What Is DNS? Public DNS Server Addresses and the Fastest DNS (2026)

DNS (Domain Name System) is the system that turns domain names such as sunucun.com.tr into the IP addresses computers use; it works like the internet’s phone book. Before your device connects to a site, it asks a DNS server “what is the IP address of this name?”. In this article we explain how DNS works, the public DNS server addresses in use as of 2026 (with filtered and unfiltered options), how to test which DNS is fastest on your own connection, and the DNS record types.

How Does DNS Work?

1. Local cache: If the browser and operating system resolved the name recently, they use the stored answer.
2. Resolver: If it is not cached, the query goes to the DNS server set in your settings. By default this is your internet provider’s (ISP’s) server; the addresses in this article are resolvers too.
3. Root and TLD servers: If the resolver does not know the answer, it first asks the root servers, then the servers for the extension such as .tr or .com.
4. Authoritative name server: Finally it gets the IP address from the domain’s own name server, passes it to you and caches it for the record’s TTL.

So “DNS address” usually means the IP address of the resolver your device uses. A website’s DNS records, on the other hand, are kept on the domain’s name servers and decide which server the site points to.

Public DNS Server Addresses (2026)

Provider	Primary DNS	Secondary DNS	IPv6	Feature
Cloudflare	1.1.1.1	1.0.0.1	2606:4700:4700::1111 2606:4700:4700::1001	Unfiltered, privacy-focused
Google Public DNS	8.8.8.8	8.8.4.4	2001:4860:4860::8888 2001:4860:4860::8844	Unfiltered
Quad9	9.9.9.9	149.112.112.112	2620:fe::fe 2620:fe::9	Blocks malicious domains
AdGuard DNS	94.140.14.14	94.140.15.15	2a10:50c0::ad1:ff 2a10:50c0::ad2:ff	Blocks ads and trackers
OpenDNS (Cisco)	208.67.222.222	208.67.220.220	2620:119:35::35 2620:119:53::53	Phishing protection

Family and Security Filtered DNS Addresses

Service	Primary	Secondary	What it blocks
Cloudflare for Families (security)	1.1.1.2	1.0.0.2	Malware
Cloudflare for Families (family)	1.1.1.3	1.0.0.3	Malware + adult content
AdGuard Family	94.140.14.15	94.140.15.16	Ads + adult content, safe search
OpenDNS FamilyShield	208.67.222.123	208.67.220.123	Adult content

Unfiltered Alternatives

If you do not want any blocking, Quad9’s addresses without the security filter are 9.9.9.10 / 149.112.112.10, and AdGuard’s non-filtering addresses are 94.140.14.140 / 94.140.14.141. Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 and Google 8.8.8.8 are unfiltered already.

Encrypted DNS (DoH / DoT) Addresses

Provider	DNS over HTTPS (DoH)	DNS over TLS / Android Private DNS
Cloudflare	https://cloudflare-dns.com/dns-query	one.one.one.one
Google	https://dns.google/dns-query	dns.google
Quad9	https://dns.quad9.net/dns-query	dns.quad9.net
AdGuard	https://dns.adguard-dns.com/dns-query	dns.adguard-dns.com
OpenDNS	https://doh.opendns.com/dns-query	—

Which DNS Is Fastest? Test It on Your Own Connection

The “fastest DNS” is not the same for everyone: the result depends on your city, your internet provider and how well that provider connects to each DNS network. That is why we recommend measuring on your own connection instead of relying on a general ranking.

• Windows (PowerShell): The command below sends the same query to different DNS servers and shows the time in milliseconds. Run it several times per server and look at the average (the first query may be slower because of caching).

"1.1.1.1","8.8.8.8","9.9.9.9","94.140.14.14","208.67.222.222" | % { "$_ : " + (Measure-Command { Resolve-DnsName sunucun.com.tr -Server $_ -DnsOnly -NoHostsFile }).TotalMilliseconds }

• macOS / Linux: Run dig @1.1.1.1 sunucun.com.tr | grep "Query time" with different addresses.
• Which DNS am I using now? On Windows, look at the DNS Servers line in the output of ipconfig /all. If you see your router’s IP (for example 192.168.1.1), the router is using your ISP’s DNS.

Note: changing DNS does not increase your download speed (Mbps); it only affects how long names take to resolve. The difference is most noticeable on pages that load content from many different domains.

How to Change Your DNS Address

In short: on Windows 10, ncpa.cpl → connection → Properties → TCP/IPv4 → “Use the following DNS server addresses”; on Windows 11, Settings → Network & internet → DNS server assignment → Edit; on Android, Private DNS; on iPhone, the Wi-Fi network’s Configure DNS menu. You can find screen-by-screen steps for every device and the router, plus verification and troubleshooting, in our guide on DNS settings and how to change DNS. After the change, run ipconfig /flushdns to clear old records.

DNS Record Types

The main records kept on a domain’s name server are:

Record	What it does
A	Points the domain to an IPv4 address.
AAAA	Points the domain to an IPv6 address.
CNAME	Points one name to another name (for example www → the main domain).
MX	States which server receives the domain’s email.
TXT	Holds text information such as verification and email security (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
NS	Shows the domain’s authoritative name servers.

We explain managing these records in a hosting panel in our articles on DNS settings in cPanel and managing DNS in Plesk.

Common DNS Problems

• “DNS server not responding”: The resolver cannot be reached; restarting the router or switching to a different DNS address often fixes it. See our guide on DNS server not responding for details.
• “DNS address could not be found” (DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN): The domain is mistyped, expired or has no DNS record; if the address is correct, clear the cache and try a different DNS.
• Some sites open, others do not: An old record may be cached; clear it with ipconfig /flushdns.

Conclusion

DNS is the system that turns domain names into IP addresses, and the DNS address your device uses decides which server does that translation. Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8) suit unfiltered use, Quad9 (9.9.9.9) adds malicious-site protection, AdGuard (94.140.14.14) blocks ads, and the family-filtered addresses suit children. Measure which one is fastest for you with the test above on your own connection.