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If speed isn’t the reason to switch from Cloudflare’s standard 1.1.1.1 resolver to Quad9’s 9.9.9.9, the clearest practical difference is filtering: Quad9 blocks DNS requests for domains associated with malicious activity, while standard 1.1.1.1 does not. That trade-off may matter more than a speed claim—especially because performance depends on location and no comparable local benchmark is available here.
What changes when you switch?
A DNS resolver looks up the address associated with a domain when you visit it. Changing resolvers changes which service answers those lookups and, depending on the endpoint, whether known threat domains are blocked. It does not replace browser, operating-system, or network security protections.
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The comparison here is between Cloudflare’s standard, unfiltered 1.1.1.1 service and Quad9’s 9.9.9.9 Secure service. Cloudflare offers separate filtered endpoints, so it would be inaccurate to say Cloudflare has no filtering at all.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →| Service or endpoint | Filtering | IPv4 addresses | IPv6 addresses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare standard 1.1.1.1 | No content filtering | 1.1.1.1; 1.0.0.1 | 2606:4700:4700::1111; 2606:4700:4700::1001 |
| Cloudflare Families: malware blocking | Blocks malware domains | 1.1.1.2; 1.0.0.2 | See Cloudflare’s endpoint documentation |
| Cloudflare Families: malware and adult-content blocking | Blocks malware and adult-content domains | 1.1.1.3; 1.0.0.3 | See Cloudflare’s endpoint documentation |
| Quad9 Secure 9.9.9.9 | Blocks domains associated with malicious activity | 9.9.9.9; 149.112.112.112 | 2620:fe::fe; 2620:fe::9 |
| Quad9 9.9.9.10 | No threat blocking | 9.9.9.10 | See Quad9’s service documentation |
Address and filtering details are documented by Cloudflare and Quad9.
#1 Best Overall
- DUAL-BAND WIFI 6 ROUTER: Wi-Fi 6(802.11ax) technology achieves faster speeds, greater capacity and reduced network congestion compared to the previous gen. All WiFi routers require a separate modem. Dual-Band WiFi routers do not support the 6 GHz band.
- AX1800: Enjoy smoother and more stable streaming, gaming, downloading with 1.8 Gbps total bandwidth (up to 1200 Mbps on 5 GHz and up to 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz). Performance varies by conditions, distance to devices, and obstacles such as walls.
- CONNECT MORE DEVICES: Wi-Fi 6 technology communicates more data to more devices simultaneously using revolutionary OFDMA technology
- EXTENSIVE COVERAGE: Achieve the strong, reliable WiFi coverage with Archer AX1800 as it focuses signal strength to your devices far away using Beamforming technology, 4 high-gain antennas and an advanced front-end module (FEM) chipset
- OUR CYBERSECURITY COMMITMENT: TP-Link is a signatory of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Secure-by-Design pledge. This device is designed, built, and maintained, with advanced security as a core requirement.
Why choose Quad9 if speed is not the goal?
Threat-domain blocking
Quad9 says its Secure service blocks domains associated with malware, phishing, scams, and related malicious activity. The benefit is an additional DNS-level barrier: a lookup for a domain on its threat feed can be blocked before the connection is made. This is not complete malware protection. It depends on threat-intelligence classification, and the available documentation does not establish a detection rate or guarantee that every harmful site will be blocked.
Filtering can also produce false positives. Quad9’s policy says users can check a domain’s blocking status and see the threat analyst or source and any explanation associated with a block. If a legitimate site fails to load, checking its status can help distinguish a DNS block from a site outage or another connection problem. Quad9 says filtering is optional and it does not accept censorship-based block suggestions. Those are the provider’s published commitments, not an independent audit. See its Data and Privacy Policy.
Rank #2
- Dual-band Wi-Fi with 5 GHz speeds up to 867 Mbps and 2.4 GHz speeds up to 300 Mbps, delivering 1200 Mbps of total bandwidth¹. Dual-band routers do not support 6 GHz. Performance varies by conditions, distance to devices, and obstacles such as walls.
- Covers up to 1,000 sq. ft. with four external antennas for stable wireless connections and optimal coverage.
- Supports IGMP Proxy/Snooping, Bridge and Tag VLAN to optimize IPTV streaming
- Access Point Mode - Supports AP Mode to transform your wired connection into wireless network, an ideal wireless router for home
- Advanced Security with WPA3 - The latest Wi-Fi security protocol, WPA3, brings new capabilities to improve cybersecurity in personal networks
A different privacy-policy approach
Cloudflare’s April 1, 2026 post says it anonymizes source IP addresses associated with 1.1.1.1 and deletes them within 25 hours. Cloudflare also says at most 0.05% of traffic is randomly sampled, including the querying IP, solely for troubleshooting and attack mitigation. These are Cloudflare’s descriptions of its practices and the examination of its privacy commitments; they are not head-to-head measurements. Cloudflare’s privacy post provides its account and links to the accountant’s report.
Quad9’s Data and Privacy Policy, version 1.1, published June 24, 2026, states that it does not collect or record user IP addresses or another unique individual identifier. The policy also describes aggregate counters and limited telemetry associated with malicious domains, including query labels and timing, as well as broad geographic or network-prefix counters. It separately addresses anomalous conditions involving suspected attacks against or through its infrastructure. So “Quad9 collects nothing” would overstate what its policy says. Read Quad9’s policy for its full scope.
Rank #3
- NIGHTHAWK WIFI 6 ROUTER FOR YOUR WHOLE HOME: Delivers fast, reliable WiFi across every room of your apartment or small home for streaming, gaming, video calls, and smart home devices, all running at the same time without slowing each other down.
- WORKS WITH YOUR EXISTING INTERNET SERVICE: Pairs with your existing modem or gateway via ethernet. Compatible with most cable, fiber, DSL, and satellite providers. Some gateways and modem router combos may require bridge mode. No coax needed.
- SET UP AND MANAGE YOUR NETWORK WITH THE NIGHTHAWK APP: Download the free Nighthawk app on iOS or Android for guided setup. Manage WiFi, run speed tests, pause devices, and set up guest networks from anywhere. Active internet required.
- READY FOR THE DEVICES YOU ALREADY OWN: Your phones, laptops, and TVs work right out of the box. WiFi 6 delivers speeds up to 1.8 Gbps across 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Backward compatible with WiFi 5 and earlier.
- COVERAGE IN EVERY ROOM: Covers up to 1,500 sq. ft. for up to 20 connected devices. Walls, floors, and interference can reduce range. Larger or multi-story homes may benefit from a NETGEAR Orbi mesh WiFi system.
These statements describe different providers’ published policies; they do not by themselves establish which service is more private in every respect. Encrypted DNS, data retention, operational telemetry, and the resolver’s own access to queries are separate considerations.
What encrypted DNS protects—and what it does not
DNS over TLS (DoT) and DNS over HTTPS (DoH) encrypt the connection between your device and the resolver. That prevents intermediaries on the path from reading DNS queries in transit, but the resolver still receives the requested domain. Quad9 documents DoT, DoH, and DNSCrypt support. Its DoT hostname is dns.quad9.net; its DoH endpoint is https://dns.quad9.net/dns-query. Cloudflare’s DoT documentation describes DNS inside a TLS-encrypted TCP connection on port 853, with TLS 1.2 and 1.3 support. See Cloudflare’s DoT documentation.
Rank #4
- 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐢-𝐅𝐢 𝟕: Powered by Wi-Fi 7 technology, enjoy faster speeds with Multi-Link Operation, increased reliability with Multi-RUs, and more data capacity with 4K-QAM, delivering enhanced performance for all your devices.
- 𝐁𝐄𝟑𝟔𝟎𝟎 𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥-𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐢-𝐅𝐢 𝟕 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫: Delivers up to 2882 Mbps (5 GHz), and 688 Mbps (2.4 GHz) speeds for 4K/8K streaming, AR/VR gaming & more. Dual-band routers do not support 6 GHz. Performance varies by conditions, distance, and obstacles like walls.
- 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐆𝐢𝐠 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝟐.𝟓 𝐆𝐛𝐩𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟑×𝟏𝐆𝐛𝐩𝐬 𝐋𝐀𝐍 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬: Maximize Gigabitplus internet with one 2.5G WAN/LAN port, one 2.5 Gbps LAN port, plus three additional 1 Gbps LAN ports. Break the 1G barrier for seamless, high-speed connectivity from the internet to multiple LAN devices for enhanced performance.
- 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭-𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝟐.𝟎 𝐆𝐇𝐳 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐝-𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫: Experience power and precision with a state-of-the-art processor that effortlessly manages high throughput. Eliminate lag and enjoy fast connections with minimal latency, even during heavy data transmissions.
- 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫 - Covers up to 2,000 sq. ft. for up to 60 devices at a time. 4 internal antennas and beamforming technology focus Wi-Fi signals toward hard-to-reach areas. Seamlessly connect phones, TVs, and gaming consoles.
Cloudflare also documents Oblivious DNS over HTTPS (ODoH), which separates the client’s IP address from the readable query: a proxy sees the client IP but cannot read the encrypted query, while the target resolver reads the query but sees the proxy’s IP. Cloudflare says this separation depends on the proxy and target not colluding. Its documentation notes that RFC 9230 is experimental and not endorsed by the IETF; ODoH should not be treated as a guarantee of anonymity. Details are in Cloudflare’s ODoH documentation.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDNSSEC is not the same as encryption
Quad9 announced strict DNSSEC validation for every service endpoint beginning June 15, 2026. DNSSEC authenticates DNS data for zones that publish DNSSEC records; it does not encrypt the connection between your device and the resolver. Encryption protects DNS transport from intermediaries, while DNSSEC helps verify the authenticity of supported DNS data. See Quad9’s DNSSEC announcement.
Best Value
- Dual band router upgrades to 1200 Mbps high speed internet (300mbps for 2.4GHz plus 900Mbps for 5GHz), reducing buffering and ideal for 4K stream
- Full Gigabit Ports - Gigabit Router with 4 Gigabit LAN ports, ideal for any internet plan and allow you to directly connect your wired devices
- Boosted Coverage - Four external antennas equipped with Beamforming technology extend and concentrate the Wi-Fi signals
- MU-MIMO technology - (5GHz band) allows high speeds for multiple devices simultaneously
- Access Point Mode - Supports AP Mode to transform your wired connection into wireless network, an ideal wireless router for home
Which Quad9 endpoint should you use?
- 9.9.9.9: Choose this Secure endpoint if you want Quad9’s threat blocking.
- 9.9.9.10: Choose this if you want Quad9 without threat blocking.
- 9.9.9.11: Quad9 lists this as threat blocking with EDNS Client Subnet (ECS).
- 9.9.9.12: Quad9 lists this as no threat blocking with ECS.
Quad9 recommends its ECS variants for users who do not route to the closest service location and want better CDN performance. ECS changes how subnet information is handled; it is not a blanket privacy or speed improvement. The endpoint details are in Quad9’s services documentation.
How to switch—and how to undo it
The exact menus depend on your device and network. Cloudflare’s setup guide covers Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, routers, and other supported environments; it also explains configuring its Families endpoints. Use the instructions for your operating system or router at Cloudflare’s resolver setup guide as a general guide to where DNS settings are changed.
- Record your current DNS settings. Note the existing IPv4 and IPv6 entries or save a screenshot so you can restore them.
- Choose the endpoint that matches your goal. For Quad9 threat blocking, use 9.9.9.9 and 149.112.112.112 for IPv4, or 2620:fe::fe and 2620:fe::9 for IPv6. For Quad9 without threat blocking, use 9.9.9.10. If you configure encrypted DNS, use Quad9’s documented hostname or DoH endpoint rather than entering only an IP address.
- Change DNS where your device gets it. Configure the device itself or the router. A router-level change may apply to devices using that router; a device-level change applies only to that device and can override the router’s settings.
- Reconnect and test. Reconnect to the network or renew its connection, then check that ordinary websites load. If a site that matters stops resolving, check Quad9’s block status and verify the endpoint entries.
- Restore the previous settings if needed. Re-enter the DNS addresses you recorded or return the setting to automatic DNS. This is the quickest way to tell whether the new resolver is causing the problem.
Is Quad9 faster than Cloudflare?
This comparison does not establish that either resolver is faster for a particular reader. DNS response time depends on the reader’s location, network route, device, resolver configuration, and the conditions at the time of measurement. A meaningful comparison would test from the same connection and device, use the same method and endpoint types, and report the location and date. Without that, a speed ranking is not a sound reason to switch.
If you want to test performance yourself, compare the resolvers from your normal network over repeated sessions rather than relying on a single lookup. Keep the same device and connection, and compare like with like—for example, encrypted DNS against encrypted DNS, not one provider’s encrypted endpoint against another’s plain DNS. Treat the result as local to your setup, not a universal ranking.
Quick Recap
When the switch makes sense
- Choose Quad9 9.9.9.9 if DNS-level blocking of known malicious domains is useful to you.
- Use a non-filtering endpoint if you do not want threat blocking at the resolver; both Cloudflare standard 1.1.1.1 and Quad9 9.9.9.10 provide that choice.
- Compare the providers’ published privacy policies if their stated data practices are part of your decision, while recognizing that policy disclosures are not a directly comparable audit.
- Do not switch for a promised speed gain unless measurements from your own location and connection support it.
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