Cloudflare WARP is a free VPN proxy being offered for all the platforms. For Windows PC, it is offered in a small installer package. The installation is a breeze and there is nothing to be configured for an average user. In other words, it is a no-nonsense, quick-install and start-using software.
Even though it uses WARP protocol to fetch DNS query results by default, it also offers other protocols so that users can switch to them in the case such a need arises. Cloudflare WARP application for Windows offers three protocols for DNS queries – HTTPS, TLS and WARP.
HTTPS is basically HTTP protocol with an encrypted connection. The encryption in HTTPS is provided by SSL or TLS. The TLS is an acronym for transport layer security and is an encryption protocol. WARP is a VPN and when you choose WARP, the DNS queries are routed through the VPN network.
Here is how you can switch between these three protocols in Cloudflare WARP for Windows:
- Right-click on the Cloudflare WARP icon and then click on the cogwheel icon. From the menu that appears on your screen, choose Preferences.
- In the preferences window, select the Connection category from the left side.
- Now you can choose HTTPS, TLS or WARP from the drop-down list for the DNS Protocol .
- You can close the Cloudflare WARP preferences window now.
The most secure option for the DNS protocol in Cloudflare WARP is obviously WARP as routes all the traffic through the VPN network. WARP is also a tad faster than the other two protocols since it is powered by the global Cloudflare VPN network.
On the other hand, TLS and HTTPS are also encrypted and can be useful when WARP is not working for you. The web browsers like Firefox offer DoH (DNS over HTTPS) feature already so using HTTPS in Cloudflare WARP is not much different.