How to Change DNS Servers on Most Popular Routers

Every manufacturer's routers are different

By
Tim Fisher
Photo of Tim Fisher, Lifewire GM and Writer
Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University
Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.
lifewire's editorial guidelines
Updated on June 9, 2023

Changing the DNS server settings on a router isn't tricky, but every manufacturer uses a custom interface, meaning the process can differ depending on the router you own. Here are the steps for doing this on the most popular router brands.

See this public DNS servers list if you haven't settled on an independent DNS server provider, any of which could perform better than the one assigned by your ISP.

Making the DNS server change on your router instead of on your devices is almost always a better idea. However, you might want to see the advice on how to change the DNS server setting on a router versus a PC for a better understanding of why that is.

Change the DNS Server on Linksys

A Linksys EA8500 Router
Belkin International, Inc.

Change the DNS servers on your Linksys router from the Setup menu.

  1. Sign in to your router's web-based administration, usually at the following address:

    http://192.168.1.1

  2. Select Setup in the top menu.

  3. Select  Basic Setup in the Setup submenu.

  4. In the Static DNS 1 field, enter the primary DNS server you want to use. You need to enter at least one DNS address.

  5. In the Static DNS 2 field, enter the secondary DNS server you want to use.

  6. Leave the Static DNS 3 field blank or add a primary DNS server from another provider.

  7. Select Apply at the bottom of the screen.

Most Linksys routers don't require a restart for these DNS server changes to take effect, but if the router admin page asks you to, do it.

See this Linksys default password list if 192.168.1.1 doesn't work for you. Not all Linksys routers use this address.

Linksys makes small changes to its administration page every time the company releases a new series of routers. If the procedure above doesn't work for you, the instructions you need are in the router manual, which you can get on the Linksys Official Support website.

Change the DNS Server on a NETGEAR Router

A NETGEAR R8000 Router
NETGEAR

Change the DNS servers on your NETGEAR router from the Basic Settings or Internet menu, depending on your model.

  1. Sign in to your NETGEAR router manager page, most often by entering one of these addresses in a web browser:

    http://192.168.1.1

    or

    http://192.168.0.1

  2. NETGEAR has two primary interfaces with different ways to perform the next step: If you see Basic and Advanced tabs along the top, choose Basic, followed by the Internet option on the left. If you don't have those two tabs along the top, choose Basic Settings.

  3. Choose the Use These DNS Servers option in the Domain Name Server (DNS) Address section.

  4. In the Primary DNS field, enter the primary DNS server you want to use.

  5. In the Secondary DNS field, enter the secondary DNS server you want to use.

  6. Select Apply to save the DNS server changes you just entered.

  7. Follow any additional prompts about restarting the router. If you don't get any, your changes should now be live.

NETGEAR routers have used several default gateway addresses over the years, so if 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 doesn't work for you, find your model in this NETGEAR default password list.

While this process works with most NETGEAR routers, there may be a model or two that use a different method. Visit the NETGEAR Support site to find the PDF manual for your specific model, which contains the instructions you need.

Change the DNS Server on a D-Link Router

A D-Link DIR-890L/R Router
D-Link

Change the DNS servers on your D-Link router in the Setup menu.

  1. Sign in to your D-Link router with a web browser using this address:

    http://192.168.0.1

  2. Choose Internet on the left side of the page.

  3. Select Setup at the top of the page.

  4. Find the Dynamic IP (DHCP) Internet Connection Type section and enter the primary DNS server you want to use into the Primary DNS Address field.

  5. In the Secondary DNS Address field, enter the secondary DNS server you want to use.

  6. Choose the Save Settings button at the top of the page.

  7. The DNS server settings should have changed instantly, but you might be prompted to reboot the router to complete the changes.

While you can access most D-Link routers via 192.168.0.1, a few models use a different default. If that address doesn't work for you, see the D-Link default password list to find your specific model's default IP address and the default password for logging on.

If the process above doesn't seem to apply to you, see the D-Link Technical Support page for information on finding the product manual for your specific D-Link router.

Change the DNS Server on an Asus Router

An ASUS RT-AC3200 Router
ASUS

Change the DNS servers on your Asus router through the LAN menu.

  1. Sign in to your Asus router's admin page with this address:

    http://192.168.1.1

  2. From the menu on the left, select LAN or WAN.

  3. Choose the Internet Connection tab at the top of the page.

  4. In the WAN DNS Setting section, enter the primary DNS server you want to use in the DNS Server1 text box.

  5. Enter the secondary DNS server you want to use in the DNS Server2 text box if desired. You need to enter at least one DNS address.

  6. Save the changes with the Apply button at the bottom of the page. You may need to restart the router after applying the changes.

You should be able to access the configuration page for most Asus routers with the 192.168.1.1 address. If you never changed your sign-in information, use admin for both the username and the password.

The software on every Asus router isn't the same. If you can't get into your router's configuration page using the steps described here, find the router manual with specific instructions on the Asus support website.

Change the DNS Server on a TP-Link Router

A TP-LINK AC1200 Archer C5 Router
TP-LINK Technologies

Change the DNS servers on your TP-LINK router via the DHCP menu.

  1. Sign in to your TP-LINK router's configuration page, usually via this address: 

    http://192.168.1.1

    If that doesn't work, try this one:

    http://192.168.0.1

  2. Select Network in the left pane.

  3. Select WAN under Network.

  4. Select the Use These DNS Servers check box.

  5. Enter the DNS server you want to use.

  6. Choose the Save button at the bottom of the page to save the changes. You may not have to restart the router to apply these DNS settings, but some TP-LINK routers require it.

One of the two IP addresses used in this tutorial should work for most TP-LINK routers. If not, search for your specific model on the TP-LINK support page. Your router's manual provides the default IP you should use to connect, as well as details on the DNS-change procedure.

Change the DNS Server on a Cisco Router

A black Cisco RV110W router
Cisco

Change the DNS servers on your Cisco router from the LAN Setup menu.

  1. Sign in to your Cisco router using either of these addresses, depending on the model: 

    http://192.168.1.1

    or

    http://192.168.1.254

  2. Select Setup on the menu at the top of the page.

  3. Select the Lan Setup tab from the menu that's just below the Setup option.

  4. In the LAN 1 Static DNS 1 field, enter the primary DNS server you want to use.

  5. In the LAN 1 Static DNS 2 field, enter the secondary DNS server you want to use if desired.

    Some Cisco routers may have a LAN 1 Static DNS 3 field. You can leave it blank or enter another DNS server.

  6. Save the changes using the Save Settings button at the bottom of the page. On some Cisco routers, you may need to restart the router to apply the changes.

Having trouble with the directions? Visit Cisco's support site to find the manual for your specific Cisco router model. Some models require different steps to reach the DNS server settings, but the manual for your specific router is correct for your model.

If you can't open the router's configuration page using one of the default addresses, look through this Cisco default password list for the default IP address, along with other default login data for your Cisco router.

These steps are different for your router if you have a co-branded Cisco-Linksys router. If your router has the word Linksys on it anywhere, follow the steps at the top of this article for changing the DNS servers on a Linksys router.

Change the DNS Server on a TRENDnet Router

A TRENDnet TEW-818DRU AC1900 Router
TRENDnet

Change the DNS servers on your TRENDnet router via the Advanced menu.

  1. Sign in to your router at this address:

    http://192.168.10.1

  2. Choose Advanced at the top of the page.

  3. Select the Setup menu to the left.

  4. Select the Internet settings submenu under the Setup menu.

  5. Choose the Enable option next to Manually configure DNS.

  6. Next to the Primary DNS box, enter the primary DNS server you want to use.

  7. Use the Secondary DNS field if there is a secondary DNS server you want to use.

  8. Save the settings with the Apply button.

  9. If you're told to reboot the router, follow the instructions on the screen. Not all TRENDnet models require this.

These instructions should work for most TRENDnet routers. If these instructions don't work, go to the TRENDnet support page and look for the user guide for your model.

Change the DNS Server on a Belkin Router

A Belkin AC 1200 DB Wi-Fi Dual-Band AC+ Router
Belkin International, Inc.

Change the DNS servers on your Belkin router by opening the DNS menu.

  1. Sign in to your router through this address:

    http://192.168.2.1

  2. Select DDNS under Advanced Settings > Firewall.

  3. In the DNS Address field, enter the primary DNS server you want to use.

  4. In the Secondary DNS Address field, enter the secondary DNS server if you'd like to use one.

  5. Select Apply Changes to save the changes.

  6. You might be told to restart the router for the changes to take effect. If so, follow the on-screen prompts.

You can reach nearly all Belkin routers with 192.168.2.1, but there are exceptions where a different address is used by default. If this IP address doesn't work for you, the specific one you should use with your model can be found on the Belkin support page.

Change the DNS Server on a Buffalo Router

A black Buffalo AirStation Extreme AC1750 router
Buffalo Americas, Inc.

Change the DNS servers on your Buffalo router from the Advanced menu.

  1. Sign in to your Buffalo router at this address:

    http://192.168.11.1

  2. Select the Advanced tab at the top of the page.

  3. Choose WAN Config on the left side of the page.

  4. Next to the Primary field in the Advanced Settings section, enter the primary DNS server you want to use.

  5. Next to the Secondary field, type the secondary DNS server you want to use.

  6. Near the bottom of the page, choose Apply to save the changes.

If the administration IP address isn't working, or the other steps don't seem right for your router model, find specific instructions in your router's user manual, available from the Buffalo support page.

Change the DNS Server on a Google/Nest Wifi Router

Nest Wifi Pro 3-pack

Google

Change the DNS servers on your Google or Nest Wifi router from the Advanced networking menu.

  1. Open the Google Home app on your mobile device.

    Unlike routers from other manufacturers, you can't access Google/Nest Wifi settings from your computer using its IP address. You must use the accompanying mobile app.

  2. Select Wi-Fi from the primary screen.

  3. Choose Network settings.

  4. Select Advanced networking.

  5. Tap DNS.

    Google's DNS servers are used by default, but you have the option to change the servers to your ISP's or a custom set.

  6. Select Custom.

  7. In the Primary server text field, enter the DNS server you want to use.

  8. For Secondary server, enter an optional secondary DNS server.

  9. Select OK to save, and then press the save icon at the top of the DNS Settings page.

All the mesh points connected to one network use the same DNS servers that you choose following the steps above. You can't pick different servers for each Wi-Fi point.

If you need additional help, consult the Google Nest Help center for more information.

Was this page helpful?