Should You Change Your Router's DNS? How and When It Helps

Change your router’s DNS if you want something your internet provider’s DNS doesn’t give you: blocking of known malicious websites, filtering for a family network, or a privacy policy you prefer. Don’t change it expecting faster downloads. DNS handles the lookup before a connection starts, not the connection itself.

This is a how-to based on the DNS providers’ and router makers’ own documentation. We have not measured DNS speeds for this guide.

What does DNS do?

DNS stands for Domain Name System. When you type a website name, your device asks a DNS server for the site’s numeric IP address, then connects to that address. It works like a phone book lookup before the call.

By default your router uses DNS servers assigned by your internet provider, and passes them on to every device that joins your network. Netgear’s support notes that “most ISPs supply DNS addresses automatically.” Changing the DNS setting on the router changes it for every device that gets its settings from the router, including smart TVs and other devices with no DNS option of their own.

Will changing DNS make my internet faster?

Not your download speed. Once the lookup finishes, the connection runs at the speed your plan and Wi-Fi allow, whichever DNS server answered.

Lookups can still add delay to page loading. Google’s Public DNS documentation says “DNS lookups significantly impact website loading speed,” especially on pages that pull content from many domains, and gives an example in which five lookups made up several seconds of an 11-second page load. That example is Google’s own illustration, not a measurement of any particular DNS provider. Whether a different server is quicker than your provider’s depends on where you are and which servers are closer, so if speed is your reason, test before and after rather than assuming.

For streaming, gaming and downloads, see how much internet speed you need and why Wi-Fi can be slow when your internet is fast.

Which public DNS should I choose?

Three widely used free services, with their own published details:

All three also publish IPv6 addresses. For Cloudflare’s standard service they are 2606:4700:4700::1111 and 2606:4700:4700::1001; for Google, 2001:4860:4860::8888 and 2001:4860:4860::8844.

How to choose:

• For protection from known malicious sites, use a filtering option: Quad9’s 9.9.9.9 or Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.2. Quad9 also offers 9.9.9.10 without malware blocking, which it labels “for experts only!”
• For a family network, Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.3 adds adult-content blocking.
• For no filtering at all, use Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 or Google’s 8.8.8.8.
• For privacy, read each provider’s policy in full. The summaries above are their own statements, and we have not audited them.

DNS filtering is one layer, not a security system. It only blocks domains already on the provider’s lists, and devices set to use their own DNS bypass the router’s setting. Pair it with the basics in our router hardening checklist.

How do I change DNS on my router?

Before you start, write down the DNS addresses your router uses now. Google recommends recording your current settings so you can switch back. Enter two addresses, a primary and a secondary from the same service, and don’t use the same address in both fields.

eero

1. Open the eero app and tap Settings.
2. Tap Advanced networking, then DNS.
3. Turn on Custom DNS and enter the IPv4 and, if you want, IPv6 addresses.
4. Tap Save. Eero says the network reboots to push the change to devices.

If DNS settings are grayed out, eero says to turn off eero Plus filters, Advanced Security and Ad Blocking first, under Home, Security & privacy, Network Controls.

Netgear

1. Browse to routerlogin.net and sign in.
2. Go to BASIC, then Internet.
3. Under Domain Name Server (DNS) Address, select Use These DNS Servers.
4. Enter the Primary DNS and Secondary DNS, then click Apply.

Other routers and provider gateways

Google notes that “every router uses a different user interface for configuring DNS server settings.” Look in the router’s app or admin page for DNS under Internet, WAN or advanced network settings.

Some provider gateways won’t let you change DNS. Google warns that “some ISPs hard-code their DNS servers into the equipment they provide.” If that’s your situation, set DNS on your own router placed behind the gateway, or on individual devices. Our guide to buying your own router vs. using your provider’s covers that setup.

How do I check it worked?

After the change, restart a device or reconnect it to Wi-Fi so it picks up the new settings, then:

• Visit a few sites to confirm they load. If nothing loads, recheck the addresses for typos.
• Check the device’s network details for the DNS servers it received. Some routers hand out their own address and forward lookups to your chosen servers; eero does this with some features turned on, so you may see the router’s address instead.
• If you chose a filtering service, the provider may offer a way to confirm you’re using it. Quad9, for example, links to a tool for searching blocked domains.

If something breaks, enter the addresses you wrote down, or switch the router back to getting DNS automatically.

Fact-check notes

Bottom line

Changing your router’s DNS is quick, reversible and covers every device on the network. Do it for malware or content filtering, or for a privacy policy you prefer, and pick the service by those features. Don’t do it to fix slow speeds; check your plan and Wi-Fi for that. Write down your current settings before you start.