While there are a few tweaks and steps you can take to test and improve the speed of your internet connection one of the easiest and fastest ways speed up your web browsing is to change servers domain name systems .
DNS and your internet speed
DNS is like phone book Internet matching website names, e.g. lifewire.com with the specific computer (or computers) hosting the site. When you visit a website, your computer looks up addresses, and the choice of DNS server can affect how fast a website loads.
Network settings for your computer, router or access points allow you to specify which DNS servers — primary and secondary — to use. By default they are probably set by your internet provider but there may be faster ones you can use.
Find the best DNS server
Several utilities can help you find the best DNS server by running tests that check how each server responds specifically to your location. GRC DNS Benchmark — a great tool for users Windows and linux a namebench is a quick and easy tool that also works on Mac .
Another way to find a fast DNS server is to try one of our list free and public DNS servers . Many offer additional privacy protection, different levels of filtering, and more.
Here’s how to use the free and open source namebench utility (it should work similarly in GRC DNS Benchmark):
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Download and install namebench utility .
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On first launch, you will be asked to enter your current nameserver. If it is not automatically entered for you, you will have to find it yourself.
If you have not changed the DNS servers used by your computer, then the address should match the address of your default gateway. If you know the default gateway skip this step.
On Windows open command prompt and type ipconfig / all . Look for string DNS servers . Next to it is the address of the DNS server.
On a Mac, open a terminal window by selecting Applications > Utilities > Terminal then enter cat /etc/resolv.conf .
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In namebench enter your current nameserver address as shown above and then select Start Benchmark .
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Wait until will open new page browser with test results. This may take several minutes or longer.
You’ll see recommended primary, secondary, and tertiary DNS servers that can help you get faster Internet connection speeds than what you get with current DNS servers.
You’ll also see a list of tested DNS servers and the time it takes for each to load web pages. Write down the numbers for your recommended servers.
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Exit namebench and close the page opened in the browser.
Change DNS servers
Now you can change your DNS server on your computer or router.
How to change DNS server settings
If you use multiple devices, or if you have many friends and family connected to your network, log in to your router as an administrator, to make changes. Thus, each device that automatically obtains its addresses from the router is updated by these DNS servers for faster web browsing.
Or change DNS servers on every computer or device. Switch to settings network adapter for your computer or settings WiFi on the phone or tablet and enter the DNS server addresses. This changes the DNS server for this device only.