The Domain Name System (DNS), although you may not know it, is an integral part of your internet experience.
What is DNS? DNS is a Uniform Resource Locator that you use to access the URL of a website. It converts the URL into an IP address.
Instead of typing complex IP addresses like 172.217.1.46, remember and type google.com instead.
The servers are there to transform URLs into IP addresses, so they can be routed over the internet to their destination.
But, entering a domain name into your browser doesn’t send an automatic request for translation to the internet. The browser first checks its local cache to see if the URL has been translated.
This will speed up the process more than if it has to reach your DNS servers. If it doesn’t, the request will be sent to public DNS servers.
What is DNS Server?
DNS Servers are responsible for the translation process. They usually only do one thing. These servers use software like BIND (pronounced “name-dee”) to translate URLs between IP addresses.
Where can I find the DNS servers?
Nearly all Internet Service Providers have their own DNS servers. These servers are easy to configure. Sometimes, such as slow DNS servers at an ISP, you may want to use DNS servers provided through a third-party. Google has DNS servers at 8.8.4.4 and 8.8.8.8.
Google’s DNS can replace ISPs with no problems. Even if you live in Latin America, your computer doesn’t care about the DNS servers of other countries. It doesn’t matter if they can translate properly.
There is however a catch. Traditional DNS servers can be invasive of privacy.
DNS Privacy: Privacy Absence
Regular DNS servers send plaintext to any URL or search query you type. This allows anyone to see what you’re doing via your web browser.
Imagine back in the days when handwritten letters were sent to friends, family, and business associates. Every letter was enclosed with an unsealed envelope. Anyone who received the letter could open it and read it. Then, they could put it back in to send it to their house. This is what standard DNS servers allow you to do.
This system could lead to privacy problems such as identity theft. Private DNS is also possible.
What is Private DNS?
Private DNS can also be called DNS over TLS (DNS over HTTPS), DNS over TLS (DNS over TLS) and DNS over HTTPS (DNS over TLS). TLS stands for Transport Layer Security and HTTPS is for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Security.
DNS queries made using DNS over TLS or DNS over HTTPS are protected. This makes it more difficult for malicious third-parties to intercept your internet traffic.
Even if your daily work requires you to send software to Latin America, DNS-dependent network traffic can be far more secure than hackers. This adds an extra layer of privacy to your network traffic that you might not know about.
How can you make it work best?
Private DNS can be used in different ways depending on which platform you are using. Each operating system has its own requirements to set up DNS entries. A majority of desktop computers feature automatic DNS setup. Your ISP will provide your DNS servers.
Learn how to set up DNS addresses on your platform. Next, you’ll need to use a DNS service provided by a third-party that supports DNS over TLS/DNS. CloudFlare is an example. CloudFlare DNS server numbers 1.0.0.1 and 1.1.1.1. These addresses are what you would use for DNS configuration.
Android 10 devices can enable private DNS (Settings > Internet). The CloudFlare address required for Android platforms is different from the one required for desktop operating systems.
Once you’ve enabled Private DNS on your platform, there won’t be any network slowdown. You will still be able to surf the internet anonymously.
Give it a shot
Private DNS is an excellent option. You can configure your operating system to use DNS over TLS/DNS Over HTTPS. If DNS servers cease to work, you can always go back to the original configuration. Private DNS is a great choice because it provides privacy and speeds that aren’t too obvious.
