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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →To turn on Private DNS in Windows 11, set DNS over HTTPS (DoH) for the connected Wi-Fi or Ethernet network. Enter the resolver’s DNS addresses, choose an automatic or manual DoH template, then decide whether Windows may fall back to unencrypted DNS if HTTPS is unavailable. Changing DNS addresses alone does not encrypt DNS queries.
Set up Private DNS in Windows 11
- Open Settings > Network & internet.
- Choose the connected network. For Wi-Fi, open the connected network, or go to the known networks list and select the network you want to configure. For Ethernet, select Ethernet and then the connected network.
- Next to IP assignment, select Edit. You can leave IP assignment set to Automatic (DHCP) if you only want to change DNS. Microsoft recommends DHCP for routine IP assignment when the network supports it. Microsoft’s Windows network settings instructions.
- Enter the preferred and alternate DNS server addresses under IPv4. If your network or provider uses IPv6, configure its DNS addresses in the IPv6 section too.
- For each applicable section, find DNS over HTTPS and select On (automatic template) if Windows can use or discover the resolver’s template. If the resolver requires a specific URI, select On (manual template) and enter the URI supplied in the provider’s current official documentation.
- Choose whether to enable Fallback to plaintext, then save. Leave DoH off only if you intend to use unencrypted DNS.
Windows provides separate DNS and DoH controls for IPv4 and IPv6. Configure the address and encryption mode for each protocol your network uses; do not assume that setting one automatically configures the other.
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Choose automatic or manual DoH
| Setting | Use it when | What to enter |
|---|---|---|
| On (automatic template) | Windows can use or discover an applicable DoH template for the selected resolver. | The resolver’s DNS server address; Windows handles the applicable template. |
| On (manual template) | You need to specify the resolver’s DoH endpoint yourself. | The DNS server address and the resolver’s DoH URI template, obtained from its official documentation. |
Do not guess a URI or assume every DNS provider supports the configuration Windows needs. The Microsoft instructions cover the Windows controls, not a current ranking or verification of individual providers. Check a resolver’s documentation and privacy terms before choosing it.
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Should you turn off fallback to plaintext?
Fallback is a choice between keeping DNS resolution available during a DoH problem and refusing to send a query without encryption. With fallback enabled, Windows may send a query unencrypted if it cannot send it over HTTPS. Microsoft Support explains: “When it’s turned on, a DNS query will be sent unencrypted if it can’t be sent over HTTPS.” Microsoft Support.
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- Enable fallback if maintaining DNS resolution when DoH is unavailable matters more to you than ensuring every query uses HTTPS. A query that falls back is not encrypted in transit.
- Disable fallback if you do not want Windows to send a query over plaintext DNS. If DoH is unavailable, that query will not use the plaintext fallback and name resolution may fail.
What Private DNS does—and does not—protect
Traditional DNS generally sends queries over unencrypted UDP or TCP on port 53, where they may be observed or altered in transit. DoH carries DNS messages inside HTTPS, using TLS to protect them in transit and HTTPS certificate validation to authenticate the server. Microsoft Learn: DNS over HTTPS client support.
DoH does not make browsing anonymous or prevent the selected resolver from seeing DNS queries. Its protection applies to DNS transport, not all traffic from your device, so it is not equivalent to a VPN.
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DoH and DNSSEC are different
DoH encrypts DNS traffic between the client and resolver. DNSSEC verifies the authenticity of DNS data. They address different threats and can complement one another; Microsoft Learn states that “DNS encryption, such as DoH, and DNSSEC address different threat models and are complementary technologies.” Microsoft Learn.
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Advanced option: register a custom DoH server with PowerShell
For configurations not handled through Settings, Microsoft documents the Add-DnsClientDohServerAddress PowerShell cmdlet. It registers a server IP address and DoH URI template. Its -AutoUpgrade $True option upgrades relevant name resolutions to DoH when the server is configured on an adapter or used in a Name Resolution Policy Table (NRPT) rule. The -AllowFallbackToUdp option controls whether a failed encrypted resolution may fall back to unencrypted DNS; Microsoft documents its default as false. See the Microsoft Learn cmdlet reference for syntax and parameter details.
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Use this route only if you need custom registration and understand the adapter or NRPT configuration involved. For ordinary setup, use Settings and rely on the resolver’s current official documentation for its addresses and template.
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