Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about UK internet monitoring, DNS security, TLS certificates, email authentication, BGP routing, and VP Pulse features.
About VP Pulse
- What is VP Pulse?
- VP Pulse is a free real-time UK internet infrastructure health monitoring dashboard. It monitors DNS resolver performance, BGP routing events, TLS certificate health, email authentication (DMARC/SPF/DKIM), security headers, UK latency from four cities, IPv6 adoption, and UK ISP status. It is built and operated by VantagePoint Networks, an independent IT and AI consulting firm based in London.
- Is VP Pulse free to use?
- Yes. VP Pulse is completely free — no account, no credit card, no API key required. You can install it as a Progressive Web App (PWA) on any device and subscribe to push notifications for free outage alerts.
- Who should use VP Pulse?
- VP Pulse is designed for UK IT managers, network engineers, cybersecurity professionals, DevOps teams, and any business that depends on UK internet connectivity. It is particularly useful for financial services firms, legal practices, and technology companies in London and other UK cities.
- What is the Internet Weather Score?
- The Internet Weather Score is VP Pulse's composite 0–100 metric for UK internet infrastructure health. It combines data from DNS resolver performance (20%), BGP routing stability (20%), TLS health (15%), UK city latency (25%), Cloudflare Radar traffic anomalies (10%), and email authentication coverage (10%). Green (80–100) means healthy; amber (50–79) means degraded; red (below 50) means significant issues.
DNS Monitoring
- Which DNS resolver is fastest in the UK?
- Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 is typically the fastest DNS resolver for UK users due to Cloudflare's large anycast presence at LINX and other UK internet exchanges. Google 8.8.8.8 is a close second. However, performance varies by ISP and time of day — VP Pulse's DNS Race tile shows live comparison data.
- What is DNSSEC and does my UK domain need it?
- DNSSEC (DNS Security Extensions) adds cryptographic signatures to DNS records, preventing cache poisoning attacks that could redirect your users to malicious sites. UK domains used for financial transactions, authenticated email, or any security-sensitive purpose should have DNSSEC enabled. Check your domain's DNSSEC status free using VP Pulse's domain scan.
- How do I change my DNS resolver?
- On Windows: Network Settings → Change adapter options → Properties → IPv4 → Use the following DNS server. On macOS: System Preferences → Network → Advanced → DNS. For all devices on your network, change the DNS settings in your router's admin panel (usually 192.168.1.1).
Email Security (DMARC, SPF, DKIM)
- What is DMARC and why does my UK business need it?
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) is a DNS record that tells email servers what to do with email that fails SPF and DKIM authentication. Without DMARC, anyone can send email appearing to come from your domain — enabling phishing, invoice fraud, and business email compromise. In 2024, Google and Yahoo began requiring DMARC for bulk senders; Microsoft followed in 2025.
- What is the difference between DMARC p=none, p=quarantine, and p=reject?
- p=none monitors email flows without affecting delivery — a starting point for testing. p=quarantine sends failing emails to spam — provides real protection while allowing you to catch legitimate senders you may have missed. p=reject blocks failing emails entirely — maximum protection. Implement in order: none → quarantine → reject, monitoring DMARC reports at each stage.
- How do I check my domain's DMARC, SPF, and DKIM?
- Use VP Pulse's free domain scan at pulse.vpnetworks.co.uk/scan. Enter your domain and the scan returns your DMARC policy level, SPF qualifier strength, and DKIM selector coverage in under 10 seconds — no login required.
- Does DMARC affect my email deliverability?
- Yes, in a positive direction. Domains with strong DMARC (p=quarantine or p=reject) have better deliverability to Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook because these providers trust authenticated senders more. Domains without DMARC are increasingly penalised — marketing emails from p=none or no-DMARC domains face higher spam filtering rates.
TLS Certificates
- What does an SSL Labs A+ grade mean?
- An A+ SSL Labs grade means your HTTPS configuration uses TLS 1.3, implements HSTS preloading, uses strong cipher suites, supports OCSP stapling, and has DNS CAA records. It is the highest possible grade and requires deliberate configuration — it is not the default on any hosting platform.
- How do I check my website's TLS certificate?
- Use VP Pulse's free domain scan at pulse.vpnetworks.co.uk/scan. The scan returns your SSL Labs grade, certificate expiry date, issuing certificate authority, and supported protocol versions in seconds.
- How often do TLS certificates expire?
- Let's Encrypt certificates expire every 90 days (designed for automatic renewal). Commercial certificates typically expire every 1 or 2 years. VP Pulse can show the expiry countdown for any domain you scan. Subscribe to push notifications to be alerted before your certificate expires.
BGP and Routing
- What is BGP hijacking?
- BGP hijacking occurs when a network announces IP address prefixes that belong to another organisation, redirecting internet traffic through unauthorised infrastructure. This can enable traffic interception, denial of service, or eavesdropping. RPKI (Resource Public Key Infrastructure) is the technical solution — it allows cryptographic verification of BGP route announcements.
- How does VP Pulse monitor BGP?
- VP Pulse pulls BGP event data from RIPE RIS (Routing Information Service), the European internet registry's BGP monitoring system, which aggregates announcements from hundreds of monitoring points globally. Events affecting UK IP space are shown in the BGP Activity tile on the VP Pulse dashboard.
Domain Security Scan
- What does VP Pulse's domain scan check?
- VP Pulse's domain scan performs 8 checks in parallel: (1) TLS/SSL grade via SSL Labs, (2) DMARC policy, (3) SPF strength, (4) DKIM selector coverage, (5) DNSSEC validation, (6) IPv6 readiness, (7) HTTP security headers (CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy, Permissions-Policy), and (8) CDN fingerprinting. Results are returned in under 10 seconds.
- How long does VP Pulse cache scan results?
- Scan results are cached for 24 hours. If you make configuration changes and want fresh results, wait 24 hours or contact VantagePoint Networks for a fresh scan.
- Can I share my domain scan results?
- Yes. Each scan result has a permanent shareable URL — for example, pulse.vpnetworks.co.uk/scan/yourdomain.co.uk. Share with your IT team, security auditors, or managed service provider. Results include a dynamic Open Graph image for clean sharing in Slack or email.
Still have questions?
VantagePoint Networks provides expert IT and cybersecurity consulting for UK businesses.