Internet DNS Severs - Speed - YMMV

[sultan1966]

Personally I never use my ISP's DNS Servers. I always change them to any of these:
Cloudfare @ 1.1.1.1/1.0.0.1
Quad 9 @ 9.9.9.9/149.112.112.112 and IPV6 2620:fe::fe/2620fe::9
Google DNS @ 8.8.8.8/8.8.4.4
You can use a multiple these at a time. There are many other free/paid dns server options out there as well. Most will block websites that are considered malicious. I change DNS Servers on my router as most ISPs won't let you change it on their modem.
You will have to look up how to do this on your specific router. As the router runs all network traffic I force my devices to grab the DNS I choose.
Once I set up new DNS Servers on my router I use its ip address, if needed.
* If you use VPN they have their own DNS servers so no need to change unless something funky is going on with your VPN service. Don't under estimate VPN, its not like your grandpa's VPN back in the day. I'm a grandpa...LOL*
* Mac users can find all their currently running network info by clicking option key and then wifi/network symbol in the top right corner and
make DNS changes occur in System Settings/Search for DNS Severs/Choose DNS Servers.*
Again, I make changes on my Router and devices will go to it for the DNS Servers I have chosen. Your ISP may try and block, in which case, I would also try and use the ISP modems internal ip address as a last resort. If you use fast and reliable DNS Servers different from above feel free to add. Post your experiences if you have already changed your DNS Servers. Lengthy post but hope its use and you will see a speed increase, again YMMV.

 

[JCitron]

FYI, Trainz has trouble downloading content from the DLS and connecting to My Trainz if a VPN is used. There have been a number of help-requests regarding internet connectivity and most of the issues stem from the user running VPN software.

 

[sultan1966]

Will give it shot with my VPN straight and if not, will see if I can add the different Trainz domains to an "access list" from within my VPN interface. Will advise back John.

 

[pdkoester]

I think with my Gig-speed internet and M.2 NVme SSD the DNS is the least thing to worry about.
Just what I see on my setup. That's all.

 

[livingsteam]

just fwiw there's Cloudflare for Families 1.1.1.2 and 1.1.1.3

Introducing 1.1.1.1 for Families

Introducing 1.1.1.1 for Families — the easiest way to add a layer of protection to your home network and protect it from malware and adult content.

blog.cloudflare.com

And fwiw generally speaking, if you're not using a VPN and you're using a different DNS server than your ISPs server, your ISP can still see all your traffic. So if the goal was to hide your web requests from your ISP, switching DNS does't do this, keep your VPN turned on.

 

[sultan1966]

OK spent a few days using my VPN. I used the Wireguard Protocol through my VPN with the 7 different Trainz, N3V and for the hell of it Steampowered domains all routing all thru "Smart Tunneling". My VPN also has the ability to connect to special P2P/Downloads Servers too so I experimented there and tried different servers based that has low ms (ping time). I use a "Grandfathered - Unlimited" Verizon 4G Jetpack for Trainz and also T-Mobile Home Internet, if needed. I also use Mac OS 15 (Sequoia) Beta 5 so things may change later.. Don't know until final Sequoia is released.
If on a regular VPN server there is a warning not to use any of their servers for downloading files/P2P etc in the following countries US, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, S. Korea, Mexico, Japan, Russia, Sweden and Luxembourg. I tried other regular servers outside those listed countries, my 1st was Montreal. I also tried others not on list above based on lowest ms and downloaded TRS19 Canadian Rocky Mountain Baker Creek & W. Calgary and Fall Harvest Nebraska Redux from the Trainz Content Store. All in all thanks to VPN "Smart Tunneling" 9 domains above I had no problems accessing and downloading things anywhere. Personally I thought the speed between Regular and P2P/Downloads VPN Servers was negligible. YMMV
So all in all do I recommend VPN while using Trainz?
If you have to use VPN and you want to do the initial one time setup within your VPN..Sure, but it is abit slower, at least my VPN service is, but it is doable.
If you don't need or don't know what VPN is.. Stay right where you are at, unless you like to experiment like me.
No matter what you do .... Enjoy Trainz everyone!

 

[livingsteam]

Forgive me, maybe I missed something you wrote.

What's the reason to use a VPN in the first place? Are you getting blocked without it? Otherwise I don't understand the desire to hide your traffic from your ISP, it's just Trainz.

And you said originally about DNS servers, "You can use a multiple these at a time."

I don't understand what you're trying to say here. Are you referring to fallback servers? They're not all being used at the same time, only if the first one fails, then it calls the second one.

 

[pware]

VPNs vary. The very first one first tried about a year or two ago blocked all DLS downloads. My current VPN does not block them.

In fact I frequently forget that I have my current VPN running at all. Only when it very occasionally pops up a notification that it is not connected for some reason do I remember that it is even on. It randomizes my "online identity" every 20 minutes.

Why do I use one? I really don't know. The reports of privacy violations on the Internet were one reason for trying and it seemed like a good experiment at the time and so far it has not created any issues for me. I add that the VPN is provided as a part of my system maintenance utility subscription.

 

[livingsteam]

"VPNs vary. The very first one first tried about a year or two ago blocked all DLS downloads. My current VPN does not block them."

Maybe I'm misreading what you wrote. VPNs don't choose to block servers. It's the other way around.

 

[livingsteam]

Sorry for the second post, still can't edit my posts.

Reading your post again @pware , I would argue that a VPN is giving you a false sense of security. All a VPN does is hide your tracks from your ISP by encrypting it between you and a server somewhere out there on the Internet, run by the VPN company.

From there your data is out there on the Internet, still subject to man in the middle and many other attacks. Email should be presumed to be insecure, because it is not encrypted in transit.

VPNs are for people who want to visit alternative websites that they wouldn't want on their permanent records a.k.a. their Google profiles LOL.

But if you're actually logging into websites, reviewing bank accounts, view other personal information over a VPN, the VPN isn't keeping that data any more secure than not using a VPN, except for hiding it from your ISP.

Now most ISPs collect and resell data about their uses, so using a VPN to keep that data from them, that's probably a good enough reason to use a VPN. But I don't really care, I don't use one normally at home.

But my mobile devices, those are on VPN all the time.