Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 DNS Mobile App means faster internet and privacy for all

Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 DNS Mobile App means faster internet and privacy for all

If you want faster web browsing and even more importantly, keeping your activities online private, then Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 DNS is exactly what you need! What is DNS? Why do you need it? How to set up Cloudflare DNS? Here is everything you need to know!

What is DNS?

DNS stands for Domain Name System.

Without getting into the deep technical levels computers, web servers, email servers, phones and anything else connected to the internet each has their own unique address which is known as an IP address. It made up numbers and periods – For example 216.58.194.78.

When we go to our favorite web browser and enter Google.com, the DNS service “looks ups” where Google.com lives, ie what is the IP address for Google.com. Once this is worked out then your web browser starts to fill up with bits of data ultimately showing you the website you asked for.

Without DNS, we would need to remember the millions of IP address to get to any domain ie to any website, email server, social media – essentially EVERYTHING.

What’s the problem with DNS?

Since DNS is the system that looks up every single anything you do online, by definition, it needs to KNOW every website, every link, everything so that it can translate the “English” to IP address.

So when you sit in a coffee shop, connect to the WiFi and shop at Amazon.com, even though you see that lovely green lock showing that the transactions are secure (ie encrypted), the DNS still knows that you visited Amazon.com as it needs to give you Amazon’s IP address.

The problem is that this information is not confidential and can be sold by service providers. It’s like someone having access to your browsing history accept that you can not erase it!

DNS can be a single point of censorship

As mentioned above, without DNS, you would have to remember every single IP address of every single website you want to communicate with. None of us can.

Therefore, when governments or organizations want to censor or restrict people from accessing specific websites, they can take control of the country’s DNS and block sites. So when you go to Twitter.com, nothing happens.

This is not an exaggeration. In 2014, the Turkish government blocked access to Twitter with this exact method.

What is Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 DNS?

Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 DNS is a free service that allows anyone around the world to look up and access any website without being tracked and without being censored.  Cloudflare says that not only do you get your privacy back, but you also get a 28% faster web browsing experience too as “We’ve built 1.1.1.1 to be the Internet’s fastest DNS directory.”

How to set up Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 DNS?

Cloudflare works on your home computer, your router, and now your mobile cell phone too.

To set it up on your phone, just install the app for Android or iOS.

If you want to set Clouidflare DNS for your Windows or MAC, here are the instructions from the 1.1.1.1 website:

How to set up Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 DNS on your Windows computer?

  1. Click on the Start menu, then click on Control Panel.
  2. Click on Network and Internet.
  3. Click on Change Adapter Settings.
  4. Right click on the Wi-Fi network you are connected to, then click Properties.
  5. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (or Version 6 if desired).
  6. Click Properties.
  7. Write down any existing DNS server entries for future reference.
  8. Click Use The Following DNS Server Addresses.
  9. Replace those addresses with the 1.1.1.1 DNS addresses:
    • For IPv4: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
    • For IPv6: 2606:4700:4700::1111 and 2606:4700:4700::1001
  10. Click OK, then Close.
  11. Restart your browser.

How to set up Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 DNS on your MAC ?

  1. Open System Preferences.
  2. Search for DNS Servers and select it from the dropdown.
  3. Click the + button to add a DNS Server and enter 1.1.1.1
  4. Click + again and enter 1.0.0.1 (This is for redundancy.)
  5. Click + again and enter 2606:4700:4700::1111 (This is for redundancy.)
  6. Click + again and enter 2606:4700:4700::1001 (This is for redundancy.)
  7. Click Ok, then click Apply.

For more information, head over to https://1.1.1.1/

Liron Segev - TheTechieGuy

Liron Segev is an award-winning tech blogger, YouTube strategist, and Podcaster. He helps brands tell their stories in an engaging way that non-techies can relate to. He also drinks way too much coffee! @Liron_Segev on Twitter