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Introducing 1.1.1.1 for Families

04/01/2020

4 min read

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Two years ago today we announced 1.1.1.1, a secure, fast, privacy-first DNS resolver free for anyone to use. In those two years, 1.1.1.1 has grown beyond our wildest imagination. Today, we process more than 200 billion DNS requests per day making us the second largest public DNS resolver in the world behind only Google.

Yesterday, we announced the results of the 1.1.1.1 privacy examination. Cloudflare's business has never involved selling user data or targeted advertising, so it was easy for us to commit to strong privacy protections for 1.1.1.1. We've also led the way supporting encrypted DNS technologies including DNS over TLS and DNS over HTTPS. It is long past time to stop transmitting DNS in plaintext and we're excited that we see more and more encrypted DNS traffic every day.

1.1.1.1 for Families

Since launching 1.1.1.1, the number one request we have received is to provide a version of the product that automatically filters out bad sites. While 1.1.1.1 can safeguard user privacy and optimize efficiency, it is designed for direct, fast DNS resolution, not for blocking or filtering content. The requests we’ve received largely come from home users who want to ensure that they have a measure of protection from security threats and can keep adult content from being accessed by their kids. Today, we're happy to answer those requests.

Introducing 1.1.1.1 for Families — the easiest way to add a layer of protection to your home network and protect it from malware and adult content. 1.1.1.1 for Families leverages Cloudflare's global network to ensure that it is fast and secure around the world. And it includes the same strong privacy guarantees that we committed to when we launched 1.1.1.1 two years ago. And, just like 1.1.1.1, we're providing it for free and it’s for any home anywhere in the world.

Two Flavors: 1.1.1.2 (No Malware) & 1.1.1.3 (No Malware or Adult Content)

1.1.1.1 for Families is easy to set up and install, requiring just changing two numbers in the settings of your home devices or network router: your primary DNS and your secondary DNS. Setting up 1.1.1.1 for Families usually takes less than a minute and we've provided instructions for common devices and routers through the installation guide.

1.1.1.1 for Families has two default options: one that blocks malware and the other that blocks malware and adult content. You choose which setting you want depending on which IP address you configure.

Malware Blocking Only
Primary DNS: 1.1.1.2
Secondary DNS: 1.0.0.2

Malware and Adult Content
Primary DNS: 1.1.1.3
Secondary DNS: 1.0.0.3

For IPv6 use:

Malware Blocking Only
Primary DNS: 2606:4700:4700::1112
Secondary DNS: 2606:4700:4700::1002

Malware and Adult Content
Primary DNS: 2606:4700:4700::1113
Secondary DNS: 2606:4700:4700::1003

Additional Configuration

In the coming months, we will provide the ability to define additional configuration settings for 1.1.1.1 for Families. This will include options to create specific allowlists and blocklists of certain sites. You will be able to set the times of the day when categories, such as social media, are blocked and get reports on your household's Internet usage.

1.1.1.1 for Families is built on top of the same site categorization and filtering technology that powers Cloudflare's Gateway product. With the success of Gateway, we wanted to provide an easy-to-use service that can help any home network be fast, reliable, secure, and protected from potentially harmful content.

Not A Joke

Most of Cloudflare's business involves selling services to businesses. However, we've made it a tradition every April 1 to launch a new consumer product that leverages our network to bring more speed, reliability, and security to every Internet user. While we make money selling to businesses, the products we launch at this time of the year are close to our hearts because of the broad impact they have for every Internet user.

This year, while many of us are confined to our homes, protecting our communities from COVID-19, and relying on our home networks more than ever it seemed especially important to launch 1.1.1.1 for Families. We hope during these troubled times it will help provide a bit of peace of mind for households everywhere.

We protect entire corporate networks, help customers build Internet-scale applications efficiently, accelerate any website or Internet application, ward off DDoS attacks, keep hackers at bay, and can help you on your journey to Zero Trust.

Visit 1.1.1.1 from any device to get started with our free app that makes your Internet faster and safer.

To learn more about our mission to help build a better Internet, start here. If you're looking for a new career direction, check out our open positions.
1.1.1.1PrivacyDNSSecurityProduct NewsSpeed & Reliability

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Matthew Prince|@eastdakota
Cloudflare|@cloudflare

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