How to Change DNS on Your Router (Every Major Brand and ISP Gateway)

Key Takeaways

• Changing DNS on your router takes about two minutes once you know where the setting lives, and it applies to every device in the house at once.
• On most routers the DNS fields sit under Internet, WAN, or Network settings. You switch the setting from Automatic to Manual, type in two addresses, and save.
• Many ISP gateways (Xfinity xFi, Spectrum Advanced WiFi, AT&T fiber gateways) do not let you change DNS at all. The fix is bridge mode or IP passthrough with your own router behind it.
• If a leak test still shows your provider after the change, the usual culprits are an IPv6 DNS field left on Automatic, a VPN app on one device, or a gateway upstream still answering DNS.

Every website visit starts with a DNS lookup, and by default that lookup goes wherever your internet provider points it. Changing DNS on the router instead of on each phone and laptop means the whole house switches together, including smart TVs, Roku and Fire TV sticks, consoles, and gadgets that have no DNS setting of their own. This guide skips the "which DNS is best" question (we cover that in our best DNS servers guide) and goes straight to finding the setting on your specific router.

What You Need Before You Start

Have two things ready: the primary and secondary addresses for the DNS service you want to use, and your router's admin login. If you never changed the admin password, it is usually printed on the sticker on the bottom or back of the router, next to the admin address. Common admin addresses are 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1, and 10.0.0.1, and many brands also accept a friendly address like routerlogin.net or tplinkwifi.net.

Before you type anything new, snap a photo of the DNS page as it is now, or jot down the existing values. If your provider gave you a static IP or a business connection, those fields may hold addresses you will want back. Two seconds now saves a support call later.

If you have not picked a DNS service yet, the Cloudflare vs Google vs OpenDNS vs Quad9 comparison covers the four most popular free options. Any of them will work with any router in this guide. If you want the service to filter content or block malware, use both addresses from that same service. Mixing a filtered primary with an unfiltered backup from another company means the filtering disappears whenever the router falls back to the secondary.

The Setting Looks the Same on Almost Every Router

Brands use different menu names, but the DNS setting itself is nearly identical everywhere. You are looking for a page that shows how the router gets its internet connection. On that page there is a DNS section set to Automatic, Get from ISP, or Use DNS from ISP. You change it to Manual, Static, or Use these DNS servers, fill in a primary and a secondary address, and click Save or Apply. Some routers reboot on their own afterward; others need a manual restart to push the new setting out to connected devices.

One thing to know: on a few routers there are two DNS sections, one under Internet or WAN settings and one under LAN or DHCP settings. The WAN one changes where the router itself sends lookups. The LAN one changes which DNS address the router hands to your devices. Either works for most people. If you only find one, use it.

If the page shows three DNS fields instead of two, fill all three. Some routers, especially ISP-issued ones, quietly drop the provider's own server into any slot you leave empty.

Where the DNS Setting Lives, Brand by Brand

Menu names shift slightly between firmware versions, so if a path above is off by a click, look for any page with the words Internet, WAN, or Connection in the title. The DNS fields are on that page or one tab over.

Netgear and Orbi

Log in at routerlogin.net (orbilogin.com for Orbi). On a Nighthawk, the Internet page under the Basic tab has a section called Domain Name Server (DNS) Address. Select Use These DNS Servers, enter the primary in the first row and the secondary in the second, and click Apply. On Orbi the same section is under Advanced, then Setup, then Internet Setup. The router applies the change without a full reboot, but connected devices may need a moment to pick it up. IPv6 DNS is on a separate page under Advanced, then Advanced Setup, then IPv6.

TP-Link Archer and Deco

On an Archer, log in at tplinkwifi.net, open the Advanced tab, then Network, then Internet. Expand Advanced Settings on that page, change DNS Address to Use the Following DNS Addresses, fill in both fields, and save. The IPv6 tab on the same Internet page has its own DNS fields. Deco systems are managed from the app: open the Deco app, tap More, then Advanced, then DNS, switch from Automatic to Manual, and enter your addresses. Older Deco models put this under Advanced, then IPv4.

ASUS

Log in at router.asus.com. In the left menu under Advanced Settings, open WAN. On the Internet Connection tab, scroll to WAN DNS Setting and set Connect to DNS Server automatically to No. Enter your DNS Server 1 and DNS Server 2, then click Apply. Newer ASUS firmware also offers a list of preset providers on the same page and a DNS-over-TLS option if you want encrypted lookups at the router level. IPv6 DNS is under the IPv6 page in the same left menu.

Linksys

Log in at myrouter.local or through the Linksys app. In the web interface open Connectivity, then the Internet Settings tab, and click Edit next to the connection type. The Static DNS 1, 2, and 3 fields appear there; fill all three with addresses from your chosen service. In the app, open Advanced Settings, then Internet Settings. Save, and give the router a minute.

eero

Everything on eero is in the app. Tap Settings, then Network Settings, then DNS. Switch from Automatic (ISP DNS) to Custom DNS, enter your primary and secondary, and save. eero applies it to the whole network right away.

Google Nest Wifi

Open the Google Home app, tap Wi-Fi, then the settings gear, then Advanced Networking. Under DNS, choose Custom and enter your addresses. Save, and the change goes out to every device on the network.

When Your ISP Gateway Will Not Let You Change DNS

This is the part most guides skip. If your provider rents you a combined modem and router (often called a gateway), there is a good chance the DNS setting is missing, grayed out, or ignored. This is common with:

• Xfinity xFi gateways (XB6, XB7, XB8). The admin page at 10.0.0.1 does not offer a DNS field, and Xfinity's own security features expect its DNS.
• Spectrum Advanced WiFi routers managed through the My Spectrum app. The app has no DNS option. Some older Spectrum-issued routers with a full web admin page do allow it.
• AT&T fiber gateways (BGW320, BGW210). The gateway hands out its own address as the DNS server and does not let you replace AT&T's servers.
• Verizon Fios gateways are the exception. Log in at 192.168.1.1, open My Network, then Network Connections, then Broadband Connection, then Settings, and set the DNS server option to Use the following, with your two addresses.

You have three ways around a locked gateway.

Put the gateway in bridge mode and use your own router. Bridge mode turns the gateway into a plain modem and lets your own router handle WiFi, DNS, and everything else. On Xfinity, bridge mode is under Gateway, then At a Glance in the admin page. On AT&T, the equivalent is IP Passthrough under Firewall settings, pointed at your router's hardware address. Spectrum can enable bridge mode on request. Once your router is behind the gateway, change DNS on the router using the steps above.

Replace the rental gateway with your own modem and router. This is the cleanest option and it ends the monthly rental fee at the same time. A standalone cable modem or DSL modem paired with any router from the table above gives you full control of DNS.

Set DNS on each device. If you cannot change the network right now, phones, laptops, and consoles can each be pointed at a different DNS server. The per-device steps are in our DNS servers guide. It works, but you have to repeat it on every device, and it does not cover Roku, Fire TV, and most smart TVs, which have no DNS setting at all.

How to Confirm the Change Worked

Restart one device, or turn its WiFi off and on, so it asks the router for fresh settings. Then open a browser and visit 1.1.1.1/help if you chose Cloudflare, or run the extended test at dnsleaktest.com for any provider. The page lists the servers handling your lookups. If you still see your provider's servers, the router change did not stick, or something else on the network is answering DNS. The next two sections walk through the causes in order of likelihood.

Why the Change Might Not Stick

Devices are still using the old setting. Any device that was connected before the change keeps the DNS it was handed until its lease renews. Toggle WiFi or reboot the device.

You changed WAN DNS but devices still point at the router. This is normal. The router takes lookups from your devices and forwards them to the DNS you set, so a leak test will show the new provider even though a laptop's own settings show the router's address.

Your router sits behind an ISP gateway that is not in bridge mode. Two routers in a row means two DHCP servers, and the gateway may still be the one answering. Bridge the gateway or use IP passthrough as described above.

A parental-control or security feature is overriding DNS. Xfinity Advanced Security, AT&T ActiveArmor, and similar ISP features route lookups through the provider's own filtering. Turn the feature off in the provider's app if you want your DNS choice to take effect.

The router forgot the setting after a firmware update or reset. A factory reset always clears custom DNS. Recheck it after any reset.

Bonus Checks If the Leak Test Still Shows Your ISP

These are the causes that trip people up after everything above looks right. They come straight from the support threads where someone did the change correctly and still saw their provider in the results.

IPv6 DNS was left on Automatic. Most routers keep IPv4 and IPv6 DNS as separate settings. If you only filled in the IPv4 fields, every device that supports IPv6 (which is nearly all of them now) keeps sending lookups to your provider over IPv6. Go back to the IPv6 page on your router and either enter your service's IPv6 addresses or turn IPv6 off if you do not need it. Cloudflare, Google, and Quad9 all publish IPv6 addresses alongside their IPv4 ones.

One device is running a VPN app. VPN clients bring their own DNS and ignore the router. If every device passes the test except one laptop or phone, look for a VPN app, a VPN browser extension, or a leftover "DNS leak protection" setting from a VPN you used to run. That is the device using something else.

Your provider intercepts DNS on the wire. A small number of ISPs redirect all plain DNS traffic to their own servers no matter what address the router asks for. If the leak test shows the provider after every other fix, this is likely the cause. The only way around it is encrypted DNS (DNS over TLS or DNS over HTTPS), which ASUS, TP-Link, and several other brands now offer on the same settings page, and which any router running open-source firmware can do.

A smart device has its own DNS baked in. Chromecast and several other Google devices are built to use Google's DNS directly and ignore whatever the router hands out. For everyday browsing this does not matter. It does matter if you changed DNS for content filtering or ad blocking and notice those devices sailing past the filter. Some routers let you block outside DNS requests in the firewall so those devices are forced through the router; otherwise, treat it as a known exception.

A previous manual DNS is still set on the device. If someone once set DNS by hand on a laptop, that setting wins over the router forever. Check the device's network settings and switch it back to Automatic so it follows the router.

Router-Level DNS vs Device-Level DNS

Router-level is the right choice for nearly everyone: one change, whole house covered, nothing to redo when someone buys a new phone. Device-level makes sense in two cases. The first is a locked ISP gateway you cannot bridge yet. The second is when one person in the house wants a different setup, such as a filtered family DNS on the kids' devices and an unfiltered one on your own. You can also combine them: set a filtered service on the router and an unfiltered one on a single laptop, since a device setting wins over the router's.

If you want to go further, our open-source router firmware guide explains how to run encrypted DNS and ad blocking for the whole network from the router itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the DNS setting on my router?

Look under Internet, WAN, Network, or Connection settings in the admin page. The DNS section is on the page that shows how the router connects to your provider. On app-managed systems like eero, Deco, and Google Nest Wifi, it is under the network or advanced settings menu in the app.

Can I change DNS on my Xfinity gateway?

Not on the gateway itself. Xfinity xFi gateways do not expose a DNS setting. Put the gateway in bridge mode and connect your own router, then change DNS on the router. Alternatively, replace the gateway with your own modem and router.

Can I change DNS on a Spectrum router?

Spectrum's app-managed Advanced WiFi routers do not offer a DNS setting. Older Spectrum-issued routers with a full web admin page usually do. If yours does not, ask Spectrum to bridge the gateway and use your own router, or buy your own modem and router.

Can I change DNS on an AT&T fiber gateway?

The BGW320 and BGW210 do not let you replace AT&T's DNS servers. Use IP Passthrough to your own router and set DNS there, or set DNS on each device.

Do I need to enter both a primary and a secondary DNS?

Enter both. The secondary is a backup the router uses if the primary does not respond. Most services publish a pair of addresses for exactly this reason. If the router shows a third field, fill that too, using an address from the same service.

Do I need to change IPv6 DNS as well?

Yes, if your router and provider use IPv6, which most do now. Leaving IPv6 DNS on Automatic sends a large share of lookups to your provider even after you change the IPv4 fields. Enter your service's IPv6 addresses or turn IPv6 off on the router.

Will changing DNS on my router make my internet faster?

It can make websites start loading a little sooner, because the lookup before each new site happens faster. It does not change your download or upload speed, which come from your plan and your modem and router hardware.

Does changing DNS on the router affect every device?

Yes, once each device reconnects. Every phone, laptop, TV, and console that gets its settings from the router will use the new DNS. A device with its own manual DNS setting, a VPN app, or built-in DNS like a Chromecast will keep using that instead.

How do I change DNS back?

Return to the same page and switch the setting back to Automatic, Get from ISP, or the equivalent. Save, and the router goes back to your provider's DNS.