7 DNS Best Practices for Maximum Website Reliability

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the mainstay of a website’s reliability. If a cyberattack compromises your DNS, it can block you from accessing crucial business data. Without any access to your DNS servers or data, you risk losing website traffic and customer trust. 

A well-implemented DNS can enhance security and stability. It can ensure seamless website operations even when faced with potential threats.

In this blog, we reveal seven DNS best practices to maximise website reliability.

7 DNS Best Practices to Boost Website Reliability

Website reliability plays a key role in shaping a company’s credibility. It impacts user experience and builds consumer perceptions. 

Here are 7 DNS best practices to consider for optimising website reliability.

1. Power Up With Multiple DNS Servers

DNS is a vital service. If it comes under attack or the server fails for any reason, it can render your website inaccessible. This can impact your web services and traffic flow. 

Using more than one DNS server helps to reduce such risk. Even if one server fails, your website is less likely to go down.

Consider using at least two DNS servers to ensure website availability and boost dependability. Maintain one as the primary server and the other as the secondary. 

2. Implement DNS Security Extensions

The Domain Name System Security Extensions add a security layer to your DNS infrastructure. Also known as DNSSEC, it prevents cybercrooks from spoofing or manipulating the responses to DNS requests. This ensures the DNS search process remains safe.

Strengthening DNS authentication minimises the scope of cybercrooks redirecting traffic to harmful sites. It protects your site visitors from potential threats and enhances the trustworthiness of your website.

3. Update DNS Software Regularly

Keeping your DNS software up to date is essential for improving your website’s performance and stability.

Regular DNS software updates serve to address security flaws. They patch weak spots that could become hackers’ targets, leading to downtime and making your website inaccessible. Software updates also help to fix bugs.

When you use software with the latest features, it enhances your system’s compatibility. This eliminates potential issues and elevates the user experience.

4. Apply DNS Load Balancing

DNS load balancing involves distributing traffic across different servers. It reduces the load on a single server and minimises the risk of slowing down or crashing the website.

When multiple servers handle user requests, it leads to even load balancing. This helps to improve website performance.

Moreover, if one server fails, you can reroute your website traffic to the active ones. It ensures continuous website activity and availability of web services.

5. Monitor DNS Performance

Regular monitoring of DNS performance enables you to identify threats and resolve them promptly. It involves inspecting for outdated records and ensuring everything is in order. You must also check for uncommon traffic patterns. 

Sometimes, your DNS records become corrupted. They can make your website inaccessible.

The aim is to look for signs that can indicate your DNS setup is under attack. Early detection can address such issues before they impact the user experience of your website.

With regular monitoring, you can prevent performance dips and enhance website efficiency.

6. Secure Access to DNS Servers

Maintaining strict control over the accessibility of your DNS records is a vital step to optimise website reliability. Unsanctioned access enhances the risk of unauthorised server data changes.

It can pose security concerns and impact your site. From rendering your site inaccessible to diverting your traffic to malicious sites, there can be several unwanted consequences.

As a preventive measure, implement multi-factor authentication for accessibility. It will reduce DNS management interface access by unauthorised users.

7. Set Appropriate TTL Values

TTL (Time-to-Live) values measure the amount of time DNS records remain in the cache before getting refreshed.

If you set a low value for it, your DNS resolvers will look for updates frequently. It will cause fast record changes and increase the load on your DNS servers.

If your TTL value is high, it will take longer for your DNS records to update. This delay can cause site users to see outdated information. It, in turn, can impact traffic.

You need to set your TTL value based on your traffic patterns and the update frequency of your website. Suitable TTL values can increase your website’s responsiveness and speed.

Conclusion

When it comes to website reliability, DNS holds the key. DNS best practices prioritise site performance and user experience. By focusing on multiple DNS servers, security extensions, and load balancing, you can ensure seamless operations.

Boost your DNS strategies by partnering with Vodien. Deploy enterprise-grade security solutions with scalable features.

Contact us to learn more.