How to change DNS settings on your PC running Windows 10

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Yes, you can change the Windows 10 DNS settings for more private and reliable services, and in this guide, I'll show you how.

Windows 10 change DNS addresses
Windows 10 change DNS addresses (Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
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As part of your internet plan, the Internet Service Provider (ISP) also provides the local network with the necessary settings, including the Domain Name System (DNS) addresses, which allows you to access your favorite websites and online services and download files.

The only caveat is that the ISP's DNS servers are usually not very private, are slower than other services, and are sometimes unreliable. However, you can always use different resolvers from third-party companies to improve your internet experience on Windows 10.

What's DNS?

A Domain Name System is an internet service (usually at no cost to you) that allows you to type a friendly domain name in the web browser's address bar to load a website. And without it, it'd be a nightmare to surf the web.

The issue is that every device requires an IP address (for example, 104.18.189.55) to communicate with other devices. However, these addresses are not easy for humans to remember, and DNS servers are the ones that provide the mechanism to translate friendly domain names (for example, WindowsCentral.com) into an IP address that computers can understand.

Although you can type "https://windowscentral.com" to get to this website, in the background, the browser first sends a request to the DNS servers to resolve the IP address from the website name. Only when the address is found does the browser connect to the site and download the page's contents.

Usually, you won't notice this process because it's automatic, and everything happens quickly (in milliseconds). However, if your resolvers are unreliable, they slow down your internet, or you want to use faster and more private servers, Windows 10 allows you to change these settings using Control Panel, Command Prompt, and Settings app.

In this how-to guide, I'll walk you through the steps to change the DNS settings on Windows 10.

How to change DNS settings using Control Panel on Windows 11

To change the DNS settings with Control Panel, use these steps:

  1. Open Control Panel.
  2. Click on Network and Internet.
  3. Click on Network and Sharing Center.
  4. Click the "Change adapter settings" option in the left pane.

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
  1. Right-click the active network interface and select the Properties option.

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
  • Quick tip: You'll know which adapter is connected to the network because it won't have a "Disabled" or "Network cable unplugged" label.
  1. Select and check the "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" option.

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
  1. Click the Properties button.
  2. Select the "Use the following DNS server addresses" option.
  • Quick note: When you select the option to specify the DNS settings manually, the computer will continue to receive the TCP/IP address from the DHCP server (router).
  1. Confirm the primary DNS address under the "Preferred DNS server" section. If you want to use Cloudflare, Google Public DNS, or Cisco OpenDNS, you can use these settings:
  • Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1
  • Google Public DNS: 8.8.8.8
  • OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
  1. Confirm the secondary DNS address the system will use if the primary is not reachable under the "Alternate DNS server" section. You can use one of the secondary addresses from these companies:
  • Cloudflare: 1.0.0.1
  • Google Public DNS: 8.8.4.4
  • OpenDNS: 208.67.220.220
  1. (Optional) Click the Advanced button.
  2. Click the DNS tab.
  3. Click the Add button.
  4. Specify additional alternate DNS server addresses.

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
  1. Click the Add button.
  • Quick tip: In addition to adding more addresses, you can edit and remove resolvers, and you have an option on the side to change their priority.
  1. Click the OK button.
  2. Click the Close button.

Once you complete the steps, the computer will immediately start using the specified DNS settings.

How to change DNS settings using Settings on Windows 10

To change the DNS addresses through the Settings app, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on Network & Internet.
  3. Click on Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
  4. Select the connection that connects Windows 10 to the network.

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
  1. Click the Edit button under the "IP settings" section

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
  1. Use the "Edit IP settings" drop-down menu and select the Manual option.
  2. Turn on the IPv4 toggle switch.
  3. Confirm the primary DNS address under the "Preferred DNS server" section. To use Cloudflare, Google Public DNS, or Cisco OpenDNS, use these settings:
  • Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1
  • Google Public DNS: 8.8.8.8
  • OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222

(Image credit: Mauro Huculak)
  1. Confirm the secondary DNS address under the "Alternate DNS server" section. You can use one of the secondary addresses from these companies:
  • Cloudflare: 1.0.0.1
  • Google Public DNS: 8.8.4.4
  • OpenDNS: 208.67.220.220
  1. Click the Save button.
  2. Restart the device.

After you complete the steps, you should now be able to connect to the internet using the new resolvers. The restart may be necessary to regain an IP address configuration for the device.

Although the Settings app should be the recommended option to change the DNS settings on your computer, I"m not listing this option first because it can be confusing for some people.

How to change DNS settings using Command Prompt on Windows 10

Alternatively, it's also possible to change the DNS configuration using Command Prompt on Windows 10.

To use Command Prompt to change the computer's DNS settings, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
  3. Type the following command to launch the tool to change the networking settings and press Enter: netsh
  4. Type the following command to identify the names of the network adapters and press Enter: interface show interface
  5. Type the following command to set the primary DNS IP address and press Enter: interface ip set dns name="ADAPTER-NAME" source="static" address="X.X.X.X"

In the command, change "ADAPTER-NAME" with the name of the network adapter you identified in step 4, and change "X.X.X.X" with the IP address you want to use. To use Cloudflare, Google Public DNS, or Cisco OpenDNS, you can use these settings: 

  • Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
  • Google Public DNS: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
  • OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220

This example sets the primary DNS address to 1.1.1.1: interface ip set dns name="Ethernet1" source="static" address="1.1.1.1"

(Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Type the following command to add an alternative DNS IP address and press Enter: interface ip add dns name="ADAPTER-NAME" addr="X.X.X.X" index=2

In the command, change "ADAPTER-NAME" with the name of the network adapter you queried in step 4, and change "X.X.X.X" with the secondary address. This example sets the secondary DNS address to 1.0.0.1: interface ip add dns name="Ethernet1" addr="1.0.0.1" index=2

  • Quick tip: You can repeat the above steps to add more addresses if necessary. However, in the command, you must increase the number of the index option by "1." For instance, interface ip add dns name="Ethernet1" addr="8.8.8.8" index=3

Once you complete the steps, Windows 10 will start using the new DNS server addresses to resolve domain names to numeric addresses that your device can understand.

More resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:

Mauro Huculak
Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.