Fast Free DNS Servers: Cloudflare, Google, Quad9, OpenDNS, AdGuard

Antonio NEMCD Author

Published Mar 14, 2009 · Updated Nov 14, 2026 · 6 min

If you are not sure what to enter in the “DNS server” field, you have three options: leave your ISP’s automatic settings in place, enter your ISP’s DNS manually, or switch to a fast free public DNS service. Public resolvers are usually more reliable than ISP servers, and several of them can also block malicious websites.

Cloudflare’s public DNS 1.1.1.1 focuses on minimal latency and user privacy

Below are the verified IPv4, DoT, and DoH addresses for the major public resolvers, quick ways to test latency from your connection, and step-by-step setup instructions for a router, Windows, and Android.

Popular Public DNS Services: IPv4, DoT, and DoH Addresses

All major providers support not only classic IPv4 addresses, but also encrypted DNS-over-TLS (DoT) for Android and routers as well as DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) for web browsers and Windows 11:

How these services differ in practice:

• Cloudflare (1.1.1.1): One of the fastest public resolvers with a strong focus on privacy – Cloudflare states that query logs are purged within 24 hours. Standard 1.1.1.1 does not filter traffic, 1.1.1.2 blocks malware and phishing domains, and 1.1.1.3 also filters adult content.
• Google Public DNS: A classic, reliable unfiltered resolver that works well as either a primary or backup server.
• Quad9: A Swiss nonprofit resolver built around security – it automatically blocks known malicious and phishing domains.
• OpenDNS (Cisco): A long-running filtered DNS service; the standard tier can be customized from a web dashboard, while FamilyShield blocks adult sites right out of the box with no account required (FamilyShield also supports DoT via dns.familyshield.opendns.com).
• AdGuard DNS: Blocks advertising domains and trackers in its default configuration, while the family option adds adult-content filtering.

Important: The 4.2.2.2 address often recommended alongside 8.8.8.8 is not operated by Google – it is a legacy resolver belonging to backbone carrier Level3 (now Lumen). Meanwhile, Yandex DNS (77.88.8.8) is best avoided if you are in Ukraine, where Yandex services have been blocked since 2017.

Which DNS Is Fastest on Your Connection

The quickest way to check latency to each server is right from your terminal or command prompt using ping:

ping 1.1.1.1
ping 8.8.8.8
ping 9.9.9.9

As a neat quirk, Cloudflare’s secondary IP 1.0.0.1 can even be reached in shorthand on many systems, though using the full address is clearer in practice:

ping 1.1

In my own test, latency came out to around 11 ms for 1.1.1.1 and 24 ms for 8.8.8.8. Independent monitoring by DNSPerf also consistently ranks Cloudflare among the fastest resolvers across Europe.

DNS resolver speed ranking in Europe according to DNSPerf

For your primary and secondary DNS servers, it is smart to mix two different providers – for example 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8 – so that if one network runs into an outage, the other takes over seamlessly.

Where and How to Set Up Custom DNS

You can configure DNS addresses for your entire home network or individually on a single device:

• On your router: Open the router’s web interface and enter the DNS servers under the WAN/Internet or DHCP settings – every device in your home will then pick them up automatically.
• On Android: Go to Settings – Network & internet – Private DNS and enter a DoT hostname such as one.one.one.one or dns.google.
• On Windows via GUI: The fastest universal method on any Windows version is to press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl, open Properties on your active connection, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and enter the server addresses. On Windows 10 and Windows 11, you can also configure DNS (including encrypted DoH) via Settings – Network & internet – connection properties.

If you prefer configuring DNS with a single command in Windows, open PowerShell as Administrator. Avoid hardcoding an interface name like "Ethernet" (on a laptop it might be Wi-Fi or something else) – target the active physical adapter automatically instead so you do not touch VPN tunnels:

$dns = '1.1.1.1', '8.8.8.8'
Get-NetAdapter -Physical |
  Where-Object Status -eq 'Up' |
  Set-DnsClientServerAddress `
    -ServerAddresses $dns

To revert back to automatic DNS assignment from your router or ISP (DHCP), run:

Get-NetAdapter -Physical |
  Where-Object Status -eq 'Up' |
  Set-DnsClientServerAddress `
    -ResetServerAddresses

About OpenDNS and a Local Caching DNS

I originally started using OpenDNS back in 2009: after free registration, it lets you filter websites by category (social networks, phishing, adult sites) and maintain custom allow and block lists. For a home network or small office, it remains a handy option whenever you want granular access control.

OpenDNS remains a solid choice for category-based site filtering

That said, the fastest DNS of all is still a local caching resolver running on 127.0.0.1 :-) For everyday use, sticking with a fast public resolver like Cloudflare or Google is much simpler, though anyone curious to experiment with local caching can check out my old Russian-language guide on setting up a local DNS server on Windows XP.