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Sys-Metrics
Networking • RFC 8484 DNS-over-HTTPS

DNS Speed Test & Resolver Benchmark

Benchmark 25+ global DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) providers in real time directly from your browser. Discover the fastest, most reliable DNS resolver for your specific ISP and geographic location.

Quick Summary (AEO / GEO Engine Answer)

How to test DNS speed in the browser: Click Start DNS Speed Test below. Sys-Metrics sends binary RFC 1035 DNS queries over HTTPS directly to top global resolvers (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, Google 8.8.8.8, Quad9 9.9.9.9, AdGuard, OpenDNS, ControlD) resolving top websites. Round-trip lookup latency and jitter are measured via sub-millisecond performance.now() timers, identifying your lowest-latency resolver with 100% client-side privacy.

Initializing benchmark engine... 0%
Fastest DNS Server for Your Location
Cloudflare DNS
Anycast Worldwide • Ultra Low Latency
11.8 ms
⚡ 3.4x Faster Than Average
Primary IPv4
1.1.1.1
Secondary IPv4
1.0.0.1
Primary IPv6
2606:4700:4700::1111
Reliability Score
100% Success
Zero packet loss
Sort by:
Rank Resolver • Country Features Latency (Median) Min / Max Jitter Reliability Breakdown

How to Apply Your Fastest DNS Resolver

Follow these step-by-step instructions to switch your device's DNS resolver to the fastest server discovered above:

  1. Press Win + I to open Settings > Network & internet.
  2. Select Wi-Fi or Ethernet depending on your active connection.
  3. Next to DNS server assignment, click Edit.
  4. Switch from Automatic (DHCP) to Manual and toggle IPv4 to On.
  5. Paste the Preferred DNS (Primary IP) and Alternate DNS (Secondary IP) copied from above.
  6. (Optional) Toggle DNS over HTTPS to On (automatic template) for encrypted queries, then click Save.
  1. Open Apple Menu > System Settings > Network.
  2. Click your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) > click Details....
  3. Click the DNS tab in the sidebar.
  4. Under DNS Servers, click the + button and add the Primary and Secondary IP addresses.
  5. Click OK and then Apply to commit changes.

For systemd-resolved (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch):

sudo resolvectl dns eth0 1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1
sudo resolvectl domain eth0 "~."
# Verify with:
resolvectl status
  1. Open Settings > Network & internet (or Connections).
  2. Tap Private DNS.
  3. Select Private DNS provider hostname.
  4. Enter the hostname of your fastest provider:
    • Cloudflare: one.one.one.one
    • Google: dns.google
    • Quad9: dns.quad9.net
    • AdGuard: dns.adguard-dns.com
  5. Tap Save. All cellular and Wi-Fi traffic will use TLS encryption.
  1. Open Settings > Wi-Fi.
  2. Tap the (i) info icon next to your connected Wi-Fi network.
  3. Scroll down and tap Configure DNS > select Manual.
  4. Tap Add Server and type your fastest primary and secondary IPs.
  5. Tap Save in the top-right corner.
  1. Navigate to your router admin panel (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) in your browser.
  2. Log in and navigate to WAN / Internet Settings / DHCP Server.
  3. Look for DNS 1 (Primary) and DNS 2 (Secondary).
  4. Replace your ISP's default addresses with your fastest benchmarked IPs.
  5. Save and reboot the router. Every smart TV, console, and smartphone will instantly enjoy faster lookups.

Understanding In-Browser DNS Benchmarking (RFC 8484)

Domain Name System (DNS) resolution is the fundamental bedrock of internet communications. Before any web browser can fetch an HTML document, load a video stream, or negotiate an encrypted TLS handshake, it must translate a human-readable hostname (e.g., chatgpt.com) into a machine-routable IPv4 or IPv6 address. A slow DNS server introduces 50ms to 250ms of dead latency to every single connection attempt.

How Sys-Metrics Benchmarks DNS Over HTTPS

Traditional command-line utilities like dig, nslookup, or Steve Gibson's classic DNS Benchmark rely on raw UDP/TCP port 53 sockets, which modern web browsers cannot open directly due to sandbox security restrictions. To solve this, this tool utilizes RFC 8484 DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH):

  • Binary Wire-Format Assembly: Each query is built in JavaScript as an RFC 1035 wire-format binary packet, with a 12-byte header, recursion desired bit set, length-prefixed QNAME labels, and QTYPE A (0x0001).
  • Direct Fetch Resolution: The packet is transmitted via HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 to the resolver's public DoH endpoint using application/dns-message headers or base64url URL parameters.
  • Sub-Millisecond Timing: Timings are captured with the W3C High Resolution Time API (performance.now()), recording true end-to-end round trip latency from your browser to the resolver's Anycast edge node.

Comparison of Major Public DNS Resolvers

Provider Primary IPv4 IPv6 Address Privacy Policy Malware / Ad Filtering
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 2606:4700:4700::1111 Zero user tracking, 24h log purge, APNIC audited Available on 1.1.1.2 (Malware) & 1.1.1.3 (Adult)
Google Public DNS 8.8.8.8 2001:4860:4860::8888 Logs purged in 24-48 hours, global Anycast Standard unfiltered resolution, DNSSEC validation
Quad9 9.9.9.9 2620:fe::fe Swiss non-profit, GDPR compliant, zero IP logging Automated blocking of phishing and malware domains
AdGuard DNS 94.140.14.14 2a10:50c0::ad1:ff Strict no-logging policy Built-in ad-blocking, tracking protection, anti-malware
OpenDNS (Cisco) 208.67.222.222 2620:119:35::35 Commercial telemetry, enterprise SLA Phishing protection & customizable content filtering

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Will changing my DNS server increase my download or gaming speeds?
A faster DNS server does not increase your raw bandwidth (e.g. 500 Mbps connection speed), but it significantly reduces connection latency. Web pages load noticeably snappier because the dozens of third-party domains (CDNs, fonts, APIs, analytics) are resolved 20ms to 100ms faster. In multiplayer games, faster DNS lookups prevent lag spikes when connecting to new match servers or lobby instances.
Why do some DNS servers show 'Unavailable' or CORS errors in the browser?
Web browsers enforce Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) rules. Major providers like Cloudflare, Google, Quad9, and DNS.SB configure their DoH endpoints with Access-Control-Allow-Origin: * headers to allow direct browser lookups. Resolvers that do not expose open CORS headers are queried using mode fallback or flagged accordingly.
Is DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) safer than standard DNS?
Yes, dramatically. Standard UDP port 53 DNS queries are transmitted in unencrypted plaintext across the public internet, allowing local Wi-Fi eavesdroppers, ISPs, and network operators to spy on every website you visit, inject spoofed answers, or redirect you to phishing portals. DNS-over-HTTPS encrypts lookups inside standard HTTPS TLS tunnels on port 443, making lookups indistinguishable from secure web traffic.