How to Change DNS Server in Windows 10?

While chatting at the bar, a friend suggested that you change the DNS server in use on your PC on which Windows 10 is installed, and you, being an expert in computer science, did not blink to avoid giving the wrong impression on the issue, and you replied with a smile that you agreed with the point. You were unaware of his true intentions. Once you got back home, you crashed on the Internet, hoping first of all to understand what these DNS servers are and then how to change them on your PC, and your work ended here, on this tutorial of mine.

How do you say? Things are exactly like this and would you understand if I can really help you by explaining how to change DNS Windows 10? Don’t worry. If you spend a few minutes of your precious free time I can really explain by threads and hints. Which at the time will surely seem like a difficult undertaking. How to succeed in that and of course explain what these servers really are DNS? Which ones are the best and what are they for.

Then? Do you want to finally put the talk aside and get into the heart of the matter? Yes? Great! So let’s not waste any more time and start immediately to get to work. Put yourself in front of your trusty computer and read everything below carefully. In the end you will be very happy and satisfied with what you have learned.

What are DNS

First, as you would have expected at the outset, let me clarify: what precisely are these DNS or DNS servers? They act as a sort of “intermediaries” between us and the websites we want to access, without being too specific.

Actuality, it’s because of them that, when we visit Google, for instance, we have to enter “google.co.uk” or “google.com” in the browser’s address bar rather than the search engine’s IP address. This is a lengthy string of digits (which are the reference site’s real coordinates), which is nearly hard to remember every time and impractical to type into a web search form for a “instant” result. In short, as you can see, they have their great usefulness!

DNS servers are not unique, there are so many available in the world. Changing them can be useful to reduce the response times of Internet sites thus speeding up the opening as well as to be able to access those portals for which the provider in use has possibly imposed blocks.

What are the best DNS Servers

But what are the most popular DNS servers currently on the square? The answer is soon given! There are those of Google  and those of OpenDNS . You can find them both listed below.

Google DNS server 

• Default DNS server: 8.8.8.8
• Alternative DNS server: 8.8.4.4

OpnDNS DNS server

• Default DNS server: 208.67.222.222
• Alternative DNS server: 208.67.220.220

The “Big G” ones are famous for their speed and for the fact that, being international, even the Open DNS are quite fast. And allow access to sites blocked in Italy. But are mainly exploited for their function of parental control. Through which you can prevent the display of specific categories of sites (e.g., sites for adults only, sites dedicated to betting, etc.).

However, given that, as already said a few lines up, there are many DNS servers and that in addition to those of Google and OpenDNS already mentioned there are also others that can prove very valuable, if you want a tip to find out more you can rely on Namebench . This is a free software for Windows 10 (but also usable without problems on other versions of the operating system of Microsoft as well as on Mac) responsible precisely to identify the DNS performance for the connection in use as well as for the location geographical reference.

Do you wonder how to use it? Nothing could be easier! To begin with, connect to  the program’s website  and click on the link  namebench-xxx-Windows.exe to download the program immediately to your PC.

After downloading the file, extract it, check for censorship checks. And click Start to exclude DNS servers blocking certain sites from the test.

The process begins with a search for the best servers, resulting in a recommended DNS configuration page. To change DNS servers for Windows 10 installed computers, use ad hoc programs mentioned in the guide.

Change DNS on Windows 10

Now that you have a clear idea about the nature of DNS Servants I would say we can finally get to the real core of the matter and try to figure out how to change them on the latest Microsoft home operating system: Windows 10.

To do that, you can take two different paths based on what your preferences are. You can choose to take action from the Windows settings or from the command prompt. The final result is identical in both cases.

Standard procedure

If you have chosen to change DNS on Windows 1 or from the system settings,. The first step you need to do to achieve your goal is to right-click on the network icon placed next to the clock that is in the part at the bottom right of the taskbar and select the item  Open network and sharing center from the menu you see appear.

In addition to what I have just mentioned, you can access the network connection and sharing center to change DNS on Windows 10 by clicking on the Start button (the one with the Windows flag ) that is located on the left side of the application coffin , by pressing the Settings icon (the gear- shaped one ) located on the left side of the menu and selecting the Network and Internet icon in the window you see appearing on the desktop. To speed up these steps you can also right-click on the Start button and select Network Connections from the menu that appears.

Then click on the Ethernet entry from the left sidebar, presses on Change options tab that you find on the right and right-click on the icon of the network card in use in the new window that is shown on the desktop and then select Properties from the menu that appears .

Now, regardless of the procedure previously performed, in the window that you will see appear on the screen you will have to click on the name of the connection currently in use (eg Connection to a wireless or Ethernet network ) found in the Access type: on the right and in ‘new window that will open will have to press the Properties  button  so you can access the settings of the connection.

Once this is done, find the words  Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP / IPv4) in the list under the heading  The connection uses the following elements:make sure that the relative box is selected (and if you do it), click on the button properties that are at the bottom and select the entry  Use the following DNS server addresses .

Follow these guide

Finally, type the address of the DNS servers that you want to use in the fields located next to the  Preferred DNS servers, and  Alternate DNS servers, check the box that corresponds to the words  Validate settings on exit  and click on the OK button  to save and apply the changes made. Done!

If you want to change the DNS servers set on Windows 10 again, you can change them at any time and as many times as you want by starting with the procedure I just reported.

Select the Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP / IPv4) entry, click the Properties button after selecting the connection in use in the connected system center, and then check the item Get address DNS server automatically if you have second thoughts and want to ensure that your PC running Windows 10 automatically obtains the DNS servers of the Internet provider of the reference connection or, in any case, those set in the modem / router.

Alternative procedure

If instead you prefer to change DNS on Windows 10 using  Command Prompt. First click on the magnifying glass attached to the application coffin at the bottom left. Type command prompt in the search box displayed in front of you. Then access it by right clicking on the relevant result and selecting Run as administrator from the menu that appears.

Type netshcommand.exe into the commands window that opens on the desktop, then hit the Enter key on your keyboard. Then type the command  interface ip set dns “network interface name” static [DNS server] primary  (replacing the name of the referenced network interface as the network interface name and [DNS server] the primary DNS server you want to use)  to set up the primary DNS server and press the Enter key on the keyboard.

Then type the command interface ip add dns “network interface name” [DNS server] index = 2 (replacing the name of the referenced network interface as the network interface name and [DNS server] the secondary DNS server you want to use ) to set up the secondary DNS server and press the Enter key on the keyboard again to set the secondary DNS server as well.

The changes will be applied instantly. Then close the command prompt window and you will be using the DNS server you set almost immediately. You can then start surfing the net from your Windows 10 PC.