1.1.1.1 is a public DNS resolver that makes DNS queries faster and more secure. So, what is a DNS resolver, for all of us n00bs? When you type in ChurchMag into your URL, the Internet Protocols do not actually look for that website address, but the IP address that is associated with your website. This makes it easier and faster to connect you to the web server that hosts our website. So DNS resolver is simply the conversion from ChurchMag to the IP address.
So why would you want to use 1.1.1.1? I’ll let Cloudflare, owners of 1.1.1.1 explain:
The main reasons to switch to a third-party DNS resolver are security and performance. ISPs do not always use strong encryption on their DNS or support DNSSEC, which makes their DNS queries vulnerable to data breaches and exposes users to threats like man-in-the-middle attacks. In addition, ISPs often use DNS records to track their users’ activity and behavior. These resolvers don’t always have great speeds and when they get overloaded by heavy usage they become even more sluggish. If there is enough traffic on the network, an ISP’s recursor could stop answering requests altogether. In some cases attackers deliberately overload an ISP’s recursors, resulting in a denial-of-service.
So basically, anyone who has access can look at it. Of course, the question then comes up, why is it important to hide it. I’m not doing anything illegal so it doesn’t matter if the government or ISP sees it. What about if you go to Starbucks or your church wifi? Someone can very easily do a man-in-the-middle attack and obtain passwords or other secure information.
And let’s not forget the speed. One contact to DNS can take 70.0 ms. That’s a blip, nothing really. But remember that every image uploaded also gets accessed via DNS, every call to the database to pull a blog article or JavaScript. Sometimes you can have hundreds or thousands of contacts for one website you visit. 1.1.1.1 actually helps you cut that 70 ms down to less than 15 ms, potentially speeding up your data access by over 4 times.
The best part is it’s free. It sounds like we are selling something. I get nothing for this. But you, your organization, and your livelihood get so much and I want to see our readers be successful.
What do you think of this service?
Share in the comments below.
Jamey says
Does 1.1.1.1 do DNS filtering? We use ChurchDNS currently to filter all traffic that leaves our network. If I could speed up the DNS calls it would be great, especially if 1.1.1.1 can resolve fast.
Jeremy Smith says
I’d suggest you reach out to them and ask. Let us know what you find out.