Computer and Internet

5 Best Free Public DNS Servers

Before I talk about the top five DNS servers, I’ll explain what DNS stands for. DNS stands for Domain Name System. DNS monitors the names of websites and domain names. DNS is the key component of internet service. The internet service providers automatically find the primary and secondary DNS server addresses and sends them to your computer when you are online. The DNS servers act as a sort of telephone directory for the internet service providers. Each of the DNS servers performs hundreds of look-ups a day.

DNS Server Icon

However, during high traffic volume times these DNS servers of internet service providers cant handle all of it, which results in slow internet connections, or the servers can completely shut down. The free DNS servers help to diminish this problem by being able to handle high traffic volumes all the time. There are many servers waiting to take over if one should break down. I will talk about all of these free public servers, and explain some of their services.

The top 5 best free public DNS servers are listed below for you to choose the suitable one.

1. Google Public DNS

This leads us to the top five free DNS servers. Right now, Google controls the largest DNS server worldwide. This was started by Google to help the internet work faster. So, it comes as no surprise,that Google is one of the best free public DNS servers on the internet.

IP Addresses

  • 8.8.8.8
  • 8.8.4.4
2. Open DNS

Open DNS is the next free public server to mention. This is one of the oldest, most experienced DNS severs. It provides DNS resolution service along with web filtering. The main benefit of this server is the URL for spell correction. It also gives proctection from phishing and domain blocking.

IP Addresses

  • 208.67.222.222
  • 208.67.220.220
3. Level 3 DNS

Level 3 DNS is the one of the best free DNS servers out there. They provide backbone internet to various ISPs which means they are big and reliable. And there is no filtering as well just like Google DNS servers.

IP Addresses 

  • 209.244.0.3
  • 209.244.0.4
4. Norton ConnectSafe DNS

The Norton DNS server is another free public server. Norton Connectsafe for home provides a free service that blocks unsafe sites. This online server only provides basic browsing protection online, but can be very beneficial. It is fast and simple. It works in the background, for protection without slowing down your computer. However, it should not replace the complete full security products that Norton offers. These are the highest rated free DNS severs for web protection. Their addresses are,

IP Addresses

  • 198.153.194.50
  • 198.153.192.50.
5. Comodo Secure DNS

Next is the Comodo secure DNS. This service is a lot like Nortons that guarantees security against home and office internet, and optimizes browsing speed. These servers are also smart and reliable.

IP Addresses

  • 8.20.247.20
  • 8.26.56.26.

Bonus!

6. DNS Advantage

DNS Advantage is another reliable free public server. The purpose of this server is also to make your internet more reliable, faster, and safer. These servers offer great performance.

IP Addresses

  • 156.154.71.1
  • 156.154.72.1.

These free public DNS servers are something that many of us take for granted, or don’t even realize all of the important, valuable services which they make availabe for us. I hope this article gives you more insight about these free public DNS servers. It’s pretty amazing what a vital part they play in all of our internet interactions. If you didn’t know much before, now you will be able to find them, configure them to your computer, and optimize your computer’s performance.

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