Cloudflare launches new free DNS: 1.1.1.2 (No Malware) 1.1.1.3 (No Malware or Adult Content)

CloudFlare has long been a trusted service used to accelerate and protect websites from attack (including ours!).

Two years ago CloudFlare launched a secure free fast DNS service 1.1.1.1 to help people surf more privately on the internet.

Today the company processes more than 200 billion DNS requests per day, making Cloudflare the second largest public DNS resolver in the world, behind only Google.

Now Cloudflare has expanded its free DNS service with what they call “1.1.1.1 for Families” :

• 1.1.1.2 – blocks known malware
• 1.1.1.3 – blocks malware and adult content

In the coming months, CloudFlare will provide the ability to define additional configuration settings for 1.1.1.1 for Families.

This will include options to create specific whitelists and blacklists of certain sites. You will be able to set the times of the day when categories, such as social media, are blocked and get reports on your household’s Internet usage.

The new DNS servers are easy to set up and install, requiring just changing two numbers in the settings of your home devices or network router: your primary DNS and your secondary DNS.

Setup usually takes less than a minute and they’ve provided instructions for common devices and routers through the installation guide.

You choose whether you want to block malware and adult content or just malware depending on which IP address you configure:

IPv4 setup

Malware Blocking Only
Primary DNS: 1.1.1.2
Secondary DNS: 1.0.0.2

Malware and Adult Content
Primary DNS: 1.1.1.3
Secondary DNS: 1.0.0.3

IPv6 setup

Malware Blocking Only
Primary DNS: 2606:4700:4700::1112
Secondary DNS: 2606:4700:4700::1002

Malware and Adult Content
Primary DNS: 2606:4700:4700::1113
Secondary DNS: 2606:4700:4700::1003

Let us know if you’re going to use services like this to protect your household.