Can You Have Two WiFi Networks in One House? Four Ways to Do It
Two WiFi networks in one house works, and there are four ways to do it. Which method suits…
Use Cloudflare, 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1, for the fastest lookups and best privacy on a PS5. Use Google, 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, if PSN downloads feel slow, because Google forwards EDNS Client Subnet information that helps the content delivery network pick a closer server. Changing DNS does not lower in game ping, because game traffic goes directly to the game server and never passes through the resolver.
Key takeaways
- ["Changing DNS cannot lower in game ping, because the resolver is not in the path of game traffic.","Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 is the right default for speed and privacy.","Google 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 can give faster PSN downloads because it forwards EDNS Client Subnet data.","Cloudflare withholds that subnet data by choice, which occasionally sends you to a more distant CDN node.","Set DNS on the router rather than the console so every device benefits from one change.","A wired Ethernet connection removes jitter and does more for online play than any DNS change."]
Short answer
Use Cloudflare, 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1, for the fastest general browsing and the best privacy. Use Google, 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, if PSN downloads feel slow, for a reason explained below.
Now the thing almost every article on this subject gets wrong. Changing DNS does not lower your in game ping.
DNS turns a name into an IP address. Your console uses it when connecting to something, then talks to that server directly. Game traffic never passes through the DNS resolver, so nothing it does can change latency once you are in a match.
What DNS genuinely changes: how fast the PlayStation Store loads, how quickly a game starts connecting, and download speed, because your resolver influences which content delivery server you are sent to.
| Provider | Primary | Secondary | Best for | Client subnet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CloudflareBest overall | 1.1.1.1 | 1.0.0.1 | Speed and privacy | No |
| Google Public DNSBest for downloads | 8.8.8.8 | 8.8.4.4 | CDN routing | Yes |
| Quad9Best security | 9.9.9.9 | 149.112.112.112 | Blocking bad domains | No |
| OpenDNSBest filtering | 208.67.222.222 | 208.67.220.220 | Family controls | Yes |
| AdGuard DNSBlocks ads | 94.140.14.14 | 94.140.15.15 | Ad and tracker blocking | Partial |
What DNS actually does, and what it cannot do
DNS is a phone book. Your PS5 asks a resolver “what is the address for store.playstation.com”, gets an IP back, and then connects to that IP directly.
The resolver is not in the path of that connection. It answered a question and stepped aside.
So when a game reports 45 ms ping, that number is the round trip between your console and the game server. It is decided by physical distance, your connection type and your ISP’s routing. No DNS server can change any of those.
Articles claiming a particular DNS “reduces lag” or “boosts your ping” are describing something that cannot happen. Test it yourself: note your ping in a match, change DNS, rejoin. It will be the same.
What it does change
How fast things start. A DNS lookup takes 10 to 100 ms depending on the resolver. Loading the PlayStation Store involves dozens of lookups, so a faster resolver makes menus and store pages feel noticeably snappier. It does not affect gameplay, only the moments before it.
Download speed, and this one is real. Explained in full below.
Reliability. ISP resolvers fail more often than people realise, and when they do, everything looks broken while the connection is fine. A major public resolver is more reliable than most ISP ones.
Blocking. Quad9 refuses to resolve known malicious domains. AdGuard blocks ad and tracker domains, which speeds up the console’s web browser.
Why Google DNS can give faster PS5 downloads than Cloudflare
This is the genuinely useful part, and it explains the conflicting reports you will find in forums.
PlayStation downloads do not come from one server in Japan. They come from a content delivery network with servers all over the world, and the CDN tries to send you to the one nearest you.
How does it know where you are? Partly from your DNS query, using an extension called EDNS Client Subnet. When your resolver forwards a lookup, it can include a truncated version of your IP address, so the CDN can pick a nearby server.
Google Public DNS and OpenDNS send that subnet information. The CDN sees roughly where you are and returns a close server.
Cloudflare deliberately does not send it, as a privacy decision. That is admirable and it means the CDN only knows which Cloudflare data centre asked. Usually that is close to you anyway, because Cloudflare has an enormous network. Occasionally it is not, and you get sent to a more distant download server.
So the practical rule is:
Use Cloudflare for the fastest lookups and the best privacy. It is the right default.
Try Google if PS5 downloads are slower than your connection should allow. If downloads improve, CDN routing was the cause and you should keep it.
Test properly. Download the same large game update on each, at a similar time of day, and compare. A single measurement proves nothing because PSN speeds vary by hour.
How to change DNS on a PS5
Five minutes, and it is easily reversed.
1. Settings, then Network, then Settings, then Set Up Internet Connection.
2. Select your network, press the Options button, and choose Advanced Settings.
3. Set DNS Settings to Manual.
4. Enter the primary and secondary addresses from the table above.
5. Leave IP Address Settings on Automatic unless you have a reason to change it.
6. Save, then run Test Internet Connection.
To undo it, set DNS Settings back to Automatic.
A better approach for most households: set the DNS on your router instead. Every device then uses it, including phones and smart TVs, and you configure it once rather than per console. The setting is usually under WAN or Internet settings in the router admin page.
Things that actually reduce PS5 latency
Since DNS will not, here is what will, in order of how much difference it makes.
Use a wired connection. Ethernet removes jitter, which is the variation in latency, and jitter is what actually ruins online play. A steady 40 ms beats a fluctuating 25 to 90 ms every time. This is the single biggest improvement available.
Fix double NAT. If both a modem-router and a separate router are routing, your console shows NAT Type 3 and struggles with matchmaking and voice chat. Put one of them in bridge or bypass mode.
Enable quality of service on the router and give the console priority, so someone streaming does not add latency to your match.
Choose the right band. If you must use WiFi, 5 GHz has far less interference than 2.4 GHz. See our guide to the best routers for PS5 for hardware that handles this properly.
Pick nearby servers. Where a game lets you choose a region, choosing the closest one changes ping far more than any setting on the console.
The 5 best DNS servers for PS5
1. Cloudflare, 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
The best default. Independent monitoring has consistently placed Cloudflare among the fastest public resolvers worldwide, and it runs from data centres in hundreds of cities, so there is usually one close to you.
Privacy is the other argument. Cloudflare states it does not log the IP addresses making queries and discards query logs within 24 hours, with annual third party audits.
The trade off is the EDNS Client Subnet decision above. Better privacy, occasionally a more distant CDN node for downloads.
Use 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 as primary and secondary.
2. Google Public DNS, 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
The most reliable resolver in existence, running on Google’s global network with effectively no downtime in memory.
It supports EDNS Client Subnet, which is why it often produces better PSN download speeds than Cloudflare. If downloads are your complaint, start here.
Google logs some query data, anonymised, and states it does not use it for advertising. If that matters to you, take Cloudflare or Quad9.
Use 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.
3. Quad9, 9.9.9.9 and 149.112.112.112
Run by a Swiss non profit, Quad9 blocks domains associated with malware, phishing and command and control servers using threat intelligence from multiple security vendors.
On a console that mostly matters for the web browser, and for a household where the router uses Quad9 for every device it is a genuine layer of protection that costs nothing.
No client subnet forwarding and no logging of personal information, under Swiss privacy law.
Slightly slower than Cloudflare in most tests, though the difference is a few milliseconds and invisible in use.
4. OpenDNS, 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
The right choice if you want content filtering. Create a free account, register your home IP address, and choose which categories to block across every device using it.
For a console used by children, filtering at the DNS level applies to the built in browser and to any device on the network, without configuring anything on each one.
It supports EDNS Client Subnet, so CDN routing is good.
The limitation is that filtering needs your home IP registered, and most home connections have a dynamic address, so you will need the updater client running on a computer to keep it current.
5. AdGuard DNS, 94.140.14.14 and 94.140.15.15
Blocks advertising and tracking domains at the DNS level. On a PS5 the visible effect is a faster, cleaner web browser, since ad requests fail immediately rather than loading.
There is a secondary benefit worth knowing: blocked requests use no bandwidth, so on a slow or capped connection the saving is real.
AdGuard also offers a family protection pair at 94.140.14.15 and 94.140.15.16, which adds adult content blocking.
The risk with any blocking resolver is over blocking, where something you want stops working with no obvious explanation. If a service breaks after switching, test with Cloudflare before assuming the service is at fault.
Frequently asked questions
Does changing DNS lower ping on PS5?
No. DNS resolves a name to an IP address before the connection starts, and game traffic then goes directly to the game server without passing through the resolver. Ping is set by physical distance and routing, neither of which DNS affects. Any guide claiming otherwise is describing something that cannot happen.
Which DNS is fastest for PS5?
Cloudflare at 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 is consistently among the fastest public resolvers and is the right default. For download speed specifically, Google at 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 sometimes performs better because it forwards subnet information that helps the CDN pick a closer server.
Will changing DNS improve PS5 download speed?
Sometimes, and for a specific reason. PSN downloads come from a content delivery network that picks a server based partly on your DNS query. Resolvers that support EDNS Client Subnet, such as Google and OpenDNS, can get you a closer server. Test the same download on two resolvers to compare.
Is it safe to change the DNS on my PS5?
Yes, and it is easily reversed by setting DNS Settings back to Automatic. Use well known providers such as Cloudflare, Google or Quad9. Avoid unfamiliar DNS addresses from forums, because a malicious resolver can direct you to fake versions of legitimate sites.
Should I set DNS on the console or the router?
The router, in most cases. Every device then uses it, including phones, laptops and smart TVs, and you configure it once. Set it on the console only when you want the PS5 to use different DNS from everything else.
What actually reduces lag on a PS5?
A wired Ethernet connection, which removes jitter and matters more than anything else. Then fixing double NAT if your console reports NAT Type 3, enabling quality of service on the router, using 5 GHz rather than 2.4 GHz if you must use WiFi, and choosing the nearest game server region.
The verdict
Set Cloudflare, 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1, on your router rather than the console. It is fast, private and reliable, and every device benefits.
If PSN downloads are slower than your connection should manage, switch to Google, 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, and compare the same download. Google forwards the subnet information that helps a CDN pick a closer server, which Cloudflare deliberately withholds.
And be clear about what you are buying. DNS makes menus and store pages load faster and can improve downloads. It will not change your ping by a single millisecond. For that, run a cable.
Note: Networking Signal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through product links elsewhere on this site, at no additional cost to you. The DNS services listed on this page are free and we have no commercial relationship with any of them. We are not affiliated with Sony Interactive Entertainment.
