Skip to main content

Changing DNS Setting on Windows

Updated over a year ago

How to change the DNS server settings on a Windows PC.

Example: Changing DNS server settings on Microsoft Windows 7

  • Go the Control Panel.

  • Click Network and Sharing Center (as below):

Then click Change adapter settings as per below screenshot:

Select the connection for which you want to configure Google Public DNS. For example:

  • To change the settings for an Ethernet connection, right-click Local Area Connection, and click Properties (highlighted by the red arrow below).

  • To change the settings for a wireless connection, right-click Wireless Network Connection, and click Properties (highlighted by the black arrow below).

If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

  • Select the Networking tab. Under This connection uses the following items, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then click Properties as marked with arrows below:

Click Advanced as below:

  • Then select the DNS tab. If there are any DNS server IP addresses listed there, write them down for future reference, and remove them from this window.

  • Select Use the following DNS server addresses. If there are any IP addresses listed in the Preferred DNS server or Alternate DNS server, write them down for future reference.

  • Add those addresses with the IP addresses of the Google DNS servers:

o For IPv4: 8.8.8.8 and/or 8.8.4.4 as below:

Restart the connection you selected in by right clicking the LAN or Wireless connection and selecting Disable then right click again to Enable as below:

To Test that the Google DNS Resolver is Working:

  • Step 1 - From your browser, type in a hostname (such as http://www.google.com/ ). If it resolves correctly, bookmark the page, and try accessing the page from the bookmark. If both of these tests work, everything is working correctly. If not, go to step 2 below:

  • Step 2 - From your browser, type in a fixed IP address. You can use http://18.62.0.96/ (which points to the websitehttp://www.eecs.mit.edu/ ) as the URL.* If this works correctly, bookmark the page, and try accessing the page from the bookmark. If these tests work (but step 1 fails), then there is a problem with your DNS configuration; check the steps above to make sure you have configured everything correctly. If these tests do not work, go to step 3 below:

  • Step 3 - Roll back the DNS changes you made and run the tests again. If the tests still do not work, then there is a problem with your network settings; contact your ISP or network administrator for assistance.

  • Repeat the procedure for additional network connections you want to change.

Did this answer your question?