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Forums › New Zealand Broadband › What DNS are you using in 2025?
turtleattacks

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#320253 23-Jul-2025 09:00
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Hi guys, 

Just a simple setup with no PiHole and was wondering if there is a better DNS I should be using rather than my ISP's. 

I've seen other DNS services such as Google and Cloudflare and was wondering what would be the advantages of using them.




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ssamjh
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  #3396388 23-Jul-2025 09:13
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I've actually switched PiHole to my ISP DNS servers. It gives me better connections to some CDNs. 




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BlargHonk
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  #3396391 23-Jul-2025 09:17
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I have been using Cloudflare 1.1.1.3 to keep the kids from seeing stuff they probably shouldn't

 

https://one.one.one.one/family/

freitasm
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  #3396392 23-Jul-2025 09:20
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I use Cloudflare Zero Trust gteway, with rules blocking some types of websites, blocking domains with IP geo-location or TLD based on countries in the New Zealand sanctions list (plus a couple of unfriendly countries) and one or two overwrite rules e.g. found Philips Hue hub was sending requests to a series of China-based NTP servers, so rule replace the IPs with those of time.cloudflare.com.




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timmmay
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  #3396400 23-Jul-2025 09:40
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PiHole pointing to ISP DNS servers. They work fine and I figure if there are local content caches I'll hit them making things faster.

amanzi
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  #3396484 23-Jul-2025 10:52
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I have my primary set to Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) and my secondary set to my ISP (Voyager) primary DNS server.

taneb1
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Mercury

  #3396508 23-Jul-2025 11:38
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I was using PiHole for a while, but wanted the same experience away from home so ended up switching back to Adguard DNS and now finally NextDNS (As they have servers located in NZ). 




Any comments made are my personal views and does not represent those of my employer

 
 
 
 

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KiwiSurfer
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  #3396542 23-Jul-2025 13:15
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I use RSP DNS as provided via DHCP. I see zero reason to send my DNS queries off-net.

 

Most routers also cache DNS records. My EdgeRouter does this. Means many DNS queries are resolved without it going out of my LAN.

decibel
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  #3396563 23-Jul-2025 14:30
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NextDNS works well for me.

Tinkerisk
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  #3396582 23-Jul-2025 16:11
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127.0.0.1#5335 😁

 

Pihole server with its filter lists and installed, finely tuned ‘unbound’ DNS extension, which queries the official DNS root servers directly and keeps them in the cache for a longer period of time. Mobile ‘street warrior IT’ is also routed via this server.




     

  • Qui nihil scit, omnia credere debet. - He who knows nothing must believe everything.
  • Firewalls do NOT stop dragons! Really!
  • I avoid Big Tech. They try hard to dictate technology and „culture“ across borders.
  • In effect we have everything to hide from someone, and no idea who „someone“ is.

davidcole
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  #3396595 23-Jul-2025 16:53
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A coupe of piholes internally with upstream of unbound hosted locally 




Previously known as psycik

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BlackHand
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  #3396597 23-Jul-2025 17:19
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Home LAN : AdGuard with Cloudflare (Families)
Other Networks : AdGuard DNS (with same blocklist and filter settings as my home setup)

 
 
 
 

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freitasm
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  #3396598 23-Jul-2025 17:20
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This is the reminder I put out there, to please allow ads on Geekzone (harder if using DNS instead of local ad blocker) or subscribe.




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Shindig
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  #3396748 24-Jul-2025 09:53
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Adguardhome with block lists - going out to DoH Cloudflare family DNS.

 

When on a wifi network that isn't home or mobile 5G, then DoH back to AdguardHome via iOS profile on iPhone and Macs

 

 




The little things make the biggest difference.

matisyahu
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  #3396859 24-Jul-2025 18:43
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I use Google public DNS but I've used Cloudflare in the past - I stopped using my ISPs DNS servers a while ago when I was having issues when working from home (there was a DNS issue at the time) and ever since I changed to using a third party DNS I've just kept with it because 'why the heck not'.




"When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called 'the People's Stick'"

DamageInc
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  #3397224 26-Jul-2025 06:39
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Adguard Home with blocklists.

 

Is it ok to use my ISP DNS servers? I have primary pointing to what Adguard suggested, secondary pointing to Slingshot.




Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

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