How to Change DNS Server on Windows 11 (Step by Step)

By default, your PC uses your internet provider's DNS servers. They work, but they can be slow, unreliable during outages, and they see every site you visit. Switching to a public DNS service is one of the easiest network upgrades there is. This guide shows how to change DNS server on Windows 11, which provider to pick, and how to check it worked.

Which DNS Server Should You Use?

IPv6 equivalents: Cloudflare 2606:4700:4700::1111 and 2606:4700:4700::1001; Google 2001:4860:4860::8888 and 2001:4860:4860::8844.

Method 1: Change DNS in Settings

1. Open your connection

   Press Win + I, go to Network & internet, and select Wi-Fi (then your network's properties) or Ethernet.

2. Edit DNS server assignment

   For Wi-Fi, open Hardware properties. Next to DNS server assignment, select Edit and change Automatic (DHCP) to Manual.

3. Enter the servers

   Turn on IPv4. Enter 1.1.1.1 as Preferred DNS and 1.0.0.1 as Alternate DNS. Repeat under IPv6 with the IPv6 addresses if your connection uses IPv6.

4. Turn on encryption (optional)

   Set DNS over HTTPS to On (automatic template). Your lookups are then encrypted, so the network cannot read them. Select Save.

5. Flush the cache

   Run ipconfig /flushdns in Terminal so Windows forgets answers from the old server. See how to flush DNS.

Method 2: Control Panel (Windows 10 and 11)

Press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl and press Enter. Right-click your adapter, choose Properties, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), then Properties. Choose "Use the following DNS server addresses", enter the two addresses and select OK. This is the method for Windows 10.

Method 3: PowerShell

In Terminal as administrator, replace "Wi-Fi" with your adapter name from Get-NetAdapter:

Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi" -ServerAddresses 1.1.1.1,1.0.0.1

To go back to your ISP's DNS: Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi" -ResetServerAddresses.

Change DNS for the Whole Home

To switch every device at once, sign in to your router's admin page (its address is the Default Gateway in ipconfig) and enter the DNS servers in its WAN or DHCP settings. Phones, TVs and consoles then use them automatically.

Check That It Worked

nslookup netspeedm.com

The first lines show the server that answered, for example one.one.one.one (1.1.1.1). IP Address App shows your active DNS servers on its dashboard and includes a privacy check that verifies which DNS resolver you are really using, which is handy if a VPN or router overrides your settings.

Why Your DNS Server Matters

Every time you open a website, your PC first asks a DNS server for the site's IP address. A page with images, fonts and ads from several domains may need a dozen lookups before it finishes loading. A slow or overloaded DNS server adds a small delay to each one, and when it fails, sites stop loading entirely even though the connection is fine. Public resolvers such as Cloudflare and Google run servers in hundreds of cities, so the nearest one usually answers in a few milliseconds. Unencrypted DNS also reveals the names of every site you visit to anyone on the network, which is why the DNS over HTTPS option is worth turning on, especially on public Wi-Fi.

What Changing DNS Does and Does Not Do

• Does: speed up the first connection to sites, fix DNS errors from a flaky ISP, add encryption, and optionally block malware sites.
• Does not: increase download speed, lower game ping, or hide your IP address. For those, see network fixes or use a VPN.

Troubleshooting

• No internet after changing DNS. Check for typos, or set DNS back to Automatic (DHCP).
• Work network stops working. Company networks use internal DNS. Use Automatic on work Wi-Fi.
• Settings revert. A VPN app or management software can override DNS. Check its settings.

Changing DNS is the usual fix when Windows reports that the DNS server is not responding.

FAQ

Conclusion

Set a public DNS server in your connection's Hardware properties, turn on DNS over HTTPS, flush the cache and confirm with nslookup. It takes two minutes and makes browsing more reliable and private. For more tools, see all network apps for Windows.

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