How to hide your DNS? How to set up public DNS servers from Yandex, Google and other services

As you know, DNS is a service that translates the name of a site into its IP address. In turn, you need to know the address of at least one DNS server in order to use this service.

The router can receive DNS addresses from the provider, or they can be set “explicitly”. There is no third option, and once you select the method for obtaining DNS, the configuration of this option is considered completed. Let's look at the nuances that need to be taken into account when configuring DNS settings.

Router operation diagram

If the connection is configured correctly, then the router “knows” the addresses of the DNS servers. In fact, nothing else is required: computers and other devices will receive a DNS address automatically. This can be either one of the addresses that the router “knows”, or the address of the router itself.

The “DNS relay” option, if present, does not in any way affect the fact that DNS information is received. This option, one might say, speeds up the service (the router can cache frequently occurring names, nothing more). In general, whether to enable DNS relay or not is a personal matter for the user. Everything should work anyway. We will try to find out what could be the reason why the PC does not receive a DNS address from the router, and what other errors in DNS operation there may be.

DNS address received, sites do not open

Let's say the computer received a DNS address from the router. At the same time, except for the web interface, you cannot open a single site (unless you specify an address instead of a name). We will try to consider further what to do in this case.

First of all, we check that the DNS addresses have been received from the router. Right-click on the connection icon, select “Status” -> “Support” -> “Details”:

Network connection details

The PC received the router address as the DNS address

The web interface of each router has a “status” tab. It shows all the connections configured in the router and the parameters of these connections. As a rule, this tab is the starting one. Go to it and find which DNS addresses the router currently “knows”:

“Status” tab in TP-Link routers

If at least one address is present, it means the connection is configured as it should. All that remains is to check the DNS address values for correctness if they are set manually.

The following situation is possible: the DNS addresses in the router are correct, but this service does not work on the local network. If the DHCP server on the router is enabled, the situation can be considered strange. Try enabling (or, conversely, disabling) the “DNS Relay” option, if available. In general, such a router needs repair (or reinstallation of the firmware). This is 100% true. Check (usually in the local network settings) whether the DHCP server is enabled.

If on the “status” tab there is a “DNS” field, but it is empty, try setting up the connection again, specifying DNS explicitly:

“Network” tab –> “WAN”, TP-Link

That is, you need to check the box “use the specified DNS servers”, and also set the DNS address:

It is better to use DNS issued by your provider (you still need to find out their addresses)
You can use public DNS servers: 8.8.8.8 (all eights), two eights - two fours, 82.146.40.113.

It is important to know that it is better to indicate their names instead of DNS addresses (if possible). This is especially true for DNS servers provided by ISPs.

We hope everything was clear. This chapter is the most difficult, but we have covered all the information related to this topic.

The PC received an address as a DNS address that is not equal to the router address

In this case, you need to figure out what kind of DNS address this is. If it is the same as the address in the router settings, then check the value for correctness. As a last resort, reconfigure the connection in the router (by specifying DNS “explicitly”). How to specify a DNS server on the “WAN” connection tab is discussed at the end of the previous chapter.

If there is a “DNS Relay” option, try using it. Then, the DNS address on the computer will become equal to the router address (192.168.1.1). But maybe everything will work...

DNS address by computer - not received

If the PC does not receive a DNS address from the router, check the following. First, the router must have a DHCP server enabled. Secondly, the router must “know” at least one DNS address (check the connection status in the status tab). Let's look at how to solve each of these problems one by one.

Enable the DHCP server

In TP-Link routers, the DHCP server tab is available in the “Advanced Settings”:

“DHCP” tab –> “DHCP Settings”

The most important thing: the DHCP server must be enabled (“Enable”). It is not so important what the range of addresses will be. Finally, the changes must be saved (“Save”).

The DHCP server, when running, automatically issues DNS addresses. If this does not happen, it is possible that the router did not receive any DNS from the provider (we will consider this situation further).

What DNS does the router itself receive?

On the “status” tab, as discussed above, there may be a space in the “DNS” field. This means that the router has not received a single DNS address. The solution to this problem comes down to the following. In the “WAN” connection settings, you must specify DNS “explicitly”. However, we have considered such a solution.

Example of setting up a connection specifying DNS (Netgear router)

Many users strive hideIP your computer for the purpose of anonymity or to bypass blocks. Usually yours or known to the administrators of the sites you visit. Theoretically, this information is confidential, but practically nothing prevents attackers from using it for criminal purposes.

What's happenedDNS server and why hide it?

DNS (Domain Name System) is a system for obtaining domain information. Most often, it is used to determine (obtain) the IP address of a specific resource by its name. DNS converts the entered site name (for example, yandex.ru) into an IP address at which the browser opens the desired page. In fact, the site loads the IP address, not the title (URL), while the title is there only for the convenience of users. It is much easier to remember and enter “yandex.ru” than “213.180.193.3”. DNS is the mechanism that converts a human-readable URL into a computer-readable IP.

Many users make a common mistake. In the network connection settings, in addition to the IP address, the DNS server address is also indicated. The computer first accesses it, and only then the site itself. The mistake when hiding an IP address is that the user leaves his provider in the DNS settings. If an attacker can, he can easily determine the DNS, thereby determining the user's location. Therefore, using VPN to mask IP is useless without changing DNS.

HidingDNS usingVPN client

Viscosity helps you connect to your purchased VPN server and securely exchange data with it without DNS disclosure. To configure the program, do the following:

1. Download the app from here: http://www.sparklabs.com/viscosity/ and install it (in OS X you will need to drag the application icon to the “ Applications»):

2. Launch the program and go to settings.

3. On the tab " Connections» click « + " and select " Add connection»:

4. Select the file received from the VPN service after paying for the account (in this example it is “Luxemburg-tcp.ovpn”):

5. Import of connection is completed - click " OK».

6. On the “ Settings"check the boxes as in the picture (note that the box for "Accept DNS settings at the same time" is not checked):

7. On the “ tab Connections» Double-click on the name of the imported file (in OS X you can do it as in the screenshot).

UniversalDNS

There are completely free DNS servers, the most common of which are Google and OpenDNS. With their help, you can introduce yourself as a user from the United States or another country of your choice. To work with universal DNS in a Windows environment, do the following: :

1. Open " Control Panel" on the menu " Start».

2. On the tab " Network connections" or " View network status and tasks" (for Windows 7, 8) open your current connection (network or ) and click " Properties».

3. Double-click on “ Internet Protocol Version 4».

4. Check the box below “ Use the following DNS server addresses».

5. In the top line of each cell, in turn, enter: 8.8.8.8 (DNS from Google) or 208.67.222.222 (OpenDNS).

6. In the bottom line, enter: 8.8.4.4 (Google) or 208.67.220.220 (OpenDNS). These servers can be combined by entering different servers in different lines.

7. Click " OK" and close the window.

To use universal DNS on OS X, do the following::

1. At the top of your desktop, click the icon Apple».

2. Select " System Settings».

3. Click on the “ Net» and in the window that appears, click on the lock icon.

4. Select your current Internet connection (usually Ethernet or Wi-Fi) and click " Additionally…" in the lower right corner.

5. Enter everything into the DNS settings in the same way as in the case of Windows.

ChangeDNS using the program "dnsfixsetup" (Windows)

On Windows, you can do the following to resolve the issue:

1. Before connecting to VPN, set static IP addresses in your network connection settings if you are using DHCP to obtain IP automatically.

2. After connecting to the VPN, delete the DNS settings in the network connection settings.

3. After disconnecting from the VPN, return the settings back (i.e., in the network connection settings, check the boxes to automatically obtain IP and DNS).

On Windows, you can use the “dnsfixsetup.exe” program to solve the problem. After installation, the program will launch three scripts that perform the above actions automatically:

1. bat – executed when a connection is initiated, but before a connection to the VPN is established (the internal function “pre.vbs” is called). If the settings indicate automatic IP and DNS acquisition, the program will switch them to manual (static) acquisition.

2. bat – executed when a connection to the VPN is established. Calls the "up.vbs" script, which removes DNS servers from all active connections (except the TAP32 adapter).

3. bat – executed after the VPN connection is disconnected. The "down.vbs" script sets the default settings.

Another way to changeDNS manually

This solution does not switch the adapter to static settings when using DHCP. If you haven't switched to a static IP configuration and your computer updates its IP address when connected to the VPN, then your DNS settings may be overwritten. It is highly recommended to switch to a static IP configuration.

1. Launch “cmd.exe” by pressing the “Win+R” keys on your keyboard and typing “cmd” into the window that appears.

2. Before connecting, determine the name of the connected network interface by entering “ netsh interface show interface" In our case, we use “Local Area Connection”.

3. Connect to VPN. If you are already connected, proceed to the next step.

4. Clear the DNS resolution cache by entering the command " ipconfig /flushdns».

5. Disable the current DNS settings with the command “ netsh interface IPv4 set dnsserver "Local Area Connection" static 0.0.0.0 both».

6. To check the DNS (whether it remains the same or not), you can go to “https://www.dnsleaktest.com/index.html”. If your country's name is shown here, repeat all steps.

7. After disconnecting from the VPN, reconfigure the adapter according to the previous DNS configuration using the command " netsh interface IPv4 set dnsserver "Local Area Connection" dhcp».

8. Clear the DNS resolution cache again by entering the command " ipconfig /flushdns».

We have changed the DNS server settings. Now you are completely confident that no one will be able to determine your real location.

Change methodDNS servers on Android

1. You need to go to the Wi-Fi settings on your phone.

2. Select the desired connection and select “Change network” in the menu that appears.

3. Click Advanced.

This function is primarily intended to limit the access of certain user groups to certain resources. Since such a tool is not provided in Yandex.Browser, disabling it causes some difficulties for users. In fact, turning off parental controls is quite simple if you use the DNS settings.

Turning off DNS settings

Caring parents, in order to protect their child from access to certain resources, often use this method, but, as you know, the coin has two sides. Since this function works using only a list of safe sites, you may lose access to some necessary resources that are not included in this list.

Essentially, DNS servers are a kind of filters through which all search requests pass. If the site does not meet security requirements, you will not be able to access its information content.

The DNS server can operate in two different modes. In the first case, access to resources that may be infected with virus software or to sites created for the purpose of fraud is limited. They have addresses: 77.88.8.88 or 77.77.8.2. In the second, content intended for adult users is blocked. Addresses: 77.88.8.7 and 77.88.8.3.

Despite the fact that often turning on parental controls can significantly speed up logging into some resources, you may lose access to certain sites you need if the filter deems them insufficiently protected.

In order to disable this tool, you will need to change the router settings or directly specify other connection settings in Windows.

Method 1: Disabling DNS in different Windows operating systems

First of all, you need to decide which version of Windows you are using. Depending on it, the transition to network settings will differ.

For Windows 10, the procedure is as follows:

In Windows 7, you can go to the required section by following these steps:

The further description will be identical regardless of the OS version used.

Disabling DNS in the router

Parental controls can also be set using the router. In this case, it will be much more difficult to disable it, since its settings also differ depending on the device model. After reading the operating instructions for the router, you will need to disable the mode "Safe" or "Family" to restore access to all sites.

Method 2: Change search parameters

If certain browser settings were previously set on your computer, you may not only lose the ability to access this or that resource, but also stop receiving information from Yandex search results. You can disable these options as follows:

By changing the search filter type, you can once again get the information you need from search results. Don't forget to enable cookies saving mode if you don't want the changes to return to their original state after restarting the browser.

Changing the hosts file instead of working with DNS settings

If all the changes made did not bring the desired results, and you still cannot get to the required resource, you will have to make changes to the hosts file. The filters of this system file have a significantly higher priority than any others, which means that if access to sites was blocked using it, then no change in DNS will do anything.

In order to be able to edit this file, you will need to log in as an administrator, and then perform the following sequence of actions:

After completing these simple steps, you will again be able to regain access to certain content in the Yandex browser. The most difficult thing when turning off parental controls is identifying how they were previously configured, after which solving the problem only takes a few minutes.

I admit honestly - every day I like the Yandex corporation more and more. No seriously! Just the other day I got acquainted and tested them Yandex.Browser - a thing! Finish it a little, and if I were Google Chrome, I would already be wary.

Maybe it seems to me, but there are fewer Yandex.Bars online? There is no longer that frenziedly aggressive method of distributing it. Apparently someone told them that it’s better to do something useful and enjoyable for people, and these people will download and install your product themselves, without sneaking or pushing.

And Yasha decided to finish me off by opening his new service just yesterday Yandex.DNS. And he finished it off, dog!

What is Yandex.DNS, what is it for and why me I strongly advise take it into your service.

So, Yandex.DNS is an additional and very effective means of protecting you and me on the Internet from hundreds of thousands of various dangerous sites that spread viruses, and our children from “adult” sites.

The essence of the Yandex.DNS service comes down to the fact that we need to specify their DNS server in our network settings and that’s it. From now on, all our traffic will pass through their server, where filters with lists of bad and harmful sites are updated every minute, in real time. Everything ingenious is simple.

Who, if not the search giant, knows all the sites on the network and, most importantly, which of them poses a threat? Antivirus manufacturer? Don’t make me laugh - this manufacturer simply does not have a huge database of ALL sites, unlike Yandex.

Today, only Yandex is able to provide such a free service of such scale and quality.

Yandex.DNS does not interfere with the work of your antivirus at all - it helps it and helps it very well. It was not for nothing that I mentioned above about antivirus manufacturers - the fact is that the idea of using your own DNS servers was not invented by Yandex and has recently been increasingly offered in various security products (antiviruses, firewalls...).

But I repeat - their scale is not the same, the GREAT YANDEX HIMSELF is another matter! How is that…

Do you understand, I hope?

Yandex.DNS can be used in three modes...

On official website Yandex.DNS everything is described in detail for any operating system - how, what and where you need to register in order to sleep several times more peacefully.