AdGuard DNS is a service provided by the AdGuard company. It is a free, privacy-oriented DNS resolution system that blocks tracking, ads, and phishing. You can use it instead of your current DNS provider.
DNS or “Domain Name Service” is a look-up service used by every computer and mobile device using the internet. DNS converts domain names like “greycoder.com” to an IP address like “141.193.213.10”.
Adguard DNS works like this: when a website sends a request to an ad network, the DNS sends back a “null” response. For example, when a web page looks up the domain name “ads.facebook.com” the DNS will not find that name. This means those networks request are never loaded. This is an efficient blocking method and may speed up your internet connections.
You can find instructions on changing your DNS here. I recommend changing your router’s DNS settings. This will means that all your devices will automatically make use of AdGuard DNS.
AdGuard DNS Addresses
Here are the addresses of the AdGuard servers:
Default Ad-Blocking DNS
Use these servers to block ads, tracking, and phishing:
- 94.140.14.14
- 94.140.15.15
- 2a10:50c0::ad1:ff
- 2a10:50c0::ad2:ff
Family Protection DNS
- 94.140.14.15
- 94.140.15.16
- 2a10:50c0::bad1:ff
- 2a10:50c0::bad2:ff
DNS Privacy
In terms of privacy, AdGuard states that they do not log any personal data or DNS activity, and do not sell anything to third parties. For the full privacy policy, visit this page.
I also recommend using the DNSEncrypt option that AdGuard supports. DNSEncrypt ensures that your DNS requests are encrypted before they are sent to AdGuard, which protects you from eavesdropping. It also prevents DNS alteration, or more specifically:
- It guards your network against phishing attempts
- It guards against DNS Leaks and DNS Spoofing
- It helps prevent man-in-the-middle attacks
You can find a DNSEncrypt configuration manual for each platform here. If you happen to have DD-WRT or Tomato firmware on your router, I recommend making use of the DNSEncrypt at the router level.
Why is the service free? Adguard says:
We will use AdGuard DNS functionality as a part of other AdGuard software, which will be distributed on a pay-to-use basis. We might also develop a paid version of AdGuard DNS based on the current one, more advanced and with more features.
Link: AdGuard DNS
This DNS Guard must have struck a nerve, Youtube can’t get something back from me when I watch a video so they restricted my account, outstanding…. As soon as I changed DNS servers, interesting things happened. Ad blockers didn’t to irritate them too much but the DNS Guard did. 🙂
Wow, I can’t believe DNS choice is an issue for services like YouTube.