Do you find your Internet connection too slow? Before changing operator, box, computer or phone, change this setting on your different devices: you will see the difference in speed!
Having high-performance Internet access is essential these days, whether for work or for entertainment. The massive deployment of fiber optics and 5G in France has made it possible to offer very high speed to many homes, and to greatly improve the comfort of certain online services, such as streaming or cloud gaming.
Yet, despite these quality infrastructures, things as simple as browsing the Internet sometimes seem slow and exasperate. Among the factors that influence your web access speed, your operator’s network and your home equipment are of course the most important and determining.
But there is also a software element that plays a fundamental role in web browsing, and that can drastically affect the performance of your devices in this area: the Domain Name System. In a very simplified way, it is the mechanism that allows your browser to find the IP address associated with a domain name (such as www.commentcamarche.net), in order to access the corresponding website. A bit like a telephone switchboard that connects a number to a subscriber name.
This service is provided to you automatically by your operator, as part of your Internet subscription, and you normally don’t have to worry about it. However, the translation of domain names into IP addresses, called DNS resolution, from your access provider is not the only one available… and perhaps not the fastest!
Despite its apparent simplicity, DNS resolution is actually a complex process that involves a whole chain of computer servers. However, there are many DNS service providers on the market, which often offer faster domain name resolution than your operator. The good news is that many of them are free, such as Google Public DNS, CloudFlare or OpenDNS. And you can try them out very easily. Indeed, the choice of DNS servers is a simple setting to modify, whether on Windows, Mac, Android or iOS (iPhone).
If you want to give it a try, you can check out our step-by-step guide for each of these systems. By opting for one of the alternative DNS resolvers, you will certainly notice a significant improvement in your browsing speed and the display of web pages. And the cherry on the cake is that you will even be able to access sites that are often blocked by French Internet service providers. Indeed, when they are subject to court decisions, operators modify their DNS servers in order to prevent access to sites accused of illegal practices, such as downloading or streaming movies and series.
Finally, rest assured: changing the DNS settings of your devices is completely reversible, and you can easily go back if you are not satisfied with the result. In case of laborious navigation on the Internet, and before considering changing operator or investing in brand new network equipment, take a look at your DNS settings, you will have everything to gain and nothing to lose!