DNS Hop

DNS Hop is a desktop application for benchmarking DNS servers. It measures performance, verifies reliability, and allows switching the system resolver to a better-performing one. The application is built with C# 12 and .NET 8, uses Avalonia for the user interface, and follows the MVVM pattern with the SukiUI library.

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• Cached resolution test. Measures the time a DNS server takes to respond to a query for a domain that should already be in its internal cache. This metric reveals the base latency of the resolver and the efficiency of its temporary storage, directly impacting browsing speed for frequently visited sites.
• Uncached resolution test (remote query). Performs a complete recursive query for a domain not in the cache, forcing the server to traverse the entire authority chain. This test shows the real-time of deep resolution and the DNS's ability to handle non-repetitive queries.
• Popular domain test (.com with root resolution). Executes a specific query for a common .com domain, simulating a typical user request. It combines cache and recursion elements to provide a performance metric for everyday usage scenarios.
• DNSSEC validation check. Verifies if the DNS server correctly validated the Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) for a signed domain. The test indicates whether the resolver rejects manipulated records and confirms the integrity of the responses.
• NXDOMAIN hijacking detection. Analyzes the server's response to a non-existent domain. Some ISPs or providers redirect these responses to advertising pages; this test identifies if the resolver manipulates errors and returns its own IP instead of the non-existent domain code.
• Resolver comparison in table view. Presents all analyzed DNS servers in a grid with columns sortable by each test type. It allows visual comparison of cache times, full resolution times, and DNSSEC validation status for each endpoint.
• Server visualization by name and address. Displays for each entry both the provider name (e.g., Cloudflare, Quad9) and the resolver's IP address. It facilitates quick identification of the origin of each analyzed server.
• One-click result export. Generates a file with all performed test data, including timings and verification states. The export allows for preserving a history or sharing metrics with other users without needing screenshots.
• Practical server recommendation. After completing the analysis, the interface suggests the resolver with the best balance of cache speed, remote resolution speed, and DNSSEC compliance. The recommendation is based exclusively on the data collected during the test.
• Scenario-grouped test execution. Organizes queries into three fixed categories: cached domain, remote domain, and popular domain. Each category runs independently, but results are consolidated in the same view to facilitate comparison between servers.
• Response consistency verification. Compares IP addresses returned for the same domain from different resolvers. It detects if any server delivers responses different from the canonical ones, which may indicate manipulation or anomalous load balancing.
• Repeated query latency analysis. Executes two consecutive queries for the same name and measures the difference between the first and second response. This specific data point quantifies the real gain of using the resolver's cache.

The development history of DNS Hop began in 2026 when the author identified that tools with equivalent functionality were distributed behind a paywall despite the underlying operation being technically simple. Development started to cover the need for a free and transparent DNS benchmarking suite. The code is written entirely in C# 12 on the .NET 8 platform, employing Avalonia UI to achieve cross-platform compatibility without modifying the business logic. The architecture follows the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) pattern and uses the SukiUI control suite for presenting telemetry data.

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Litmus Speed Test

Litmus is a network performance testing tool that measures bandwidth, latency, jitter, packet loss, and data integrity between two machines.

Price: Free   Size: 191 MB   Version: 1.0.3   OS: Windows, Linux