DNS Speed Test

What Is OpenDNS

OpenDNS is a public recursive DNS resolver service originally founded by David Ulevitch in 2006 and acquired by Cisco Systems in August 2015 for roughly $635 million. It operates under the IP addresses 208.67.222.222 (primary) and 208.67.220.220 (secondary), and offers DNS resolution alongside security features like phishing protection and content filtering that most competing resolvers do not provide for free.

The service sits between your device and the authoritative DNS servers that hold records for every domain on the internet. When you type a URL into your browser, your device sends a DNS query to a resolver. The resolver walks the DNS hierarchy — root servers, TLD servers, authoritative servers — and returns the IP address your browser needs to connect. OpenDNS performs this process while simultaneously checking the queried domain against its phishing and malware databases, blocking known threats before the connection is established.

Unlike Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8), which focus primarily on speed and privacy, OpenDNS was built with security as the core value proposition. Cisco's acquisition brought OpenDNS into a larger enterprise security ecosystem that includes Cisco Umbrella, a DNS-layer security platform used by businesses worldwide. The consumer-facing OpenDNS Home product retains the same resolver infrastructure but targets households and small networks rather than corporate environments.

OpenDNS does not sell user data and does not inject advertising into DNS responses. The company generates revenue through its paid plans and enterprise products rather than by monetizing consumer DNS queries. The free tier provides enough functionality for most individual users, while the paid tier adds content filtering categories and dashboard access for households that want more control over what their networks can reach.

Free vs Paid Plans

OpenDNS operates on a tiered model. The free tier covers basic DNS resolution with phishing protection, while the paid tiers add content filtering, parental controls, and detailed logging. Understanding the difference matters because many users assume the free plan includes full content filtering — it does not.

OpenDNS Home (Free)

The free plan provides standard DNS resolution through 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220, plus automatic phishing domain blocking. You do not need to create an account to use it — just point your DNS settings to those IP addresses and you are done. The phishing database is updated in real time by Cisco's security research team and covers known phishing sites, malware distribution domains, and botnet command-and-control servers.

The limitation is that you cannot choose which categories of content to block. The free plan blocks phishing and that is it. If you want to block social media, streaming sites, adult content, or any other category, you need the paid plan.

OpenDNS Home VIP ($20/year)

Home VIP adds a web-based dashboard where you can customize content filtering for your network. You create an account, register your IP address (or use a dynamic IP updater), and then toggle filtering categories on and off. The available categories include social networking, streaming media, adult content, gambling, phishing, malware, and dozens of others. Changes take effect within a few minutes across every device on your registered network.

Home VIP also provides query logging so you can see which domains your network has been accessing. The logs are retained for a limited period and can be useful for troubleshooting network issues or monitoring what devices on your network are doing. The logging is opt-in and can be disabled from the dashboard.

Cisco Umbrella (Business)

Cisco Umbrella is the enterprise version of OpenDNS. It adds advanced threat intelligence, DNS-layer security policies, integration with Active Directory, and detailed reporting. Umbrella uses the same resolver infrastructure as the consumer product but wraps it in enterprise management tools. Pricing is per-user and requires a Cisco contract — it is not relevant for individual household use.

Speed Benchmarks

To measure OpenDNS performance against other major resolvers, we ran DNS-over-HTTPS queries from multiple geographic locations. Each test sent 5 queries per resolver per location, measuring the round-trip time from query to valid response. The results below represent averaged data across multiple test runs.

OpenDNS consistently sits behind Cloudflare and Google in raw speed. The gap is most pronounced in Asia-Pacific and South America, where OpenDNS has fewer points of presence compared to its larger competitors. In North America and Europe, the difference is smaller — typically under 10 milliseconds — which most users will not notice during regular browsing.

The speed gap comes down to infrastructure scale. Cloudflare operates anycast nodes in over 300 cities across more than 100 countries. Google Public DNS runs in dozens of locations with deep peering arrangements with local ISPs. OpenDNS, backed by Cisco's network, has solid global coverage but fewer resolver locations than either Cloudflare or Google. The physical distance between you and the nearest OpenDNS node directly affects response time.

For everyday browsing, the practical difference between OpenDNS at roughly 20 ms and Cloudflare at roughly 11 ms is about 9 milliseconds per DNS lookup. A modern webpage triggers 20-40 DNS lookups during loading, so the cumulative difference is roughly 180-360 milliseconds. That adds up across every page load, but it falls within the range where most users would not consciously notice the slowdown unless they were specifically benchmarking their connection.

Where OpenDNS does not compromise is reliability. The service has been running since 2006 with minimal downtime, backed by Cisco's infrastructure. For users who prioritize uptime and security features over raw speed, OpenDNS delivers consistent performance even if it is not the fastest option available.

Phishing and Malware Protection

The primary reason people choose OpenDNS over faster alternatives is its security layer. OpenDNS maintains a proprietary database of phishing domains, malware distribution sites, and botnet command-and-control servers. This database is updated continuously by Cisco's security research team, which includes ThreatTiger and the broader Cisco Talos intelligence group.

When you send a DNS query to OpenDNS for a domain that appears in the phishing database, the resolver does not return the real IP address. Instead, it returns the IP address of a block page hosted by OpenDNS. Your browser loads the block page, which warns you that the domain has been identified as a phishing threat. The connection to the malicious site never happens.

This protection works at the DNS layer, which means it applies to every device on your network regardless of what software is installed. Smart TVs, game consoles, IoT devices, and other hardware that cannot run antivirus software all benefit from DNS-level phishing protection. If a device on your network tries to connect to a known phishing domain, OpenDNS blocks it before the connection is established.

The phishing database covers several categories. Phishing sites that impersonate banks, email providers, and social networks make up the bulk of blocked domains. Malware distribution sites — pages that host drive-by downloads or exploit kits — are also blocked. Botnet command-and-control domains are included, which prevents infected devices from communicating with their controllers. The combined coverage means that OpenDNS provides a meaningful security benefit beyond what your browser's built-in safe browsing features offer.

The protection is not perfect. DNS-level blocking cannot catch phishing sites that use newly registered domains before they appear in the OpenDNS database. It also cannot distinguish between malicious and legitimate content on the same domain. But as a first layer of defense that requires zero configuration and runs on every device, it reduces your exposure to the most common web-based threats.

Content Filtering

Content filtering is where OpenDNS differentiates itself from every other major public DNS resolver. Neither Cloudflare, Google, nor Quad9 offer DNS-level content filtering as a product feature. OpenDNS does, but only on the paid Home VIP plan.

The filtering system works by categorizing domains into groups. When you enable a category in your OpenDNS dashboard, the resolver blocks all queries for domains in that category. The available categories include adult content, social networking, streaming media, gambling, alcohol, drugs, violence, and many more. You can toggle individual categories on or off depending on what you want to restrict.

Setting up content filtering requires a few steps. First, you create a free OpenDNS account at dashboard.opendns.com. Then you register your network's IP address with the dashboard. If your ISP assigns you a static IP, this is a one-time step. If your IP changes periodically, you need to install the OpenDNS Dynamic IP Updater on a device connected to your network, which automatically updates the registered IP whenever it changes.

Once your network is registered, you log into the dashboard and configure your filtering preferences. Changes propagate within a few minutes. Every device on your network that uses OpenDNS DNS servers will be subject to the filtering rules you set — no client software installation needed on individual devices.

The limitation is that content filtering at the DNS level is inherently coarse. It blocks entire domains, not specific pages or content within domains. If a streaming site hosts both appropriate and inappropriate content on the same domain, DNS filtering can only block or allow the entire domain. For more granular control, you need browser-level filters or endpoint security software in addition to DNS filtering.

FamilyShield: Free Parental Controls

FamilyShield is OpenDNS's free content filtering service designed for parental controls. Unlike the full content filtering dashboard that requires a paid plan, FamilyShield is available to anyone at no cost. The tradeoff is that you cannot customize which categories to block — FamilyShield blocks adult content, and that is the extent of its filtering.

To use FamilyShield, change your DNS server settings to 208.67.222.123 (primary) and 208.67.220.123 (secondary). These are different IP addresses from the standard OpenDNS servers, and they enforce the FamilyShield filtering policy automatically. No account creation, no dashboard configuration, no IP registration required.

FamilyShield works on every device connected to your network that uses the configured DNS servers. This makes it a practical option for households with children — set the DNS at the router level, and every device (tablets, phones, game consoles, smart TVs) gets content filtering without any per-device setup.

The filtering is not as comprehensive as dedicated parental control software like Qustodio or Net Nanny. It only blocks domains that fall into the adult content category, and it cannot filter content within social media platforms or limit screen time. But as a free, zero-configuration layer of protection that works across your entire network, FamilyShield is one of the simplest ways to add basic content filtering to a household.

For families that want more control, the paid OpenDNS Home VIP plan lets you add additional categories beyond adult content. You can block social networking, streaming, gambling, and other categories that FamilyShield does not cover. The paid plan costs about $20 per year, which is significantly less than most standalone parental control subscriptions.

Setup Guide for All Platforms

Switching to OpenDNS takes less than two minutes on any device. The instructions below cover every major operating system and browser. For network-wide protection, change your DNS at the router level so every connected device uses OpenDNS automatically.

Windows 11

Open Settings and go to Network & Internet. Select your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet), click Properties, then find DNS server assignment and click Edit. Choose Manual, enable IPv4, and enter 208.67.222.222 as the Preferred DNS and 208.67.220.220 as the Alternate DNS. If you want encrypted DNS, select Encrypted only (DNS over HTTPS) from the dropdown and choose Custom, then enter https://doh.opendns.com/dns-query. Click Save.

macOS

Open System Settings, go to Network, and select your active connection. Click Details, then go to the DNS tab. Click the plus button under DNS Servers and add 208.67.222.222, then add 208.67.220.220. Click OK to apply. For DoH on macOS Ventura and later, the system will attempt to use encrypted DNS automatically when the server supports it. For more control, configure DoH in your browser settings.

Android

Go to Settings, then Network & Internet (or Connections), then Private DNS. Select Private DNS provider hostname and enter dns.opendns.com. This enables DNS over TLS system-wide. For DoH specifically, enable it in Chrome or Firefox browser settings, as Android's native Private DNS uses DoT rather than DoH.

iOS

iOS does not have a built-in system-wide DoH setting for third-party resolvers, but you can install the OpenDNS configuration profile. Visit the OpenDNS setup page in Safari and follow the instructions to install the DNS profile. Alternatively, configure DoH in Safari or Chrome browser settings to route DNS queries through OpenDNS encrypted endpoints.

Linux (systemd-resolved)

Edit /etc/systemd/resolved.conf and set DNS=208.67.222.222 and FallbackDNS=208.67.220.220 under the [Resolve] section. For DoT, set DNSOverTLS=yes. Restart the service with sudo systemctl restart systemd-resolved. On distributions that do not use systemd-resolved, edit /etc/resolv.conf directly and replace existing nameserver lines with nameserver 208.67.222.222 and nameserver 208.67.220.220.

Routers

Log in to your router's admin interface (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1). Find the DNS settings — often under WAN, Internet, or DHCP settings. Replace the existing DNS servers with 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220. Save and restart the router. Every device on the network will now use OpenDNS automatically without individual configuration. This is the recommended approach for network-wide phishing protection.

Google Chrome

Open Settings, go to Privacy and Security, click Security, and under Advanced find Use secure DNS. Toggle it on, select Custom, and enter https://doh.opendns.com/dns-query. Chrome will route all DNS queries through OpenDNS DoH regardless of your system DNS settings.

Mozilla Firefox

Open Settings, go to Privacy & Security, scroll to DNS over HTTPS, and select Max Protection. Choose Custom from the provider dropdown and enter https://doh.opendns.com/dns-query. Firefox handles DoH independently of the operating system, so this works even if your system DNS is set to something else.

OpenDNS vs Alternatives

Choosing between OpenDNS and other public DNS resolvers depends on what you prioritize. Speed, security, privacy, and content filtering all play different roles depending on your use case.

OpenDNS vs Google DNS

Google DNS (8.8.8.8) is faster than OpenDNS in most regions, particularly in Asia-Pacific where Google has strong peering with local ISPs. Google also has a stronger privacy commitment for a free resolver — it strips IP addresses from query logs within 24-48 hours and publishes transparency reports about government data requests. OpenDNS counters with phishing protection that Google does not offer, plus content filtering on the paid plan. If you want speed and privacy, Google wins. If you want security features without installing software, OpenDNS wins.

OpenDNS vs Cloudflare

Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) is the fastest public resolver in most global benchmarks, with an average response time around 11 milliseconds. It also has a stronger privacy posture — Cloudflare purges all query logs within 24 hours and engages KPMG to audit its privacy practices annually. OpenDNS offers phishing protection that Cloudflare does not provide on its standard resolver (Cloudflare's 1.1.1.2 and 1.1.1.3 block malware and adult content respectively, but not general phishing). For pure speed and privacy, Cloudflare is the better choice. For built-in phishing protection, OpenDNS has the edge.

OpenDNS vs Quad9

Quad9 (9.9.9.9) is a nonprofit DNS resolver that blocks known malicious domains using threat intelligence from multiple sources. It operates similarly to OpenDNS in that it provides security-focused DNS resolution, but Quad9 does not offer content filtering or parental controls. Quad9 is faster than OpenDNS in Europe, where its infrastructure is concentrated, but slower in North America. Both services block phishing and malware at the DNS layer, so the choice between them often comes down to speed in your region and whether you need content filtering features.

OpenDNS vs AdGuard DNS

AdGuard DNS focuses on ad and tracker blocking at the DNS level, which neither OpenDNS nor most other resolvers provide by default. AdGuard also offers content filtering categories similar to OpenDNS Home VIP, but with more granular control and a free tier that includes basic ad blocking. OpenDNS has stronger phishing protection backed by Cisco's security research, while AdGuard excels at reducing tracking and advertising across your network. The two services complement each other more than they compete — some users run OpenDNS for phishing protection and AdGuard for ad blocking on different devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Reading

• DNS Speed Test — Benchmark 17+ Resolvers
• Fastest DNS Servers — Global Benchmarks
• DNS Providers Comparison
• Best DNS Servers for Every Use Case

Test Your DNS Speed

Find out whether OpenDNS is the fastest resolver from your network. Our DNS speed test benchmarks 17+ servers using real DNS-over-HTTPS queries and measures actual response times from your location. The results will show you exactly how 208.67.222.222 compares to other resolvers on your specific connection.

Run DNS Speed Test