Contents
It’s Google but NOT always!
Domain Name System (DNS) enables the conversion of text addresses from the web servers into an IP address and vice versa. You can also look at DNS as an intermediary that will enable us to view a website by keying on an easy-to-understand textual address rather than the actual internet address in the form of a numerical IP address.
We will NOT go into deep technical detail on what a DNS is, instead we will give a general layout and what is the best DNS for PS4 around the world.
Using primary and secondary DNS for PS4 yields many benefits:
- Faster pages loads are possible thanks to the low query times
- Improved security with the use of firewalls and phishing protection based on the DNS
- There is the provision of parental control in the PS4 DNS settings
- Your internet connection will be improved by the servers that are close to your geographical location
- A reliable connection
- Reduce Jitter, Ping, and Packet loss
As you can see, it can do a lot for your gaming experience, as such we strongly advise that you consider switching your default one provided by ISP. For Gamers, DNS for PS4 will improve your connection speed, acquire better connections to the host, and achieve higher download speeds all of which get a better gaming experience.
Consider this when changing your DNS
When people decide that they want to change their DNS, it is because they want to improve either security or performance or actually both at the same time! Google can help you achieve this. There are many paid services in the market that you can choose from but sometimes the freebies can get the job done.
Below are three factors that you should consider when you want to change to a DNS server for PS4.
- Default DNS vs. third-party DNS
When you are surfing the web, your ISP will use its default network’s DNS to connect to the Web. Your ISP can collect data on you and your internet activity. This is also possible for a third party DNS. However, it becomes more difficult to attribute the connection to specific people or households.
- Free DNS vs. paid DNS
Aside from the pricing differential between these two, the free settings will typically have fewer features than the paid versions. The paid DNS for PS4 will offer security that is more advanced and with better performance functionality. Also, they come with better customer support and their system settings are more customizable. In general terms, however, a free service will work for most purposes.
- Public DNS server vs. private DNS
The general population uses public DNS which is typically offered by the Internet Service Provider or a dedicated DNS provider. Companies who want to give their employees easier access to internal-only websites or IP addresses will use the private DNS. When using an internet connection at home, you are on a public DNS.
Find the best DNS for your PS4 and Xbox
Three approaches are recommended when selecting which is the best DNS for PS4 for you.
Here’s the first one:
Approach 1: Picking from our provided list of best DNS Servers
Just choose the one you like from our list. DNS servers such as Smart DNS and Google DNS for PS4 have built a great reputation in speed and reliability and will often beat the DNS servers from UK Broadband providers in performance (Smart DNS and Google are likely the fastest ones available).
| Provider | DNS servers |
| Smart DNS | Available on FAQ page |
| 8.8.4.4 8.8.8.8 | |
| Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1 1.0.0.1 |
| OpenDNS | 208.67.222.222 208.67.220.222 |
| Quad9 | 9.9.9.9 149.112.112.112 |
| Level3 | 4.2.2.1 4.2.2.2 4.2.2.3 4.2.2.4 4.2.2.5 4.2.2.6 |
| Sprintlink | 204.117.214.10 199.2.252.10 |
| NTT | 129.250.35.250 129.250.35.251 |
| Comodo Secure | 8.26.56.26 8.20.247.20 |
| Verisign | 64.6.64.6 64.6.65.6 |
Approach 2: Measuring ping from selected DNS servers
You can measure the ping to a range of Public DNS servers and choose the PS4 DNS setting that has the lowest pings. This should be an indication of which DNS for PS4 and Xbox is closest to you.
The use of a DNS that is at a closer geographical location to you is an advantage. This minimizes:
- The time of delay when waiting for the DNS server to receive your DNS requests
- The time of delay when waiting for the DNS server to send you a response to your request
You can, therefore, measure the ping to help guide your choice. Measuring the ping can be done on both a computer or a mobile device.
You can find the ping results below.
| Ping (Best to worst) | |||
| The IP of DNS server | Average ping (ms) | Minimum ping (ms) | Maximum ping (ms) |
| SmartDNS | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.8 |
| 4.2.2.2 (level3) | 6.8 | 7.2 | 7.5 |
| 129.250.35.250 (NTT) | 7.0 | 6.6 | 7.6 |
| 4.2.2.1 (level3) | 7.2 | 6.8 | 8.2 |
| 4.2.2.5 (level3) | 7.2 | 6.8 | 7.8 |
| 4.2.2.6 (level3) | 7.2 | 6.8 | 7.4 |
| 9.9.9.9 (Quad9) | 7.2 | 6.9 | 7.8 |
| 4.2.2.3 (level3) | 7.2 | 7.0 | 7.5 |
| 4.2.2.4 (level3) | 7.2 | 7.0 | 8.4 |
| 204.117.214.10 (Sprintlink) | 7.4 | 7.0 | 7.8 |
| 129.250.35.251 (NTT) | 7.8 | 7.4 | 8.4 |
| 199.2.252.10 (Sprintlink) | 8.0 | 7.6 | 9.0 |
| 8.26.56.26 (Comodo) | 8.6 | 8.2 | 9.5 |
| 149.112.112.112 (Quad9) | 11.1 | 10.8 | 11.4 |
| 8.8.4.4 (Google) | 11.6 | 11.4 | 12.0 |
| 8.8.8.8 (Google) | 11.6 | 11.4 | 12.4 |
| 208.67.222.222 (OpenDNS) | 11.7 | 11.4 | 12.0 |
| 208.67.220.222 (OpenDNS) | 11.7 | 11.4 | 12.7 |
| 8.20.247.20 (Comodo) | 12.4 | 12.1 | 12.8 |
| 64.6.65.6 (Verisign) | 12.9 | 11.9 | 17.6 |
| 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) | 14.9 | 14.5 | 15.4 |
| 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare) | 15.4 | 15.0 | 16.2 |
| 64.6.64.6 (Verisign) | 17.3 | 15.8 | 22.2 |
Note that measuring ping is useful to minimize delays in transmission but the results cannot tell you about any processing delays that take place on the server itself when it performs a DNS lookup.
This is where the DNS Benchmark program can be very handy.
Approach 3: Installing and using the DNS Benchmark Program (For Windows users)
There is the DNS Benchmark software which you can use to effectively measure and analyze the wide spectrum of public DNS for PS4 and identify which is the best for your location.
Side note: (DNS Benchmark, however, does not work with macOS and the program that did, Namebench, has not been developed since 2010…)
It offers benchmarks; “Namebench PS4” and “Namebench Xbox One” which can be used to test the DNS for PS4. Namebench was a small side project that Google engaged in which was given to the public for free. Even though the “Namebench PS4” and “Namebench Xbox One” DNS benchmarks have not been updated since 2010, the system still works well for the intended purpose.
The Gibson Research Corporation website has its Benchmark program that will perform a detailed evaluation and compare the operational performance and reliability of over 200 DNS servers. It uses look-ups to analyze the total delays to your location.
The Best DNS for PS4 and Xbox
After taking you through the need for a DNS for PS4 to get the best IP address, we now show you, in our own opinion, which is the best DNS for PS4 and Xbox. All the services that we have listed below are all capable of high performance but it is their different peculiarities that set them apart.
-
Smart DNS
Smart DNS enables quick load times and requires almost no help to set up.
Smart DNS is a fairly fresh service compared to the heavyweights in this category. It was founded in 2013.
2. Google Public DNS
The core benefits of Google for gaming are privacy and transparency.
The primary and secondary DNS servers are 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 respectively.
This DNS for gaming is simple to use and an effective replacement for the default that you have been using. Google DNS for PS4 will enable the best IP address for gaming giving you a steady connection that also runs seamlessly. This is why the Google Public server has been considered the best for gaming.
It will log the entire IP data of the querying device for about 24 to 48 hours for troubleshooting and diagnosis. Personally identifiable information and location details will be dropped and or reduced by the ‘permanent’ logs and just a random sample of this will remain undeleted after a fortnight.
3. Cloudflare
The Cloudflare DNS offers you impressive performance, airtight levels of privacy, and a community forum for technical support.
The primary and secondary DNS servers are 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1.
Cloudflare has a content delivery network that is highly respected among cybersecurity professionals. They have now expanded their range to offer the new public server – 1.1.1.1. This server has insisted on much more than just the fundamentals. These fundamentals have been built on performance and DNSPerf, an independent testing site describes this DNS for PS4 as the fastest public DNS service available.
Cloudflare server will NOT log the querying IP address and any logs that are taken will be deleted in 24 hours. KPMG has been contracted to audit Cloudflare showing that it is ready to keep the promises it has made to its customers on keeping their identity private.
AD-blocking is not offered by Cloudflare and they will not try to monitor what you can access or what you can’t. Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.2/1.0.0.2 and 1.1.1.3/1.0.0.3 services have been introduced to enable content filtering for malware and blocking of adult content.
There is also a community forum where you can get to see how others are experiencing their service and ask your own questions.
4. OpenDNS
This is a seasoned operator in the market. The company was founded in 2005 and its current owner is CISCO. OpenDNS for PS4 provides you with web filtering that is optional and phishing sites will be blocked by default.
The primary and secondary OpenDNS servers are 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 respectively.
OpenDNS has two service packages, OpenDNS Home and OpenDNS Home VIP. They charge US$19.95/year for the OpenDNS Home VIP service.
Their free DNS for PS4 has great features; blocking of phishing sites, high operating speeds, 100% uptime, optional parental controls, and free email technical support. OpenDNS will also give you the best IP address for PS4.
For the paid OpenDNS plan, you can view your internet activity history and there is the option to lock down your system by allowing access to specific websites only. This isn’t a must-have if you are an average user.
5. Comodo Secure DNS
The Comodo DNS for PS4 has a good focus on security although its performance might not be all that great. It has smart handling of parked domains.
The primary and secondary Comodo DNS server are 8.26.56.26 and 8.20.247.20 respectively.
Comodo DNS blocks phishing sites and will also warn you if the sites you are visiting have malware, spyware, or even parker domains. The server also offers the Comodo Dome Shield service which has additional features to those of the Comodo Secure DNS and is worth a try.
Comodo query time is 72ms which is less impressive than its smart routing technology. If you are in the market for an extra layer of web filtering, then Comodo DNS is a good choice.
Visit Comodo DNS here
6. Quad9
Quad9 DNS for PS4 provides its user with fast performance levels and requires little assistance when setting up. It will also block malicious domains.
The primary and secondary Quad9 DNS servers are 9.9.9.9 and 149.112.112.112 respectively.
Quad9 is fairly young and has been in operating since August 2016. It uses a variety of public and private sources to collect intelligence and apply this to block malicious domains.
Their DNS for PS4 has been rated as having the seventh-best query times in the world.
There is little information provided on how to set it up and tutorials have only been provided for the latest versions of Windows and macOS.
EXTRA: PrivadoVPN (Read PrivadoVPN review)
How to Configure DNS for PS4
To configure the DNS for PS4 you have chosen, you will have to (1) first configure a static IP in it. This will manually act on the parameters of your internet connection.
On the PS4, go to the toolbar and choose the icon on the gear (adjustments) and press the X button on the controller.
In the same way, (2) choose the menus RED View connection status and (3) write the following information: IP address from the PlayStation, subnet mask y Default Gateway.
If the PS4 hasn’t yet been connected to the internet, the information needed can be retrieved in the following ways:
- Default Gateway – This is the router’s IP address to which the PS4 should connect (generally 192.168.1.1 o 192.168.0.1).
- Subnet mask – shows the total number of IP addresses that can be assigned by the router. Usually, this value is 255.255.255.0.
- PlayStation IP – must be the same as the IP of the router, except for the last three digits of the digits
The next step is then to (4) connect the PS4 to your Wi-Fi.
When you have the necessary information, (5) go back to the menu Settings>Network on PlayStation, (6) select this option, and this time configure internet connection and continue to (7) choose to connect via Wi-Fi or with the LAN network cable.
Proceed to (7) choose Custom, and continue with Wi-Fi, (8) select the wireless network to connect to and enter the password for access. This step is not necessary for a wired LAN connection.
On the IP address settings screen, (9) select Manual and complete the proposed form by entering, in the appropriate fields:
- The information you just retrieved
- The IP address to be assigned to the PS4
- The subnet mask Default Gateway
- Primary and secondary DNS addresses were previously chosen.
Finally (10) set the value “Automatic MTU”, which indicates not to use proxy servers and that’s it. The console, after acquiring the static IP address, should be able to use the new DNS for PS4.
You can check the connection by going to Settings> Network> Check the Internet connection to make sure it is working.
You have now finalized the process for a lower ping and faster speed while playing. Enjoy!
