DNS, an acronym for Domain Name Service (Domain Name System) is a server responsible for transforming IP addresses into friendly URLs. As an example, imagine that the site https://ip-check.info is hosted on the machine whose IP address is 192.168.5.5. If there were no DNS servers, whenever we wanted to access TechTudo, we would have to go to the URL bar of our browser and type the number 192.168.5.5.
Now, imagine memorizing dozens of IP numbers, one for each site we were going to access. Of course, this is something humanly impossible. That’s why DNS servers were created.
They store, in a huge database, the IP addresses of various websites and their friendly names. Thus, whenever someone types in the URL bar “techtudo.com.br”, this server automatically consults the IP number of this site and redirects the browser. For us humans, it is much easier to memorize words than numbers.
Google Public DNS
Several companies have DNS resolution services, among them, we have Google. Google Public DNS, or Google Public DNS, is the largest and most used public service in the world, since 2012. Launched in 2009, today Google’s public DNS handles more than 70 billion requests per day. A really impressive number.
Why use Google DNS?
If all DNS servers basically have the same function, why is Google’s one so used and it improves the user’s connection so much? The answer to this question is that Google DNS servers have several benefits related to resolution speed and efficiency.
They make use of anycast forwarding, technology that always sends users to the nearest data center. The company’s servers are capable of identifying and managing even malicious traffic and have two levels of caching. The first is intended for the sites most accessed by the user. The second is responsible for resolving the address of the other sites.
This splitting of caches is important as it reduces fragmentation and the cache miss rate. In addition, privacy is a point taken seriously. Google only keeps information regarding the Internet provider, the user’s location and IP address on its servers, which is deleted after 24 hours.
How to use Google Public DNS?
Google has two DNS servers, the preferred and the alternate. Both are pretty easy to memorize: 8.8.8.8 (preferred) and 8.8.4.4 (alternative). To start using them on your connection, follow these steps.
- Step 1. If you use Windows 10 or 8, go to your computer’s settings and click on “Network and Internet”. If you use Windows 7 or earlier, go to the Control Panel and click on “Network and Internet” as well.
- Step 2. At the bottom of the screen, click on “Change adapter options”;
- Step 3. Right-click on your active connection and, in the drop-down menu that appears, click on “Properties”;
- Step 4. In the new window that appears, select “IP Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then click on “Properties” again;
- Step 5. Finally, check the option “Use the following DNS server addresses” and in “Preferred DNS Server” type 8.8.8.8 and in “Alternate DNS Server” type 8.8.4.4. Click “Ok” in sequence.
Ready! Now Google Public DNS is already enabled and you will be able to enjoy a more stable and faster connection.
