Fix "Connection Timed Out" & Login Errors: The Advanced Guide to Finding the Perfect DNS for Your Game

You've tried everything. Your cache was cleared by flushing it, and you also rebooted your modem/router and reinstalled the app/game. 

However, you are also sometimes getting "Connecting To The Servers" and disconnecting out of the blue while playing Valorant / Counter-Strike 1.7/League of Legends.

It is not about a bad internet connection; it is about how slow and inefficient their servers are at finding which lobby/server you need in some games they support (or even if there's any).

Speed testing usually checks major sites such as Google and Facebook. However, it does not allow connecting to a Call of Duty matchmaking service either. 

Here's a tutorial on finding out which subdomain a website uses, along with testing its IP resolution speed using our Fastest DNS Test.

Phase 1: Investigate & Locate Your Online Gaming Platform Host.

To solve this problem, you must tell me which server games access and why they fail. It can be found via an existing program on your PC, called "Resource Monitor".

1. Launch Your Game: Open your game (e.g., VALORANT/APEX LEGENDS), then go to the page where you are getting an issue.
2. Open Resource Monitor:
   1. Press Win + R on your keyboard.
   2. Type resmon and hit Enter.
3. Find Your Game's Network Activity:
   1. Go to the Network tab.
   2. In the "Processes with Network Activity" box, check the box next to your game's executable (e.g., VALORANT-Win64-Shipping.exe or r5apex.exe).
4. Spot the Domain:
   1. Look at the "TCP Connections" or "Network Activity" pane below.
   2. Look at the "Remote Address" or "Image" column. You will see domain names like na.riotgames.com, prod.escapefromtarkov.com, or auth.riotgames.com.
   3. Write this down. It is the specific server your computer is struggling to find.

Phase 2: The Fix (Using Fastest DNS Test)

Now that we have the "target," we can find out which DNS provider offers the best shortcut to it.

1. Go to Fastest DNS Test: Open the tool in your browser.
2. Click "Edit Hosts": This is the secret weapon. It opens a list of domains the tool will test.
3. Add Your Game Domain:
   1. Clear out generic ones (like facebook.com) if you want.
   2. Type in the domain you found in Phase 1 (e.g., lq.na1.lol.riotgames.com).
   3. Click Save.
4. Run the Test:
   1. Click "Check DNS Speed".
   2. The tool will now specifically test how fast each DNS provider (Google, Cloudflare, Quad9, etc.) connects to your specific game server.

Phase 3: The Results

You might be surprised. While Google (8.8.8.8) might be fast for web browsing, you might find that Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Quad9 resolves your specific game server 30% faster.

• Min (ms): Look for the lowest number here. This is your new "Ping" target for DNS lookups.
• Switch Your DNS: Go to your Network Settings or Router and input the IP of the winner.

Why This Matters

Generic speed tests tell you how fast you can load a webpage. This method tells you how fast you can authenticate into a game server. For frequent disconnects and login loops, this targeted testing is often the only permanent fix.

Common Game Domains to Test

Don't want to dig through Resource Monitor? Here are some common culprits you can copy-paste into Fastest DNS Test right now:

• Valorant / League of Legends: auth.riotgames.com, na.riotgames.com
• CS2 / Steam: api.steampowered.com, blog.counter-strike.net
• Apex Legends: r5apex.com
• Call of Duty: demonware.net

Stop Guessing. Start Connecting.

Don't let a bad phonebook entry keep you out of the match. Use the Edit Hosts feature on Fastest DNS Test to find the fastest path to your game today.