Even with a fast computer, fast Internet connection and a good browser app, Web pages can still load slower than they should if you aren't using good Domain Name Servers. Figuring out which DNS servers will point you to the pages you want to view most efficiently doesn't have to be a trial and error process thanks to a clever Google Code project called namebench.

namebench finds the fastest DNS servers for you

DNS, or Domain Name Servers, are the computers that translate Web page addresses like apple.com into their actual Internet addresses. In the case of apple.com, that's 17.112.152.57. If the DNS servers you're using can't make those translations for you quickly, it can take far longer than it should for the Web pages you visit to start loading.

Finding faster DNS servers can be a real pain -- first, because you have to know the addresses for those servers; and second, because you need to test those servers to see which is the fastest for you.

namebench takes care of both of those issues for you by automatically checking the performance of a known list of DNS servers and then presenting you with a report showing how each stacked up.

namebench's test results

Once you find the best performing DNS servers, you'll need to add them to your network settings. If you aren't sure how to do that, check out our Quick Tip on using OpenDNS.

namebench is a great tool for squeezing a little more performance out of your Internet connection, and since it's free, you don't have to invest extra money to take advantage of what it has to offer. You can download namebench at the Google Code Web site.