How to Change DNS on Windows 11

Step 1 — Open Network settings

Press Win+I to open Settings. Click Network & internet in the left sidebar.

Click Wi-Fi if you are on a wireless connection, or Ethernet if you are using a cable.

Step 2 — Open connection properties

Click the name of your active network (e.g. your Wi-Fi network name). Then click Hardware properties.

This opens the adapter detail page where DNS, IP, and other settings live.

Step 3 — Edit DNS server assignment

Scroll down to DNS server assignment. It will show "Automatic (DHCP)" by default. Click the Edit button next to it.

Step 4 — Switch to Manual

In the dialog that appears, change the dropdown from Automatic (DHCP) to Manual. This unlocks the IPv4 and IPv6 toggles below.

Step 5 — Enter IPv4 DNS servers

Toggle IPv4 on. Two fields appear:

• Preferred DNS — enter your primary server, e.g. 1.1.1.1
• Alternate DNS — enter your secondary server, e.g. 8.8.8.8

You can optionally set DNS over HTTPS to "On (automatic template)" if the server supports it.

Step 6 — Optional: Enter IPv6 DNS servers

If your ISP supports IPv6, toggle IPv6 on and enter your addresses. For example:

• Preferred DNS — 2606:4700:4700::1111
• Alternate DNS — 2001:4860:4860::8888

Step 7 — Save and verify

Click Save. Your new DNS servers take effect immediately — no reboot needed.

To confirm it worked, open Command Prompt (Win+R, type cmd, press Enter) and run:

nslookup example.com

The "Server" line in the output should show the address of the DNS server you configured. If it still shows your old DNS or router IP, flush the cache first:

ipconfig /flushdns

Step 8 — PowerShell alternative

If you prefer the command line, open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi" -ServerAddresses ("1.1.1.1","8.8.8.8")

Replace "Wi-Fi" with your adapter name. To find it, run Get-NetAdapter and look at the Name column.

For IPv6, use a separate call:

Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi" -ServerAddresses ("2606:4700:4700::1111","2001:4860:4860::8888")

How to verify your DNS servers

Open Command Prompt and run:

nslookup example.com

Check the "Server" line at the top. It should display the IP address of the DNS server you set. The "Address" lines below show the resolved IP for example.com.

You can also run nslookup example.com 1.1.1.1 to query a specific server directly. This is useful for comparing results between resolvers.

Recommended DNS servers

Not sure which DNS servers to use? We maintain a live-tested directory of public resolvers from around the world, filtered by reliability and response time.

Browse our full directory to find the best servers for your location.

Frequently asked questions

Does changing DNS make my internet faster?

It can reduce the time it takes to resolve domain names, which makes websites start loading sooner. It does not increase your bandwidth or download speed.

Will my DNS settings survive a Windows update?

Yes. Manual DNS settings are stored per network adapter and persist through Windows updates and reboots.

How do I reset DNS back to automatic?

Go to Settings, Network & internet, click your connection, then Hardware properties. Click Edit next to DNS server assignment and switch the dropdown back to Automatic (DHCP).

What is the difference between Preferred and Alternate DNS?

Windows sends queries to the Preferred DNS server first. If it does not respond, queries fall back to the Alternate DNS. Use servers from different providers for redundancy.