Top 3 DNS Monitoring Tools for Reliable Uptime and Performance

DNS or the Domain Name System is critical for the function of online services like websites, and SaaS applications. The importance of DNS is highlighted by its functions. It allows computers on the Internet to find resources in a secure manner.

It achieves this by using text files known as DNS records. Whenever someone hosts a website on a domain, they need to create and publish the DNS records of that domain. These records contain information about the IP address of the domain, its authorized mail servers, and other important information that helps identify this domain as legitimate.

Unfortunately, this also makes DNS a sensitive point of failure. Problems in records or publishing of said records can have huge ramifications for businesses. This is why DNS monitoring is crucial for reliable uptime and performance of online services.

Today, we are going to look at some top DNS monitoring tools that can help you stay on top of things.

What Kinds of Problems Does DNS Failure Introduce

DNS issues can result in the following problems for a business.

1. Website inaccessibility

When the DNS records of a website are not published correctly or are corrupted in some way, this usually results in the website becoming unreachable.

You get errors saying the page is unreachable or it cannot be resolved, etc., etc.

2. Specific Services May Become inaccessible

Some DNS records control how certain services interact with your system. A common example is the SRV record. It specifies the ports used by services such as VoIP and instant messaging.

A dysfunctional SRV record would render those services unusable.

3. Loss of Business

When customers have trouble with online-only services, they are much more disgruntled than usual. It’s because online services have become a necessity in most working environments so downtimes result in a lot of work being held up and cause subsequent delays later on.

Such customers tend to switch services to get more reliability. This means the original service provider faces a loss of business.

4. Financial Loss

If your business is dependent on internet connectivity and DNS reliability, then DNS issues can result in a lot of financial strain. For example, an online store would become inaccessible, so no customers would be able to buy stuff from you, resulting in financial loss.

If you have an internal DNS network, then failures in those servers can cost you money to fix the issues.

This is why DNS monitoring is necessary, it provides you an early warning to avoid problems like these.

Best DNS Monitoring Tools

We will discuss the features and advantages of each DNS monitoring tool. You can make the decision about which one is best for you using that information.

1. Datadog

Datadog is a comprehensive DNS monitoring tool. It provides all kinds of tools and information that make real-time DNS monitoring a piece of cake. Built for enterprises, this monitoring toolkit provides a centralized view of all your DNS traffic.

This means that users can monitor their DNS from one dashboard alone. Other features you get with Datadog are given below.

Features

• Can differentiate between client and server-side DNS errors
• Provides automated tests that check DNS records for propagation and publishing issues
• Can monitor stats of individual DNS servers to pinpoint issues

All of these features make DNS monitoring very easy as the tool does most of the heavy lifting for you.

Pros

• User-friendly UI
• Visualization tools make it easier to draw conclusions
• Can make connections between DNS and other network issues using logs and traces
• Has a free plan

Cons

• Paid plans are quite expensive, especially for large-scale deployments
• Is too reliant on cloud infrastructure. This is only a con for organizations that need an on-premise system.

Overall, Datadog has more benefits than it has drawbacks. So it is a great pick for DNS monitoring.

2. DNS Checker

DNS Checker is a free online toolkit that provides a number of DNS monitoring tools. There are tools for checking the publishing status of a domain’s DNS records. You can also check the propagation status of DNS records.

The tools use public DNS servers worldwide to give you a comprehensive look at your DNS deployment. It has uses for both enterprises and normal personal computer owners.

Some of its standout features are given below.

Features

• Let you monitor the DNS propagation status and highlight servers where requests couldn’t be resolved
• Allows you to check public DNS records
• You can select a specific organization’s DNS to check for records. Options include Cloudflare, Google, Quad9, Yandex, etc., etc.
• Can look at the best public DNS servers in each country

Pros

• Is completely free and does not require registration
• Has a user-friendly UI
• Works fast (all results are shown within 1-2 seconds)

Cons

• Requires manual monitoring (no automation)
• Does not have a unified display for all information

DNS Checker is best used by smaller organizations that do not have a vast DNS system of their own. The lack of automation means that users have to be proactive about checking for DNS issues. However, the detailed information provided is more than enough reason to do so.

3. Progress Flowmon

The Flowmon DNS monitoring tool aims to provide a detailed look into network performance. It monitors things like network traffic, and DNS traffic, and detects anomalies in said traffic. Like Datadog, it also provides data visualization and a unified dashboard to make it easier to derive results from the data.

Some of its standout features aside from those are given below.

Features

• Uses machine learning to identify anomalous traffic signatures and learn new ones.
• Provides real-time monitoring. This means you just leave it on it will monitor your traffic on its own. This takes the load off your monitoring team.
• Can monitor encrypted traffic without decrypting it.
• Can identify network bottlenecks that are reducing application performance.

All of these are great features that enhance the capabilities of a systems monitoring team.

Pros

• Provides early warning for incoming DNS failures
• Suitable for both small and large organizations
• Can be integrated with other network monitoring tools for an even more comprehensive DNS monitoring experience
• Provides a lot of visualization features.

Cons

• It is not user-friendly. The first-time setup requires quite a lot of technical expertise.
• It can be quite expensive.
• Not all features are supported in all regions

Using this tool can quite hassle some at first, but it provides really great features that can vastly improve your DNS monitoring capabilities. Just make sure you are in one of the supported regions that have all the features available. Otherwise, you should look for other tools.

Conclusion

In conclusion, DNS monitoring is vital for ensuring the uptime and performance of online services. Tools like Datadog, DNS Checker, and Flowmon offer robust features for monitoring DNS health, detecting issues, and providing real-time alerts.

While Datadog excels in automation and large-scale enterprise use, DNS Checker is ideal for smaller organizations with simpler needs. Flowmon, with its machine learning capabilities, is well-suited for advanced network traffic analysis. Choosing the right DNS monitoring tool depends on the size of your organization, budget, and technical requirements, but each tool can significantly reduce the risk of DNS-related disruptions.

About the Author

Mohxeen Ali is a skilled content writer with over 5 years of experience crafting engaging and impactful narratives. With a foundation in journalism and digital media, Mohxeen excels in creating persuasive copy across a variety of fields, including technology, finance, and Digital Marketing.