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How to Change Your DNS Server
10 min read · Updated 2026-09-17
Changing your DNS server swaps the service that translates domain names into addresses. It can shorten the delay before a page starts loading and gives you control over privacy and filtering. Setting it on the router covers every device at once; setting it per device is useful when you cannot change the router.
Key takeaways
- Router-level changes apply to every device on the network, including ones with no DNS setting of their own.
- Per-device settings override the router, which is handy for testing and for laptops that move between networks.
- Always configure two resolvers so name resolution survives one being unreachable.
- DNS affects how quickly lookups resolve, not your bandwidth — download speed will not change.
- Verify after changing, because a VPN, a browser's secure DNS setting or DHCP can quietly override you.
Before you start: pick your resolvers
Choose a primary and a secondary from the same provider, or deliberately mix providers for resilience. Popular public options include Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1), Google (8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4) and Quad9 (9.9.9.9 / 149.112.112.112), which adds malware filtering.
Write down your current settings first so you can revert. If anything stops resolving, restoring the previous values is the fastest way back.
Router — covers every device
Open your router's admin page in a browser using the address printed on the device, sign in, and look for WAN, Internet or DHCP settings. Replace the automatic DNS values with your chosen primary and secondary, save, and reboot the router if it asks.
Devices pick up the new resolver when their DHCP lease renews, so reconnect them or restart them to apply it immediately. Note that a device with its own manual DNS setting keeps ignoring the router.
Windows 11 and Windows 10
Open Settings, then Network & internet. Select your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, choose Hardware properties or the adapter's properties, and edit the DNS server assignment. Switch it from Automatic to Manual, enable IPv4, and enter the two addresses. If you use IPv6, set its resolvers too or leave IPv6 automatic.
macOS
Open System Settings, then Network. Select the active service, open Details, and choose the DNS tab. Remove the greyed-out inherited entries by adding your own with the plus button, then click OK and Apply. macOS uses the listed order, so put your preferred resolver first.
Android
For mobile data and every network at once, use Private DNS: open Settings, search for Private DNS, choose the hostname option and enter your provider's DNS-over-TLS hostname. For a single Wi-Fi network, long-press the network, modify it, set IP settings to Static and fill in DNS 1 and DNS 2 along with the address details the screen requires.
iPhone and iPad
Open Settings, tap Wi-Fi, tap the information icon next to your network, then Configure DNS and switch from Automatic to Manual. Remove the existing servers and add your own. This setting is per Wi-Fi network; cellular data requires a configuration profile or an app from the DNS provider.
Verify the change
Run a lookup for a domain and confirm the resolver answering is the one you configured. Then check the two things that most often override it: an active VPN usually pushes its own resolver, and browsers with secure DNS enabled may bypass the system setting entirely. Adjust those if you want your choice to apply everywhere.
Put this into practice with a real measurement.
Verify your DNS with a lookup