The test usually takes about 5-10 minutes to complete.Ĥ. The benchmark test will begin and you'll see the status in the bottom left corner of the window. Make sure “ Include best available regional DNS services” and “ Include global DNS providers” are both checked, then click Start Benchmark:ģ. You'll see the address of your current DNS along with a few other options. The Namebench interface will appear after the extraction is complete. Run the installer executable you just downloaded and then click Extract:Ģ. Once you've downloaded the appropriate installer from one of the links in the previous sentence, follow these steps:ġ.

It's available for Windows, Mac, and UNIX. Namebench a fully free utility that analyzes your TCP dump output, browser history, and standardized datasets to generate an optimal DNS recommendation. ( Note: The instructions below are illustrated in Windows 10, but the process will be similar in Mac and Linux because the GUI's are the same on all platforms.) How to Use Namebench to Find the Best DNS With that said, here's a quick guide showing you how to use the two most popular DNS benchmark apps, Namebench and DNS Benchmark, to find the fastest DNS in your area and increase your internet speeds. In some cases, simply flushing/resetting your DNS cache can help your operating system communicate more efficiently with your current DNS. These useful tools compare the response time of your current DNS with other publicly available DNS servers to find the one that would facilitate the best possible performance. There are several ways to test the response time of available DNS servers, but the fastest and easiest way is to use a DNS benchmarking application. By finding and connecting to the best DNS server in your region you can literally double web browsing speeds in some cases. This is where “DNS optimization” comes into play. Although your ISP typically uses one of their own DNS servers, if you're able to find a better one (See our list of Top 10 Public DNS Servers.), you have the option of manually changing your DNS to significantly speed up your web browsing experience.

However, some DNS servers may be outdated, inefficient, or located too far from you to operate optimally. In simple terms, these servers are how the internet transfers data around the globe. One commonly overlooked setting that has a major effect on your internet browsing speed is the Domain Name Server (DNS) that your computer is communicating with.

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