Best DNS Servers for Gaming Without High Ping & Latency Issues

Although DNS is the cornerstone of communicating online, can it truly help you get the best gaming experience? Are there any free DNS servers that can help with bringing latency or high ping issues down? What are the best DNS servers for gaming? Our guide will help get all those questions out of the way. 

However, before proceeding, most online gaming invites DDoS attacks and other kinds of threats over an unprotected connection. To eliminate these vulnerabilities and also ensure no ISP bandwidth and speed throttling takes place, we recommend connecting to iProVPN. 

Other than that, there are many games that aren’t available in every region. iProVPN servers can help you safely access them. Before we head to the list of the best DNS servers, let’s first understand what DNS is. 

Quick List – Top 5 Best DNS Servers for Gaming Improvements

1. Cloudflare – Primary DNS 1.1.1.1 / Secondary DNS 1.0.0.1
2. Quad9 – Primary DNS 208.67.222.222 / Secondary DNS 208.67.220.220
3. Google DNS Server – Primary DNS 8.8.8.8 / Secondary DNS 8.8.4.4
4. OpenDNS – Primary DNS 208.67.222.222 / Secondary DNS 208.67.220.220
5. NextDNS – Primary DNS 45.90.28.190 / Secondary DNS 45.90.30.190

What is DNS?

DNS, short for domain name system, can be called the phonebook of the Internet. This special database helps connect web browsers with websites by translating particular IP addresses into domain names. For example, let’s say you store a family member’s contact number on your phone. In most cases, you won’t be able to remember that number but can locate it with the contact name you saved it. The same is the case with websites and IP addresses. 

How Does a DNS Request Work?

It is not very complicated to understand how a DNS request works. For starters, when you go to any browser and type iprovpn.com, your device won’t be able to locate and connect to it without an IP address. However, your device is capable of understanding where to start looking by sending a DNS request to the assigned DNS server. This process then matches the required domain name to the IP address. Once the IP address is located, your device then establishes a connection, loading the website you wanted. 

Do DNS Servers for Gaming Affect Ping?

The ping you encounter while playing a game depends on the gap between your system and the server’s location. There have been some discussions that suggest DNS changing lowers ping and game latency.  Plus, a few testimonials stated gamers are able to decrease latency or lag on their gaming devices for dependable performances.

  But how true is it, and to what means? Can DNS really affect the high ping rates while gaming? In short, DNS does not exactly help lower ping rates while gaming, but it, to a small degree, contributes to the quality of gaming. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the best DNS servers for gaming. 

Best DNS Servers for Gaming in 2023

The majority of gamers or people go for the DNS servers provided by their ISPs; however, that is not always the best option. What happens with those servers is that they render slower speeds, log your DNS queries, send them to your ISP, and block particular IP address requests. This is why you need to go for the best DNS servers, some of which are highlighted below: 

1. Cloudflare

Cloudflare is the fastest and best DNS server for gaming, and plus it’s free. This is specifically great for hardcore gamers who look for budgeted options. It not only helps improve gaming quality where high ping is concerned but also comes with tools that you can use to weaken any DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks that are targeted toward DNS servers.

 The tools that Cloudflare offers maintain online privacy and also prevent Cache Poisoning attacks. However, the only drawback is that Cloudflare, unlike the other options on my list, does not offer protection against other threats beyond DNS server attacks, but it does maintain faster speeds compared to your ISP DNS servers. 

• Primary DNS 1.1.1.1
• Secondary DNS 1.0.0.1

2. Quad9

Second, on the list of reliable DNS servers for gaming, we have Quad9. Unlike Cloudflare, Quad9 stretches far beyond providing just free DNS server protection against Cache poisoning and DDoS attacks. It helps gamers with a list of malicious or potentially vulnerable sites to prevent them from accessing them.

 Plus, this website block list is all done in real time. With such benefits, you’re probably wondering why Quad9 is not first on the list. Well, this free service has DNS servers that are a little slow. However, it still does a great job of preventing you from completely accessing blocklisted gaming websites. 

• Primary DNS 208.67.222.222
• Secondary DNS 208.67.220.220

3. Google DNS Server

With the great support of the latest IPv6 protocol, faster speeds, and reliable security, Google DNS Server takes third spot on our list. Since it supports IPv6, it means that access to the latest gaming websites is made a breeze. 

What makes Google DNS Server one of the best is that it also offers DNS servers from particular countries. This makes gaming with people from other countries easier, with improved latency issues.

 Some of the other features that Google DNS Server or Google Public DNS offers are protection against phishing attempts, speedy page loading time, and fast DNS lookup time (quick conversion of typed address to IP address.) However, the setback that Google DNS Server comes with is its lack of customer assistance, online privacy issues, and a UI that is not user-friendly. 

• Primary DNS 8.8.8.8
• Secondary DNS 8.8.4.4

4. OpenDNS

OpenDNS, now rebranded as Cisco Umbrella, is one of the more well-known DNS servers for gaming. This free service is great for online privacy and smooth gaming. The features that OpenDNS offers are its ability to filter out safe and malicious gaming websites or content and offers protection against phishing attempts. 

OpenDNS is one of the first DNSCrypt developers, which means it works well with not only IPv4 but also IPv6 addresses. It helps provide speedy and safe internet services. 

For its customers, you get access to two free plans: OpenDNS Home and OpenDNS Family Shield. OpenDNS also gives you two paid options called OpenDNS Home VIP and OpenDNS Umbrella Prosumer. However, it’s best you go with OpenDNS Home for gaming. You only need to sign up. 

• Primary DNS 208.67.222.222
• Secondary DNS 208.67.220.220

5. NextDNS

Last on the list of gamin DNS Servers, we have NextDNS. What I like about this service is that it offers DNS customization that is pretty manageable. It does cost around $1.99/mo. for the Pro package, $19.90/mo. for the Business plan, and $19.90/mo. for the Education plan. However, NextDNS does offer a limited free option, giving you 300,000 DNS queries/mo. After the limit of free queries, you lose access to the features, but the DNS requests are still processed. 

NextDNS offers features for blocking malicious websites, ads, and other kinds of vulnerable trackers. There’s even an option to customize a block list for children. 

• Primary DNS 45.90.28.190
• Secondary DNS 45.90.30.190

How Do You Change DNS in the System?

If you’re using any one of the Best DNS Servers for Gaming services, here’s a guide showing you how to change or implement it in your device system: 

1. Go to “Settings.”
2. Click on “Network & Internet.”
3. Select “Advanced Network Settings.”
4. Next, click on “More Network Adapter Options.”
5. You should now see a folder called “Network Connections.” Here, you will find your internet network service. Right-click on it, followed by “Options.” 
6. Double-click on “Internet Protocol version 4”  (IPV4.)
7. Now, select “Use the following DNS server Addresses.” 
8. Enter the primary DNS or alternate DNS that you’ve selected. 
9. Click on “OK,” and you’ve changed your DNS. 

Factors that Affect Gaming Other than DNS Servers

As mentioned, high latency and ping are not completely altered with DNS servers alone; multiple other factors contribute to improving online gaming. They are: 

• Game Server Distance

When you access a game, it doesn’t happen or start immediately. For it to work, your data requests need to touch base with the game server. After that, it updates the client you’re using about the state of the game. This is simply called a delay of your actions in coordination with your server’s (latency) reaction. This is how ping is measured. So, if you’re far away from the gaming server’s location, your data takes longer to travel, losing some data packets along the way. This is why high ping is not good for gaming. When this occurs, it’s like seeing players glitch out of the blue. 

• Internet Connectivity

A strong and working internet connection is crucial for online gaming. When you access a real-time game, and your internet connection keeps bumping up and down, chances are that you’ll lose your winning streak or get kicked out of the game server entirely. The best option to avoid connection mishaps is to use a reliable and working gaming VPN. iProVPN secures your connection with AES 256-bit encryption, increases speeds, and hides your IP address. 

• Crowded Network

If you share your internet with others or if there are too many devices connected to the Wi-Fi, you will experience network congestion. Despite you paying for a faster internet speed package, the bandwidth will be limited according to how many users are over the server, causing the speeds to run slower. The best thing to do is avoid playing games during hours when everyone is connected to the same network. 

• Wi-Fi Signal Strength

Besides a reliable working network, your Wi-Fi signals should be strong for a good gaming experience. This depends entirely on the distance between the router and you and all other obstacles or devices. It’s not always about the things around you but also how far and closed off you are for signals to reach you. A solution for effective gaming strategies would be switching to an Ethernet cable and plugging it directly into your gaming device.

FAQs – DNS Servers for Gaming

 

To Conclude

That’s a wrap! You now know how DNS works, what it means for gaming online, and the best DNS servers for gaming that are free and work. Of course, DNS servers don’t exactly lower ping but contribute towards smooth gaming experiences. For the best experience, it’s wise to incorporate other factors like a working internet and the best VPN that aids in stable gaming. 

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