don’t have to memorize numbers. Instead of an IP address or a series of numbers, you can enter a domain name or URL, which makes searching much easier.
- DNS servers enable online transactions, even with the use of innovative features such as AI-based search and chatbots.
- The DNS server allows you to identify the technical functionality of data services, define DNS protocols, specify detailed data structures and exchange data communications. DNS adds an extra layer of security.
- Fault tolerance and proper load distribution of the web hosting service to multiple servers allows multiple hostnames to correspond to a single IP address.
- DNS enhances the security of the DNS infrastructure, which is essential for dynamic and secure updates.
- Your readers or customers experience more reliable, secure and faster online transactions when they visit your website.
How DNS Works
For the workings of the DNS itself, it might not be too difficult to understand. The DNS resolution process involves converting a hostname (such as www.example.com) to a computer-friendly IP address (such as 192.168.1.1) because we know that a letter will not be read by computers.
An IP address is assigned to every device on the Internet, and it is needed to find the appropriate Internet device just as a street address is used to find a particular house. When a user wants to load a web page, a translation must occur between what the user types into their web browser (example.com) and the machine-friendly address needed to find the example.com web page.
In the workings of DNS, there are several processes which each process has its own various names, including:
DNS Queries
A DNS query (also known as a DNS query) is a request for information sent from a user’s computer (DNS client) to a DNS server.
Recursive Queries
Recursors can be thought of perhaps like librarians who are asked to go find a particular book somewhere in the library.
Iterative Queries
Then there are iterative queries. This is a request for a website name or URL that DNS responds to with the IP address from its zone file cache, if applicable.
Non-recursive Queries
This process is when the DNS Resolver query already knows the answer. It either immediately returns the DNS record since it already has it in the local cache, or it queries the DNS that is authoritative for the record, meaning it must hold the correct IP for that hostname.
DNS Recursor / DNS Recursive Resolver
DNS recursor (also known as DNS recursive resolver) is the first stop in DNS queries. The recursive resolver acts as an intermediary between the client and the DNS name server.
Root Name Servers
Next up is the Root server is the first step in translating (resolving) human-readable hostnames into IP addresses.
Nameserver TLDs
Top Level Domain, can be likened to a certain bookshelf in the library. These nameservers are the next step in finding a specific IP address, and they hold the last part of the hostname.
Authoritative Name Servers
These last nameservers can be thought of as a dictionary on a bookshelf, where certain names can be translated into their definitions.
Google Public DNS
Now, we already know in depth about everything you need to know about DNS, from the meaning, functions, advantages, working processes of DNS, to the types of DNS.
Let’s start discussing Google Public DNS which is the main discussion of this article!
What is Google Public DNS?
Google Public DNs is a DNS service launched by Google. It works as a recursive nameserver. Google Public DNS was announced on December 3, 2009, in an effort described as “making the web faster and more secure”.
Benefits of Google Public DNS
There are several benefits that can be obtained from using Google Public DNS, namely in terms of performance, security, and also accuracy.
performance
With the resolver analysist available, it will speed up your browser to make requests to available name servers. This will reduce latency by using Google Public DNS.
Security
Security issue? DNS is definitely secure. One of the bigger problems with using publicly available resolvers is the possibility that they can be used in Denial of Service and Amplification attacks by triggering a small request that returns a large response.
Accuracy
Your final benefit of using Google Public DNS is that it has Google Public Resolvers. This also completely helps DNSSEC which enables them to guarantee the responses they offer are genuine and from an authorized source.
How to Use Google’s DNS
How? Isn’t it interesting to use Google Public DNS? However, the next question is how to use Google’s DNS? Actually there are two ways that can be used.
In particular, you should use Google’s publicly available IP address, or even just an IPv4 address, as your DNS server.
Google Public DNS IP Address (IPv4)
- 8.8.8.8
- 8.8.4.4
Google Public IP IPv6 address
- 2001: 4860: 4860 :: 8888
- 2001: 4860: 4860 :: 8844
Other Public DNS Servers
Apart from Google Public DNS, there are also other public DNS services that won’t hurt for you to try, including:
OpenDNS
The first well-known public DNS service was OpenDNS. OpenDNS provides filtering of web content at the individual domain level, allowing administrators to Always Block (add domains to blacklist) or Never Block (add domains to whitelist) Internet domains you define.
DNSWatch
Next up is DNSWatch. DNSWatch is a cloud-based subscription service that can be used to protect your network, devices and users from malicious domains. DNSWatch monitors DNS requests regardless of connection type, protocol, or port and whether requests are made on or off your network.
Comodo Secure DNS
And the last one is Comodo Secure DNS. It is a domain name resolution service that resolves your Secure DNS requests through our worldwide network of redundant DNS security servers, bringing you the most reliable fully redundant DNS service anywhere, for a safer, smarter, and faster Internet experience .
Conclusion
How? Very profitable is not how this DNS works? It will also be very beneficial if you use this as a way for you to be connected to the internet safely and also with a fast network too.
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