DNS or "Domain Name Servers" are hierarchical systems that are responsible for resolving the name of a web address or URL and converting it to a format that routers and other network elements can understand. Basically, we are talking about servers whose only function is to have a large list of URLs and their corresponding IP address.
By default, when we connect to the Internet we use the DNS provided by our internet provider. It is the easiest way to navigate the web, and although it has some more than obvious advantages at an operational level - imagine that you had to remember the IP of each page instead of its name, it would be crazy - it also has its drawbacks: your privacy it is almost nil, and they are also not usually the fastest on the market. The Alternative DNS like IBM's (9.9.9.9), Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8) come to fill that gap ... but how?
Advantages of using an alternative DNS such as IBM's 9.9.9.9
If we think about it cold, a DNS server operated by our telephone company - call it Movistar, Vodafone, Euskaltel, Claro or whatever - leaves us quite sold out to users in aspects such as lack of privacy (our provider can find out about all the pages we visit), blocking certain web pages that are not to the taste of our operator, lack of protection against dangers such as phishing, or a speed that could be higher than having a few faster and less congested servers.
IBM's alternative DNS, also known as Quad9, is a free alternative aimed at offering greater privacy and a more secure connection for the user. These DNS (9.9.9.9) are not as fast as those of Google or Cloudflare (if you are interested in configuring them on your computer you can take a look at this interesting post), but they help us to make our browsing much cleaner and more reliable.
To do this, IBM's DNS uses blacklists to filter harmful websites and protect the user before they even load the page in their browser. This is achieved by managing all requests through an artificial intelligence engine. IBM X-Force and 18 databases that are in charge of identifying any possible threat.
The IBM Quad9 neither do they record the requests made by users, so in this sense it also offers much more privacy than Google's alternative DNS, for example.
Obviously here we have to take a small leap of faith, and that is that we would be passing control of our navigation from our operator to the people who manage Quad9's DNS. Are some more reliable than others? In principle, we should think so, since they are committed to behaving more respectfully with our data. Furthermore, this is a project carried out in collaboration with the Global Cyber Alliance, an international organization dedicated to eradicating cyber-threats and improving the security of Internet connections, which from the outset should give us some peace of mind in this regard.
How to configure IBM Quad 9 DNS on your device
If we are interested in testing the IBM DNS 9.9.9.9 on a Windows computer we can do it by following these steps (if you have a Mac you can take a look HERE).
- Open the Control Panel.
- Go to "Network and Sharing Center -> Change adapter settings”.
- Click on the Ethernet or WiFi network to which you are connected and by right clicking select "Properties”.
- Click on "Internet Protocol version 4”(Or version 6 if you use IPV6) and click on“Properties”.
- If you already have a DNS server configured, write it down somewhere in case you want to go back to your regular DNS in the future.
- Click on the box "Use the following DNS server addresses”And enter these DNS:
- IPV4: 9.9.9.9 (preferred) and 149.112.112.112 (alternative).
- IPV6: 2620: faith :: faith (preferred) and 2620: fe :: 9 (alternative).
- Click on "OK", close the window and restart your browser. End of configuration!
DNS settings on Android
If we want to apply the IBM DNS on our Android mobile or tablet, the steps to follow would be the following.
- Displays the menu of "Settings”From Android and go to“Networks and Internet -> Wifi”.
- Make a long press on the Wi-Fi network you are connected to and select “Modify network”. If your mobile has Android 10, just click on the network and choose the pencil-shaped icon that appears at the top of the screen.
- Click on "Advanced Options"And in the field"IP settings" Choose "Static IP”.
- This will display a new menu where we will replace the DNS that come by default with 9.9.9.9 (DNS1) and 149.112.112.112 (DNS2).
- Save the changes.
If we have questions or want to know more about the IBM Quad9 DNS, it is advisable to take a look at the Quad9 official website, where we will find more information about this service.
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