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Router ISP DNS settings are one of those funny things in tech. Without fiddling with them, your router and network are probably getting along just fine. It’s hard to deny that, despite some of the privacy issues that come with ISP DNS configurations, the settings just work, and that’s what people want.
But it could be better, faster, and more private, and that’s exactly what I’ve found after running tests with Cloudflare One with WARP across several different devices: a 4x speed boost. Best of all, it’s super easy to install — 30 seconds! — and saves mucking around with any confusing configuration files.
The only way to find the fastest DNS is to test it yourself.
Cloudflare One is Cloudflare’s all-in-one desktop software tool that combines its other network security features. The key part of what we want it for, though, is WARP, the DNS client that sits inside it and can make your internet feel faster (and more secure!).
When WARP is connected, your DNS queries go through Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 resolver rather than whatever your ISP or network hands you by default. The traffic between your device and Cloudflare’s edge is encrypted via a WireGuard-based protocol.
Now, WireGuard is actually a VPN protocol, but WARP isn’t a VPN, even though they share some characteristics. For clarity, while your traffic is routed through WARP, it doesn’t let you choose a server in a different location, and you won’t find a kill switch or other VPN features.
Either way, it’s a handy DNS option, backed up by the fact that Cloudflare is one of the fastest resolvers on the planet.
I ran a PowerShell script that resolves five domains that I visit fairly frequently, as do most of the rest of the internet. If you want to run your own test with websites that better match your internet use, swap and adjust as required.
Each machine was tested first without WARP, then with WARP connected. I used a Windows 10 PC connected via Ethernet, a Windows 11 laptop connected via a 5G hotspot, and a Windows 11 Snapdragon laptop connected to 5GHz Wi-Fi to round it out.
The baseline for each device was what I was expecting: the wired connection was marginally faster, and the Wi-Fi and hotspot connections marginally slower due to the wireless overhead. So much, so normal.
Switching on Cloudflare WARP surprised me, though, as it delivered much faster DNS resolution across the board. Across three machines and three connection types, WARP returned results in a 1.3–1.7ms band, with Cloudflare’s resolver just landing in the same spot each time, no matter the situation.
The Snapdragon X Elite result is the most dramatic. Nearly 6x faster with WARP enabled. The Wi-Fi baseline being slower than the 5G hotspot probably explains some of that, but the WARP result was still better than either of the other machines. Whatever overhead the ARM architecture or Wi-Fi adapter was adding to default DNS resolution, WARP cut straight through it.
Cloudflare’s free DNS encryption app will make sure your ISP can’t collect and sell your web browsing history to third-parties. It can also keep snoopers away from your DNS info on a local network. It’s worth a download to try out; installation is easy, and the service is free, though you can upgrade to “faster” connections for $4.99 per month.
Now, let’s be a bit clear on my testing methodology; it’s hardly the tightest, most controlled test in the world. This is more me seeing what works on my devices, and typically the devices I have in arm’s reach. They are, after all, the hardware I use most frequently.
However, the consistency across the three devices is interesting, suggesting that, at least for me, Cloudflare can deliver faster DNS resolution across the board.
I’d also hazard that for most folks, seeing that Cloudflare is faster than an ISP DNS is hardly a turn-up for the books. Interesting, yes, but groundbreaking, absolutely not.
There are also other caveats. Cloudflare is arguably more private than your ISP DNS. It comes with DNS over HTTPS and other integrated privacy features, and that’s a boost to your online privacy and presence. But we can’t ignore the fact that you’re handing your privacy to another company, trading one for the other.
It comes down to which company you trust to protect your data more, and that’ll vary massively by region. Cloudflare’s privacy policies are probably better than most ISPs by default, but it’s still a specific decision you need to make about where to place your trust, who these companies answer to, and where they answer. The “where” is always an important factor.
The final point is in those figures. A 4x-6x speed boost is wonderful… but who is noticing a sub-millisecond timing difference anyway? Either way, Cloudflare WARP is free, takes minutes to set up, and the numbers are hard to argue with. When you cut out the other stuff, that’s about as straightforward as these things get.
The many benefits of hosting your own DNS server and the control it gives you over your network.