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DNS Propagation Simulator

Watch DNS changes spread across the world

The "24-48 Hours" Myth

Why DNS propagation does NOT take 24-48 hours

What You'll Learn:

  • •The "24-48 hours" claim is outdated and mostly false
  • •Propagation time = TTL of the old record (usually < 1 hour)
  • •With 5-minute TTL, propagation takes ~5 minutes maximum
  • •The myth came from old days when registrars had manual processes
  • •Modern DNS is fast - only cache expiration causes delays

Challenge:

Watch full propagation complete in minutes, not days

Learning Scenarios

Why DNS propagation does NOT take 24-48 hours

DNS Record

Common TTL Values:
60s = 1 minute
300s = 5 minutes
3600s = 1 hour
86400s = 24 hours

Time Control

0s
Simulation Time Elapsed
Simulation paused

Propagation Statistics

Progress0.0%
Fresh
0(0%)
Stale
0(0%)
Updating
0(0%)
Empty
21(100%)
No changes pending

Event Log

No events yet. Start the simulation!

Global Resolver Network (21 resolvers)

Fresh
Stale
Empty
San Francisco
USA
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 174ms
New York
USA
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 131ms
Chicago
USA
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 146ms
Montreal
Canada
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 77ms
São Paulo
Brazil
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 116ms
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 67ms
London
UK
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 149ms
Paris
France
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 56ms
Berlin
Germany
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 144ms
Stockholm
Sweden
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 113ms
Moscow
Russia
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 145ms
Tokyo
Japan
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 129ms
Seoul
South Korea
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 121ms
Shanghai
China
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 62ms
Singapore
Singapore
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 183ms
Mumbai
India
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 196ms
Dubai
UAE
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 199ms
Sydney
Australia
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 179ms
Melbourne
Australia
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 191ms
Johannesburg
South Africa
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 79ms
Cairo
Egypt
Empty
Cached:
No cache
Latency: 159ms

How to Use

  1. Select a scenario from the dropdown to learn different concepts
  2. Click "Apply Scenario Change" to update the DNS record
  3. Watch the globe and resolver grid to see propagation in real-time
  4. Use the time controls to speed up, pause, or reset the simulation
  5. Hover over resolvers on the globe to see their cache status