Are you tired of slow website load times and unreliable DNS resolution? Then, Anycast DNS may be the solution you’ve been looking for. By using a network of geographically distributed servers, this technique can improve website performance and increase reliability. But how does it work? And what are the benefits for website owners and users? In this blog post, we’ll dive into and explain what it is and explore its advantages. So get ready to learn how Anycast DNS can transform your website’s performance.

What is Anycast DNS?

Anycast DNS is a network addressing and routing technique in which a single IP address is assigned to multiple servers distributed in different geographical locations. It is a method used to improve the performance and reliability of DNS (Domain Name System). 

With Anycast DNS, when a user requests a website, the DNS query is directed to the nearest available server based on network topology, latency, and other factors. As a result, Anycast DNS provides redundancy, load balancing, and high availability.

Unicast vs Anycast DNS Routing

When discussing DNS routing methods, it’s essential to compare Anycast DNS with the traditional Unicast DNS to understand their differences and advantages fully.

Unicast DNS is known as the more traditional form of DNS routing, where each DNS server has a unique IP address. When a DNS query is made, it is routed to a specific server, which has been assigned to handle DNS requests. While Unicast DNS is simple and effective for many applications, it has limitations in scalability, speed, and redundancy. The DNS response time can vary significantly depending on the user’s distance from the server, which can also become a single point of failure if the server goes down.

Anycast DNS uses a single IP address across multiple servers distributed globally. This setup allows a DNS query to be routed to the nearest server in terms of network latency, making it significantly faster and more reliable than Unicast DNS. Anycast DNS provides redundancy and load balancing because if one server fails, the DNS query will automatically reroute to the next closest server. It is especially beneficial for handling large volumes of traffic and defending against DDoS attacks, as the traffic is distributed among multiple nodes rather than directed at a single server.

How does Anycast DNS work?

Anycast DNS uses a group of servers that hold the same IP address rather than having a single DNS server to which all DNS queries go. This results in faster response times and increased reliability, as requests are automatically directed to the closest server

Here are the simple steps involved in how Anycast DNS works:

1. Multiple DNS servers are set up across different geographic locations, each having the same IP address.
2. When a user makes a DNS query for a domain name, the query is sent to the nearest DNS server.
3. The DNS server receiving the query then responds with the IP address of the requested domain name.
4. The user’s device then uses this IP address to establish a connection with the server hosting the domain.
5. If the nearest DNS server is unavailable due to any reason, the query is automatically redirected to the next nearest available DNS server.

Advantages

Anycast DNS is a highly beneficial solution that offers numerous advantages, including the following:

• Anycast is easy to configure. You have just one IP that is assigned to every server, no matter where they are in the world. In more traditional DNS solutions, you would have to configure for every location separately.
• High availability. As we said before, the router will redirect the user to the closest server, but if the server is down, it will simply redirect to one of the rest. They all have a mirror image of the same DNS records, if one is down, the closest next will get the load. The users won’t even notice it.
• Scaling. Anycast DNS is very easy to put in practice. Imagine you are getting too much load on a particular server, what do you do? You just deploy one more server in the area where you need it. It is easy to set it up, and you can do it very quickly. This is one of the common ways how we are expanding our Anycast network.
• Enhanced security. Anycast DNS can help mitigate Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks by distributing the traffic across multiple servers, making it harder to overwhelm a single server.
• Load balancing. Anycast DNS distributes requests evenly among servers, preventing overload and ensuring load balancing and optimal use of resources.

Anycast DNS network by ClouDNS

You can take advantage of the Anycast technology with each of our Premium DNS, and DDoS protected DNS plans. You will have access to 50+ Points of Presence (PoPs) around the world. There are real hardware devices in each one. These points are distributed in a way to provide fast connectivity to everybody. It also serves as a load balancer to reduce the stress on a single domain server. In the case of DDoS protected DNS plans, you can resist a strong attack by distributing the traffic. 

With ClouDNS, you can use a route monitoring at each PoP. It analyzes the routes and provides the optimal path. Such a system lowers the downtime dramatically. If one server is down, the request is going to another server without extra complications. ClouDNS provides the highest SLA for each location. 

We also provide 24/7 Live Chat support. Our technical team is here to help you if you have any questions regarding our services.

To take advantage of our Premium Anycast DNS service, just go to our page and choose the best plan for you. Our Anycast network consists of 50+ Data Centers on six continents, and we also offer Anycast DDoS protected DNS servers and Anycast GeoDNS servers.

Think about your needs, and if you are not sure what to choose, you can always contact our customer service for help.

Premium Anycast DNS service - Try for free

Conclusion

In conclusion, Anycast DNS is a powerful technology that can help improve website performance, availability, and security. Operating with a network of servers spread across multiple locations allows users to connect to the server closest to them, reducing latency and improving website response times. Additionally, it can help protect against DDoS attacks by spreading the traffic. Whether you’re running a small website or a large-scale application, Anycast DNS can help ensure that your users have a fast, reliable, and secure experience. It is definitely worth considering as a valuable addition to your infrastructure.

Martin Pramatarov

Hi, I’m Martin Pramatarov. I have two degrees, a Technician of Computer Networks and an MBA (Master of Business Administration). My passion is storytelling, but I can’t hide my nerdish side too. I never forgot my interest in the Hi-tech world. I have 10 years and thousands of articles written about DNS, cloud services, hosting, domain names, cryptocurrencies, hardware, software, AI, and everything in between. I have seen the Digital revolution, the Big migration to the cloud, and I am eager to write about all the exciting new tech trends in the following years. AI and Big Data are here already, and they will completely change the world!

I hope you enjoy my articles and the excellent services of ClouDNS!