Skip to main content

DNS LOOKUP: What we measure

DNS Lookup tests the reachability and connectivity to a list of HTTPS or WSS addresses.

What is DNS Lookup?

Think of DNS lookup as the Internet’s address book. When you type a website's name, like for example www.facebook.com, into your browser, it's like asking the internet, "Hey, where can I find this website?" The DNS (Domain Name System) is like the friendly librarian who checks its address book and tells your browser, "Oh, you can find www.facebook.com at IP address 157.240. 20.35."

Essentially It's converting the human-friendly name into a computer-friendly set of numbers, allowing your browser to locate and connect to the right place on the internet.

Widget results



  • This test tries to connect to the servers used for the ongoing operation of the service (not necessarily directly linked to WebRTC) to make sure they are accessible from the browser.
  • If any of the addresses can’t be connected to, some or all parts of your service might not work for that user.
  • The test also checks and logs the time it takes to connect to the servers.

Data we collect and share

Connected Number of connected addresses out of the total that were attempted.
Average Connection Time The average time it took to connect to the servers.
Highest Connection Time The highest time it took to connect to one of the servers.
Shortest Connection Time The shortest time it took to connect to one of the servers.

Things to notice

  • If any of the addresses is unreachable, there’s a good chance the service won’t work
  • High connection times may indicate a routing issue
  • The log includes the details of the failed connection as well as connection times

FAQ about DNS Lookup

What does a blocked DNS address mean in the DNS Lookup widget?

It means that the DNS address could not be reached. It might have been resolved by a DNS server, but we couldn’t reach it to get it to respond in any way (a response can be either succeeding to connect or failing to connect).

How long do you try to connect to a DNS address?

There’s a timeout of 5 seconds. If we can’t reach it in that span of time we consider it blocked. That 5 seconds includes the time it takes to resolve an IP address from the DNS address and the time it takes to connect to it.

What do I do if DNS addresses are unreachable?

Check with your IT to see if that address needs to be whitelisted or has been blocked for some reason on your firewall rules.

Was this article helpful?

0 out of 0 found this helpful