Name System (DNS) resolvers play a critical role in the Internet’s core functionality, translating domain names into IP addresses.
Yet beyond this essential function lies a fascinating layer of diversity in how and where Internet users interact with DNS services, which can have significant implications for performance, security, and local governance.
In this post, I’ll explain some critical aspects of DNS resolver diversity and why they matter and share the results of a recent study we conducted into Singapore’s DNS resolver diversity.
Proximity and Providers
The type of DNS service people use often varies based on their needs and circumstances.
Some users prioritize performance and low latency, opting for their local Internet service provider’s (ISP’s) DNS which is located within the country. The majority of this group are those who don’t care (or are unaware) and simply use the one provided by their ISP. Otherwise, they use nearby public DNS services, such as Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8), Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), Quad9 (9.9.9.9), or OpenDNS (208.67.222.222). These decisions can be made when users prioritize privacy, choosing providers that emphasize encryption, family filtering, or other security measures.
In regions with less robust local infrastructure, public DNS providers can help deliver faster and more reliable service if they are accessible without adding further delay. On the other hand, in places with developed Internet infrastructure, such as Australia or Singapore, a well-configured local DNS provider may outperform public DNS services in terms of speed and availability.
Governance and Access
DNS usage patterns are also sometimes influenced by external factors like censorship or surveillance. Understanding these patterns can give important insights into the local Internet landscape.
Countries with strict Internet controls may block certain websites or services at the DNS level. In these environments, the DNS provider an individual uses can reveal much about the level of censorship or surveillance they may face. In such cases, opting for an international public DNS provider becomes not just a performance decision but a political one. Users can circumvent restrictions, avoid local content filtering, and maintain access to a broader range of online services. However, this can only circumvent DNS-level blocking.
In many democratic and open countries, like Singapore, DNS resolver diversity offers an informative landscape but may not significantly impact the average user’s experience. The choice between using a local ISP’s DNS and a public DNS provider often comes down to personal preference or concerns around privacy and speed.
Most Singapore Users Are Happy with Using Local DNS Resolvers
We conducted a week-long test of Singapore’s DNS resolver landscape, where we sent no more than 1,000 DNS queries through proxies in Singapore to resolve a domain name for a website we were hosting along with the authoritative DNS server of that domain. The domain was not linked to an HTML page, so only minimal DNS lookup requests were generated. As a result, we received detailed responses for all the queries, including information about the DNS clients that made the requests, such as their IP addresses and query types.
Figure 1 — Most of the 6,300 DNS queries we received during the test were from Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 resolver, followed by Singapore’s largest ISP, Singnet.
Out of the 6,300+ DNS requests we received from various proxies, most queries came from Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 resolver, followed by Singnet, StarHub, Mobile One, and Simba Telecom, the country’s four largest Internet service providers (ISPs).
In the case of these last four, it’s evident that most users did not modify their default DNS settings and are happy (or obliviously) using ISP-provided DNS services versus publicly available DNS services (Figure 2). Overall, 56% of the queries were from local networks.
The DNS is One of Many Critical Components That Contribute to a Resilient Internet
The Internet Society recognizes that a robust DNS is critical to overall Internet resilience.
This work, along with another project conducted by one of our 2024 Pulse Research Fellows, is helping us provide a higher resolution of each country’s Internet overall health and resilience.
Check out how resilient the Internet in your country is via the Pulse Internet Resilience Index.