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June 13, 2023

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Configure your network settings to use Google Public DNS

How to Configure Network Settings for Google Public DNS

In case you have faced delays when trying to access certain sites despite having a really great internet connection, the thing that causes such delays is not the speed but rather the speed of how your computer converts the website address into the IP address necessary to access the site.

This is where DNS comes into play, and this is why so many people end up thinking about switching from the default DNS to the Google Public DNS. This is a rather simple process, and here we are going to describe the steps to change DNS on various platforms.

What Google Public DNS Does?

Whenever you type in the address of a website on your browser, your device will have to ask for the physical location of that website through the DNS server. In most cases, it is done automatically for you by the ISP, although the DNS servers do not work fast or efficiently at all times.

Google Public DNS is the DNS server provided by Google for free to any person, quick response to DNS queries from servers located in various parts of the world. Why do people prefer to change their DNS provider? Some of them need an anonymous DNS provider which does not collect their browsing history to serve targeted advertisements.

Others have some problems with connection to their DNS server which times out frequently, while some need just consistent work. None of them is related to technical background, you are changing

Details of the Addresses that You Need for DNS

It is always good if you have knowledge of these numbers before making any changes. The DNS addresses given by Google are:

IPv4: 8.8.8.8 & 8.8.4.4
IPv6: 2001:4860:4860::8888 & 2001:4860:4860::8844

You will need to use both of the above addresses in case you have an IPv6 connection; else IPv4 will be enough in other cases.

Helpful Tip before You Change Your DNS

It is always best if you made a record of your current DNS settings before making any changes because you may want to revert to these settings at a later date. DNS settings should be available from the page where you will have to change the DNS settings. The important point is that changing the DNS settings in one device will not change the DNS settings in all other devices.

Setting It Up on Windows

Go to the settings section of the network, and go through the properties of the network that you are currently using, whether it is wireless or wired.
Look down the options and see the options relating to the IP addresses, and make sure that they have been chosen manually and not auto-selected.
You will also have to choose IPv4, and you can put 8.8.8.8 as the primary DNS and 8.8.4.4 as the secondary.
In order to make the IPv6 work, you have to provide IPv6 addresses as well. Do not forget to save the settings. It is generally done automatically, but we advise you to restart your browser.

Setting It Up on macOS

On a Mac PC, you will find the DNS settings in the Network option of the System Preferences.
Select the active network and then click on Details, and there select the DNS tab. You will be able to find a little plus sign and through that you will be able to enter the IP addresses of your server. First enter 8.8.8.8 and then 8.8.4.4 right below it.

How to Setup on Router

If DNS configuration is done at the router level, then all devices connected to Wi-Fi will use Google DNS by default without the need to do any individual configuration of the device itself.

The procedure varies greatly depending on the router, but, in general, logging in to the router's control panel using the browser, finding the appropriate tab where the router WAN or Internet settings are specified, and looking for the DNS setting should be performed.

There may be separate fields for primary and secondary DNS; there may be a field where you enter two DNS addresses divided by a comma. The interfaces of the router are different, so it's good to read the documentation for your particular router.

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Configuring on Mobile Phones

For an Android device, the DNS settings are usually located under the WiFi settings for particular networks, with “Private DNS” being used in more recent Android OSes, where you can enter the hostname of Google’s DNS rather than its IP address numbers.

For iPhones, you will need to navigate to the WiFi settings and click on the active network; then select “Configure DNS” and switch it to Manual, after which you can add the addresses.

Mobile data cannot be configured to use other DNS servers because it is handled not by the phone but by the mobile carrier company.

Does It Make My Internet Connection Faster?

Although Google Public DNS may contribute to making the DNS query faster if there is any problem with your ISP's DNS servers, which are slow or overloaded, DNS is not the critical element that will affect your browsing experience. Your Internet speed and connectivity, along with performance of the website server itself, are very important factors that influence the whole process. The change of DNS provider will solve one of the possible bottlenecks, but not much more than that.

This is not the only DNS alternative either. Cloudflare and OpenDNS are some examples that

people can compare to, each of which has its pros and cons with respect to speed, privacy, and other functions such as content filtering.

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Conclusion

Setting up Google Public DNS is a quick and easy process that does not require much time even on non-computer devices. It does not require much effort to perform the procedure but the results still need to be verified later on rather than just trusting everything is okay. And one thing should be mentioned: DNS is just one of the factors that affect Internet speed.

FAQs

1. Is Google Public DNS free of charge?

Yes, it is a completely free service accessible by anyone without registration or login.

2. Should I change DNS on each device individually?

Only if you are changing settings on each computer manually. Changing DNS on the router's level makes changes for all devices automatically connected to this network.

3. Is it possible to go back to my original DNS setting after some time?

Yes, just return to the same settings window and turn the option "automatic" back on or enter your provider's DNS address that you might have noted before.

4. Will the use of Google Public DNS increase my privacy?

It may help not to use your ISP's DNS services and logs; however, there is still the privacy policy of Google DNS concerning query logs handling that should be considered.

5. Why did my Internet connection fail after I changed DNS?

This may happen if you are using DNS blocked on your network, such as in some corporate or educational institutions Wi-Fi networks.

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