Internet company Cloudflare launched its 1.1.1.1 DNS service to the public on April 1, 2018. Besides using one of the easiest to remember IP addresses, Cloudflare promised that 1.1.1.1 would be one of the fastest DNS services, support DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS, and that it would honor user privacy.
Cloudflare is one of the options in many, currently experimental, DNS-over-HTTPS implementations in web browsers (Chrome, Firefox) and operating systems (Windows). Cloudflare added optional filters to its service in April 2020 which block block access to undesirable sites on the DNS level.
Cloudflare launched a companion app for its DNS service for Android and iOS in 2018, and extended the functionality with its WARP VPN service in 2019. The application enables the use of the company's DNS service on mobile devices, and users may also connect to the VPN service to improve protection further. Warp users get 100 Megabytes for free but need to subscribe for $4 per month for unlimited data.
Warp and 1.1.1.1 apps were only available for mobile operating systems up until now. Cloudflare published the first public beta clients of the 1.1.1.1 programs for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh devices this week.
The download page reveals that the program is compatible with 64-bit Windows 10 version 1909 and newer versions of Windows, and Mac OS 10.15 or newer. Installation of the Windows client is straightforward; you need to accept the terms on first run before you can start using the client.
Cloudflare Warp sits in the system tray area when it is launched. A click displays the main interface featuring a big toggle to connect or disconnect to the VPN network.
Select the settings icon to switch between using Warp and 1.1.1.1, and only the DNS service 1.1.1.1. The latter may be more convenient than setting up the DNS information manually, but it is better to configure the DNS provider manually as you won't need to run the software on your system for that task.
The preferences list some useful options. You can change the DNS protocol from WARP to either DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS, and enable 1.1.1.1 for Families functionality there if you want that.
The few remaining options allow you to add networks that you want WARP to be disabled on automatically and to reset the encryption keys.
The service worked fine during tests, but since it is labeled beta, it should only be run in test environments.
Closing Words
The beta Warp client for desktop systems enables you to connect to the WARP network and sue the 1.1.1.1 DNS service. It is easy to use but lacks plenty of options and features, e.g. kill-switch functionality, that dedicated VPN clients from established companies offer. It is a beta version on the other hand and there is a possibility that some options and features will be introduced before it hits stable.
Now You: Do you use VPN or DNS services?
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