Recommend Enabling ECS
Categories:
To achieve the best DNS resolution experience, we have preset some recommended configurations, but there is still a configuration that users need to pay attention to, which is “EDNS Client Subnet”.
Enabling EDNS Client Subnet (ECS)
For a better experience, you may want your DNS server to return server IP results that are geographically closest to you. EDNS Client Subnet (ECS)
enables this. It allows the IP subnet containing geographic information to be sent to the DNS server, so the server can return the optimal DNS resolution results.
How it works:
When ECS is enabled, your DNS resolver (such as AdGuard Home) includes a portion of the client IP address (usually the first 24 bits, indicating the client’s subnet) in the DNS query and sends it to the upstream DNS server. The upstream DNS server then uses this subnet information to return the server IP address most suitable for that region.
sequenceDiagram participant Client participant DNS Resolver participant Upstream DNS Server Client->>DNS Resolver: DNS Query DNS Resolver->>Upstream DNS Server: DNS Query with ECS (Client Subnet) Upstream DNS Server->>DNS Resolver: DNS Response (Geo-localized IP) DNS Resolver->>Client: DNS Response (Geo-localized IP)
Privacy considerations:
Enabling ECS can improve DNS resolution accuracy and speed but may also introduce certain privacy risks. By sharing the subnet of your client IP address, your approximate geographic location might be recorded by the upstream DNS server. Please weigh this based on your own situation before enabling it.
How to balance:
Enabling ECS can achieve a balance between access speed and accuracy. If you have high privacy requirements, you can disable ECS, though this might reduce access speed. If you want the best access experience, you can enable ECS, but be aware of the potential privacy implications. This privacy information is collected by the upstream DNS provider, and this service still adheres to the privacy policy, not collecting or using any information.