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Changing the DNS server on a Windows PC can fix unreliable name lookups, let you use a resolver with malware blocking, or move DNS handling to a provider whose policy you prefer. Windows 11 offers the clearest Settings workflow, while Windows 10 and 11 both retain the classic adapter-properties route. PowerShell and netsh are better for repeatable changes, and Windows 11 adds built-in DNS-over-HTTPS controls for supported resolvers.
The safest approach is to record your current settings, change one adapter at a time, test several domains, and return to Automatic (DHCP) if anything stops resolving. Automatic mode receives DNS addresses from your router or access point, which is Microsoft’s recommended fallback.
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What changing DNS actually does
DNS translates a name such as example.com into the IP address needed to connect. Your router normally supplies DNS automatically through DHCP. A manual entry replaces that supplied address for the selected Windows network adapter; it does not change the router’s settings or every device on your network.
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Windows can have separate IPv4 and IPv6 DNS settings. If IPv6 remains on automatic while IPv4 is manual, some applications may still query the IPv6 resolver supplied by the router. For predictable behavior, configure both protocols when your network actively uses IPv6, or deliberately leave IPv6 unchanged and understand that it may still be preferred.
Which DNS resolver should you enter?
There is no resolver that is universally fastest or most private. Performance depends on your location, ISP path, congestion, protocol, and the provider’s infrastructure. Privacy also depends on the provider’s collection and retention policy, which can change over time. Compare candidates using latency from your own connection, security or malware-blocking behavior, published logging policy, IPv4 and IPv6 support, and DoH availability.
| Provider | Preferred IPv4 | Alternate IPv4 | Use case to consider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1 |
1.0.0.1 |
General-purpose public DNS example documented by Microsoft |
| Google Public DNS | 8.8.8.8 |
8.8.4.4 |
General-purpose public DNS example documented by Microsoft |
| Quad9 | 9.9.9.9 |
149.112.112.112 |
Public resolver commonly considered when security filtering is a priority |
These IPv4 pairs are examples cited in Microsoft’s 2020 Community Hub material; they are not a current speed ranking. The providers also publish IPv6 and encrypted-DNS setup information. Use the addresses supplied by the provider you choose, and verify that your network allows the corresponding protocol.
Method 1: Change DNS in Windows 11 Settings
This is the simplest graphical method on a current Windows 11 installation. Microsoft notes that wording can shift slightly between Windows 11 releases, but the controls remain under the active connection’s DNS server assignment.
- Open Settings and select Network & internet.
- Choose the connection you are using: Wi-Fi for a wireless link or Ethernet for a wired link. Select the connected network if Windows shows a list.
- Find DNS server assignment and select Edit.
- Change the mode from Automatic (DHCP) to Manual.
- Turn on IPv4. Enter the preferred address in Preferred DNS and the second address in Alternate DNS.
- If your network uses IPv6, turn on IPv6 and enter the provider’s IPv6 addresses in the corresponding fields. Do not paste IPv4 values into IPv6 fields.
- Save the change. If an encrypted-DNS control is shown, select the available option for the resolver rather than leaving the setting inconsistent with the addresses you entered.
Changing only the active adapter matters: a manual Wi-Fi entry does not alter a disconnected Ethernet adapter. If you move between networks, each adapter may retain its own setting. A laptop can therefore use manual DNS at home while a different profile or adapter uses DHCP elsewhere.
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Method 2: Use classic Control Panel adapter properties
The older interface works on both Windows 11 and Windows 10 and is useful when Settings does not expose a field you need. It also makes the IPv4 and IPv6 protocol entries explicit.
- Open Control Panel.
- Go to Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center, then select the link for changing adapter options. On some builds, opening Network Connections directly reaches the same list.
- Right-click the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter and choose Properties. Approve the administrator prompt if Windows asks.
- For IPv4, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), then choose Properties.
- Select Use the following DNS server addresses. Enter the preferred and alternate IPv4 addresses, then select OK.
- For IPv6, repeat the process with Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and the provider’s IPv6 addresses.
- Close the remaining dialogs and test a few websites.
To undo a manual IPv4 or IPv6 entry in this interface, select Obtain DNS server address automatically for that protocol. This is the adapter-properties equivalent of returning to router-supplied DHCP DNS.
Method 3: Set DNS with PowerShell
PowerShell is practical for scripts, provisioning, and machines where you want a repeatable command instead of several clicks. The critical value is the adapter’s interface index; using the wrong index changes another interface or produces an error.
Find the interface index
- Open PowerShell. Use an elevated window if local policy requires administrator rights for network changes.
- Run
Get-NetIPConfigurationorGet-NetIPInterface. - Identify the connected Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter and note its InterfaceIndex. Confirm the adapter is the one carrying your current connection.
Assign primary and secondary servers
Replace <index> with the number you found and substitute the addresses you selected:
Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceIndex <index> -ServerAddresses 1.1.1.1,1.0.0.1
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The cmdlet accepts an address list, so the first value is normally treated as preferred and the second as alternate. If you need different IPv4 and IPv6 behavior, inspect the adapter’s address families and configure each deliberately rather than assuming one command covers every case.
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Return PowerShell settings to DHCP defaults
To remove manually assigned resolver addresses from an interface, use the reset behavior documented for the Windows version installed on the machine:
Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceIndex <index> -ResetServerAddresses
After a reset, the adapter obtains DNS from the router or access point when DHCP is functioning. A VPN, endpoint-security product, or organizational policy can still replace those values after the reset.
Method 4: Configure DNS with netsh
netsh is useful in deployment scripts and older command-line workflows. Microsoft documents the netsh dnsclient command set for Windows 10 and Windows 11. First identify the adapter’s exact connection name; common names include Wi-Fi and Ethernet, but yours may be customized.
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Set a primary IPv4 resolver
Open Command Prompt with the privileges required by your machine’s policy and substitute your actual adapter name:
netsh dnsclient set dnsserver name="Wi-Fi" source=static address=1.1.1.1 register=primary validate=no
The quoted name must match the adapter exactly. If it contains spaces, keep the quotation marks. Replace the example address with your preferred resolver.
Add a secondary server
Add the alternate address as a second entry:
netsh dnsclient add dnsserver name="Wi-Fi" address=1.0.0.1 index=2 validate=no
Repeat the operation with the appropriate address family when configuring IPv6. IPv4 and IPv6 can require separate entries, and a command aimed at the wrong adapter name will not fix the active connection.
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Return to automatic DNS
Use the DNS-client reset command documented for your installed Windows build, or open the adapter’s IPv4 and IPv6 properties and select automatic DNS. Verify afterward because a script, VPN, or management policy may immediately reapply a static value.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Method 5: Enable DNS over HTTPS in Windows 11
DNS-over-HTTPS encrypts DNS queries between Windows and a supported resolver. It protects the query from ordinary network observers, but it does not conceal the rest of your traffic from the websites, apps, ISP, VPN, or other services that can see it. DoH also does not make an unsuitable resolver trustworthy.
Microsoft’s consumer network-settings documentation provides built-in DoH controls in Windows 11 when the Windows build and resolver are supported. Recognized examples include Cloudflare, Google, and Quad9. The same documentation explicitly says the DNS-over-HTTPS setting is not available in Windows 10.
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- Open Settings > Network & internet and select the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection.
- Open DNS server assignment > Edit.
- Choose Manual, enable IPv4 and/or IPv6, and enter addresses belonging to a supported provider.
- Use the encrypted-DNS option shown beside or below the DNS fields. Depending on the Windows release, the label may offer an automatic provider template or a manual template.
- Save, then reconnect or test DNS if Windows does not apply the change immediately.
If the encrypted option is missing, check that you are running Windows 11, that the resolver is recognized, and that the build is current enough to expose the control. Do not assume that manually entering a resolver address encrypted the connection; encryption must be enabled explicitly.
How to verify the change
Verification catches the most common mistake: changing an inactive adapter instead of the one carrying traffic.
- In Settings or adapter properties, confirm that the selected adapter displays the new DNS addresses.
- Open Command Prompt and run
ipconfig /all. Find the active adapter and read its DNS Servers lines. - Run
nslookup example.comand check which server answers. Test more than one domain, because a single cached or reachable domain can hide a broader failure. - Open several sites or apps that use different domains. A successful lookup does not guarantee that every service is reachable.
Windows and applications may cache answers. If the old server appears briefly after a change, disconnect and reconnect the adapter, restart the relevant application, or clear the DNS client cache with ipconfig /flushdns, then test again.
Fixes when browsing stops working
- Restore DHCP first: Set DNS back to Automatic (DHCP) in Settings, select automatic DNS in adapter properties, or use the PowerShell reset command. This restores the router or access point’s supplied addresses.
- Check both protocols: A broken IPv6 entry can coexist with a working IPv4 entry. Correct or restore IPv6 as well as IPv4.
- Check for overrides: VPN software, security products, browser-specific secure-DNS settings, and company management policies can replace Windows’ adapter values.
- Check the address pair: A typo, an IPv4 address entered in an IPv6 field, or a secondary address from a different provider can cause intermittent failures.
- Test the network itself: If the router has lost Internet access, changing DNS will not repair the underlying connection. Confirm that another device can reach the network and that the router is online.
- Undo scripts: If a scheduled task or configuration script keeps restoring the old resolver, disable that source before trying another manual change.
How to choose between automatic and manual DNS
Keep Automatic (DHCP) when
- Your ISP or organization requires its own resolver for internal names, filtering, or authentication.
- You frequently change networks and do not want to maintain separate manual settings.
- You need the simplest rollback and the router’s DNS is reliable.
Use a manual resolver when
- You have a specific reliability, filtering, or policy reason and have checked that the provider supports your connection.
- You want consistent DNS across several adapters on a managed PC.
- You need Windows 11’s built-in DoH control with a recognized provider.
Measure from the location where the PC is used instead of relying on a universal “fastest” claim. A resolver that responds quickly in one city or ISP network can be slower elsewhere, and a provider’s privacy or blocking policy may matter more than a small latency difference.
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