Short answer: log in to your router, find the DNS settings (usually under Internet or WAN), write down what’s there, and enter two new addresses, such as Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1, or Google’s 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. Save, and every device on your network uses the new service.
What changing DNS does
DNS turns website names into addresses: the system lets software use names to retrieve host addresses. By default your router usually uses your internet provider’s DNS servers. Changing them changes who answers those lookups.
Before you start
Write down the current settings. Cloudflare and Google both advise noting your existing DNS addresses first, so you can switch back.
Change it on your router
- Log in to your router.
- Find the DNS settings. Cloudflare notes they may sit under sections such as WAN or Internet depending on the brand.
- Switch from automatic (provider) DNS to manual, and enter a primary and a secondary address. Google recommends always using two, never the same one twice.
- Save.
Doing it on the router applies the change to every device on your network, so you don’t need to change each phone or laptop.
Which addresses?
| Service | IPv4 | IPv6 |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1 | 2606:4700:4700::1111, 2606:4700:4700::1001 |
| Google Public DNS | 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4 | 2001:4860:4860::8888, 2001:4860:4860::8844 |
Addresses from each provider’s own documentation. For a simple family filter, Cloudflare also offers 1.1.1.2 and 1.0.0.2 to block malware, and 1.1.1.3 and 1.0.0.3 to also block adult content.
If you can’t change it
Google notes that some providers hard-code DNS servers into the equipment they supply, which can’t then be changed. In that case, change DNS on individual devices instead, or put the provider’s equipment in bridge mode and use your own router, which avoids double NAT. For how DNS fits with the rest of your network, see how a home network works.