Forced ultralow/anycast
I did some tests and this seems to work. If NextDNS can confirm this to be true.
So, in DoH
a.
1.https://anycast.dns2.nextdns.io/123456/abcdef
2.https://anycast.dns1.nextdns.io/123456/abcdef
3.https://anycast.dns.nextdns.io/123456/abcdef
a. 1. Will call anycast 2
a. 2. Will call anycast 1
a. 3. Will call either anycast 1 or 2
b.
1.https://ultralow.dns2.nextdns.io/123456/abcdef
2.https://ultralow.dns1.nextdns.io/123456/abcdef
3.https://ultralow.dns.nextdns.io/123456/abcdef
b. 1. Will call ultralow 2
b. 2. Will call ultralow 1
b. 3. Will call either ultralow 1 or 2
Is this true?
For DoT, is there something similar? I tried the same but it didn't work.
I have dns2 on serverwala-buh and dns1 on estnoc-buh from my tests.
"status": "ok",
"protocol": "DOH",
"configuration": "",
"client": "",
"destIP": "194.68.44.36",
"anycast": false,
"server": "serverwala-buh-1",
"clientName": "unknown-doh",
"deviceName": "AdGuardHTTPS",
"deviceID": ""For some reason anycast is connecting only on Frankfurt even if it's never fastest. Ultralow is working amazing.
estnoc-buh 0 ms (ultralow1)
serverwala-buh (IPv6) 0 ms
■ serverwala-buh 1 ms (ultralow2)
zepto-sof 25 ms
anexia-vie 28 ms (anycast2)
anexia-vie (IPv6) 28 ms (anycast2)
exoscale-vie 29 ms
anexia-sof 31 ms
anexia-sof (IPv6) 35 ms exoscale-vie (IPv6) 38 ms zepto-waw (IPv6) 44 ms anexia-waw 46 ms
anexia-waw (IPv6) 46 ms zepto-waw 48 ms premiumrdp-ist 52 ms edgeuno-ist (IPv6) 54 ms zepto-sto 55 ms (anycast1)
zepto-sto (IPv6) 57 ms (anycast1) edgeuno-ist 92 ms
dns1.nextdns.io (IPv6) error (ultralow1)
dns2.nextdns.io (IPv6) error (ultralow2)
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This is slightly more complex that that. All [*.]dns[1|2].nextdns.io hostnames are ultralow except anycast.$ which is a convenient hostname used by test.nextdns.io to test anycast. From there, any DoH or DoT client should use ultralow by default if they use the system DNS to resolve the dns.nextdns.io hostname. Some clients require that you provide a bootstrap IP (mostly DoT clients on routers). For these, ultralow is not an option and anycast will always be used.
In the case of more advanced clients supporting the new HTTPS DNS record (mainly our cli and apple devices so far), ultralow will be used by default with a fallback to anycast for extra safety (which primary/secondary in each case, which gives you a tally of 4 paths). Our CLI will also use some more advanced tricks to ensure best steering and maximum resiliency.
Finally dns1/dns2 are convenient hostnames to force only primary or secondary. For the record, primary and secondary (for anycast and ultralow) are operated on different networks with a different set of hosting providers and shifted rollout waves. All our regions have a primary and secondary point of presence.
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I did had my NextDNS v6 configuration as bootstrap, I tried without it and still go to Frankfurt.
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losnad How do you bootstarp IP for v4 and v6?
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In my case, I use AdGuard on Android. So, "Settings - Advanced - Low Level Settings - pref.dns.bootstrap"
As for your other comment about DoT, the answer is right above your question.
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losnad Thank you. I guess I'm going to download AdGuard Home so I could integrated it to my pfsense. It has so many useful functions
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losnad Just installed AdGuard Home for pfsense.
NextDNS is running flawlessly
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Anycast go to the default IPs
Anycast1
"status": "ok", "protocol": "DOH", "destIP": "45.90.28.0", "anycast": true, "server": "zepto-fra-1", "clientName": "unknown-doh", "deviceName": "AdGuardHTTPS", Anycast2 "status": "ok", "protocol": "DOH", "destIP": "45.90.30.0", "anycast": true, "server": "anexia-fra-1", "clientName": "unknown-doh", "deviceName": "AdGuardHTTPS", Ultralow go to the local POPs Ultralow1 "status": "ok", "protocol": "DOH", "destIP": "152.89.161.16", "anycast": false, "server": "estnoc-buh-1", "clientName": "unknown-doh", "deviceName": "AdGuardHTTPS", Ultralow2 "status": "ok", "protocol": "DOH", "destIP": "194.68.44.36", "anycast": false, "server": "serverwala-buh-1", "clientName": "unknown-doh", "deviceName": "AdGuardHTTPS",I still don't understand why anycast is stuck on Frankfurt but now that I can use local ultralow I don't even care.
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for some reason anycast has better speed than ultralow for me
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Some reason might be the distance and/or the internet interconnected nodes. If you have anycast in close proximity and the ultralow is hundreds of kilometers away...
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Thank you so much, I finally chose the server closest to mine using the Ultralow2 URL.
Is there any problem while using this method? And any solution for DoT?-
I did not had any problem. I do have both servers added and I set up a fallback one.
For DoT, as you can see, I did not got an answer and I didn't find a solution myself. But if DoH works, I don't see any advantage for DoT.
Funny thing, when I was trying all this I discovered that I can put more than one DNS line in AdGuard. And this was written clearly and right in front of my eyes.
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losnad I actually wanted to test DoT with forced servers so it can be as PrivateDNS in android.
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Jermaine Potts
Hi, did you ever figure this out?
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Thank for sharing that you can prepend "ultralow" in DOH.
Do you happen to know how to prepend "ultralow" in DOT?
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Hi, I tried this DoH template on my Windows 11 PC but it didn't work. It still keeps connecting to anycast server further away from me. Am I aging somewhere?
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LazJedi It will always be Anycast if you are using an IP address with DoH/DoT.
Try https://dns1.nextdns.io/********
for your situation. -
R P M thanks but not work for me. I think this is related to Windows' native DoH support.
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@iosnad Works with DoH but couldn't make it work with DoH3 or DoQ though.
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Ultralow1 was defaulted to me and the ping is 95ms, on the other hand, ultralow2 goes to 14ms, and since I use QUIC to force it, I did it like this:
quic://123456.dns1.nextdns.io:853
quic://123456.dns2.nextdns.io:853
where dns1 is ultralow1 and dns2 is ultralow2
I'm fine with this now :D
