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The quickest way to find your configured DNS server depends on your device: run ipconfig /all on Windows, open System Settings → Network → your connection → Details → DNS on macOS, run resolvectl status on Linux, check Private DNS on Android, or open Wi-Fi → Info → Configure DNS on an iPhone or iPad.
However, the address shown may be your router, a local DNS proxy, a VPN, or an operating-system stub—not the public resolver that ultimately handles your queries. The instructions below show how to identify both.
What does “my DNS server” mean?
DNS, or the Domain Name System, translates names such as example.com into IP addresses that devices can connect to. Most devices receive DNS settings automatically from the network, commonly through the router’s DHCP service. The configured resolver might belong to your ISP, a public DNS provider, your employer or school, a VPN, a filtering service, or your local router. Google explains the usual DHCP-based arrangement.
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- Which DNS server is configured on my device? Use the platform instructions below.
- Which resolver actually receives my query? Check for a router, VPN, browser Secure DNS, Android Private DNS, or local proxy that may override the ordinary setting.
- Which servers are authoritative for a domain? These control a domain’s DNS records. They are not necessarily the resolver your device uses. To list them, run
dig NS example.com.
Find your DNS server on Windows 10 or 11
Using Settings
- Open Settings.
- Select Network & internet.
- Choose Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
- Open the active connection.
- Find DNS server assignment and select Edit if needed.
This shows whether Windows is receiving DNS automatically or using manually entered IPv4 and IPv6 servers. Labels can vary slightly between Windows releases.
Using Command Prompt
- Open Command Prompt.
- Run:
ipconfig /allFind the active adapter, usually Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter Ethernet. Read the entries labelled DNS Servers. Ignore disconnected or virtual adapters unless you are specifically checking a VPN or virtual machine. Microsoft documents that /all displays full TCP/IP configuration, including DNS settings, for every adapter: ipconfig documentation.
Test the resolver Windows is using
nslookup example.comWith no server specified, nslookup uses the default DNS server configured for the system or interface. The first lines normally identify it. Microsoft documents this behavior.
These commands explicitly test selected resolvers instead:
nslookup example.com 1.1.1.1
nslookup example.com 8.8.8.8They do not reveal your normal DNS server; they tell nslookup to ask the named address.
For an optional PowerShell view, run:
Get-DnsClientServerAddressFocus on the active interface and its ServerAddresses values.
If Windows shows stale settings
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns/renew requests fresh DHCP configuration. /flushdns clears the local DNS cache; it does not change the configured DNS server. If a VPN is installed, compare the output with the VPN connected and disconnected.
Find your DNS server on macOS
Using System Settings
- Open the Apple menu.
- Select System Settings.
- Choose Network.
- Select the active service, such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
- Click Details, then select DNS.
This is Apple’s current path; see Apple’s DNS settings guide.
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Using Terminal
scutil --dns
networksetup -getdnsservers Wi-FiThe first command shows macOS resolver information. The second checks the named network service. If it reports that no DNS servers are set, DNS may be supplied automatically by DHCP. Check the active service rather than assuming the first result is relevant: Macs can have Wi-Fi, Ethernet, VPN, and virtual interfaces at the same time.
Find your DNS server on Linux
Systems using systemd-resolved
resolvectl statusThis shows global and per-link DNS settings. To inspect one interface, use its actual name, such as wlp2s0 or enp3s0:
resolvectl status wlp2s0The resolvectl documentation explains the global and per-interface output.
Checking /etc/resolv.conf
cat /etc/resolv.confLook for lines such as:
nameserver 192.168.1.1
nameserver 1.1.1.1Do not assume this file always contains the upstream resolver. On many systems it is generated or symbolically linked and may point to a local stub.
If you see 127.0.0.53, that commonly indicates the local systemd-resolved stub listener. Run resolvectl status to find the actual DNS servers assigned to the relevant link.
Systems using NetworkManager
nmcli device show | grep -i DNS
nmcli connection show
nmcli connection show "connection-name" | grep -i dnsOutput varies by distribution and connection profile.
Test DNS on Linux
nslookup example.com
dig example.com
dig @1.1.1.1 example.comThe first two use the system’s normal resolver path. The last explicitly queries Cloudflare’s resolver.
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- Open Settings.
- Go to Network & internet → Private DNS.
- If you cannot find it, search Settings for Private DNS.
- Review whether it is Off, Automatic, or set to a Private DNS provider hostname.
Android manufacturers and versions use different menus. Google’s Android guidance recommends searching for Private DNS when necessary.
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A provider hostname identifies an encrypted-DNS endpoint, not necessarily a numeric DNS-server address. Automatic does not identify one public provider; it means Android follows the network and device configuration.
Some phones also expose Wi-Fi-specific DNS controls under Settings → Network & internet → Internet, followed by the connected network and its edit or advanced settings. A VPN or DNS-filtering app may override ordinary Wi-Fi DNS.
Private DNS protects DNS questions and answers; it does not encrypt all traffic from the device.
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Find your DNS server on an iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings.
- Tap Wi-Fi.
- Tap the information button beside the connected network.
- Scroll to Configure DNS.
- Review whether it is Automatic or Manual.
Manual displays the IPv4 or IPv6 DNS addresses entered for that network. Automatic means the Wi-Fi network supplies the settings. To restore the network-provided configuration, select Automatic. This setting applies to the selected Wi-Fi network—not other saved networks or cellular data. See Google’s iOS DNS instructions.
A VPN, DNS profile, or iCloud Private Relay can make the Wi-Fi list an incomplete picture of the resolver used by particular traffic.
Find DNS settings on ChromeOS
- Open the network menu.
- Open settings for the connected Wi-Fi or Ethernet network.
- Inspect its DNS or name-server setting.
- Check Chrome’s Secure DNS setting separately if browser behavior differs from other applications.
ChromeOS menus change, and managed Chromebooks may have settings controlled by an administrator.
Find the DNS server used by your router
Sign in to your router’s administration page and inspect sections named Internet, WAN, DHCP, LAN, DNS, Name server, or Advanced network. The exact interface depends on the manufacturer; Google’s router guidance notes that these procedures vary.
Check both IPv4 and IPv6 settings. A router may receive DNS servers automatically from the ISP, use manually entered servers, provide filtering, or forward requests through another service.
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Why your device may show 192.168.1.1
A home router often advertises its own private LAN address as the DNS server through DHCP. Your device might therefore show:
192.168.1.1The router then forwards queries to an upstream ISP resolver, public resolver, or filtering service. The address shown is still the immediate DNS server your device was configured to contact, but it does not identify the upstream company.
Private addresses such as 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, and 172.16.x.x–172.31.x.x commonly indicate a router, enterprise resolver, or local proxy rather than a public DNS provider.
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How to verify which resolver is actually being used
Start with the platform’s configuration view, then test it:
- Windows:
nslookup example.com - macOS/Linux:
dig example.comornslookup example.com - Local router or proxy: query its address directly, for example
dig @192.168.1.1 example.comornslookup example.com 192.168.1.1 - Specific comparison: use
dig @1.1.1.1 example.comornslookup example.com 1.1.1.1
An explicit-server test proves that the selected server can answer; it does not prove that normal applications use it.
Check browser and VPN overrides
Browsers may use DNS-over-HTTPS through a Secure DNS setting, independently of the operating system. A VPN may add a virtual adapter, push its own DNS servers, route DNS through its tunnel, or block local DNS. Compare results with the VPN connected and disconnected only as a controlled troubleshooting step; disconnecting it may reduce your privacy.
Provider-specific diagnostic pages can reveal how a query appears to a particular service. For example, Cloudflare documents diagnostic DNS endpoints. Such tests can be affected by VPNs, proxies, browser DNS, caching, and IPv4-versus-IPv6 routing, so they are not universal detectors.
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- Confirm that you are inspecting the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet interface.
- Check whether a VPN, DNS-filtering app, browser Secure DNS, private-DNS feature, or DNS profile is active.
- Check both IPv4 and IPv6 DNS settings.
- Reconnect to the network or renew its DHCP lease.
- On Windows, run
ipconfig /renewand, if needed,ipconfig /flushdns. - Inspect the router’s WAN, DHCP, and DNS settings.
- Record the existing addresses before changing anything.
- If the setting is enforced by a workplace, school, parental-control system, or device-management profile, contact the administrator rather than repeatedly overriding it.
DNS success does not prove that a website itself is reachable. Routing, HTTPS, firewalls, proxies, VPNs, captive portals, and the destination server can still cause a failure.
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Should you change your DNS server?
Finding your DNS server does not mean you should replace it. Changing DNS can help test an unreliable resolver, use filtering, or troubleshoot incorrect answers. It may also disrupt local corporate or home-network names, bypass safety controls, interfere with captive portals, or leave IPv6 using a different resolver.
Changing providers is not a guaranteed speed upgrade and does not make all internet traffic private. It changes who handles DNS queries; it does not automatically hide browsing from every network operator or encrypt ordinary web traffic. If you do change a setting, save the original values first and restore Automatic when troubleshooting is complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my DNS server show 192.168.1.1?
That is usually your home router or a local DNS forwarder. Check the router’s WAN, Internet, DHCP, or DNS settings to find the upstream resolver.
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It commonly indicates the local systemd-resolved stub listener. Run resolvectl status to see the actual per-interface DNS servers.
Is a DNS server the same as my IP address?
No. Your device IP identifies the device on a network. A DNS server answers name-resolution requests and may have a completely different address.
Does a VPN change my DNS?
Often. A VPN can install a virtual adapter, provide its own resolver, or route DNS through the tunnel. Check DNS with the VPN both enabled and disabled.
Why does my phone not show a numeric DNS address?
Android Private DNS may show a mode or provider hostname instead of an IP address. On iPhone and iPad, DNS addresses appear when Configure DNS is set to Manual for the selected Wi-Fi network.
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Why are two or more DNS servers listed?
Networks commonly provide multiple IPv4 or IPv6 servers. Resolver implementations decide how to use them; the second address is not necessarily contacted only after the first completely fails.
Can a website tell me my DNS server?
A diagnostic service may identify the public resolver that appears to receive a query, but VPNs, forwarding, browser Secure DNS, caching, and IPv4 or IPv6 routing can affect the result.
Why does DNS work on one device but not another?
The devices may use different interfaces, VPNs, private-DNS settings, browser resolvers, IPv6 settings, or cached results. Compare their active network and resolver configuration.
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