What are DNS servers, why and how to change them

A DNS server is a computer or group of computers that stores information about the Domain Name System (DNS) and associated IP addresses.

Each Internet resource has an IP address - a set of numbers in the format 012.345.678.910 (there may be fewer numbers), in which information about its server (the device on which it is located) is encrypted. It is through the appeal to IP that users get to the desired page. However, as a rule, they do not know the IP address of the resource they are going to. Although knowing the IP will not be of much use: there are so many sites on the Internet that it is impossible to remember their IP addresses in order to enter them each time to access the site. For this, DNS servers are used: the user just needs to enter the address of the resource (domain, or domain name) - for example, ru.wikipedia.org, the server will find the IP that is assigned to it and display the requested page on the device. It also works by following links that users share with each other.

Each user automatically receives a DNS server from their ISP. As a rule, their capacity is enough to access the network, but sometimes there are situations when you need to replace the DNS server.

Why change the DNS server

Changing the DNS server given by the provider to another server is necessary when the user encounters the following problems:

• High load on the server - too many users access the same server, and the speed of request processing drops. As a result, waiting for a response and loading the desired site takes longer.
• Regional bans - the state at the legislative level restricts access to certain resources (social networks, sites of unwanted organizations and the media). The provider's DNS server will not provide access to blocked sites.

How to change DNS server

The procedure for changing the DNS server depends on the type of device and its operating system. We will consider action algorithms for OS Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.

Windows

1. You must right-click on the Internet icon on the bottom panel (on the right, next to the volume, time, etc.). Then left-click on "Open Network and Internet Settings" or "Network and Sharing Center" (depending on the version of Windows). In the first case, you will need to click "Network and Sharing Center" in the window that appears.
2. In the window that opens, you need to left-click on the name of the network (highlighted in blue in the right column next to the word "Connections").
3. A new window will appear in which you need to select "Properties" at the very bottom (also with the left mouse button).
4. In the properties window that opens, left-click on the "IP version 4" item and click on the "Properties" button under the list of components.
5. In a new window, you will see the IP and DNS server settings. We are interested in the second block. You need to move the checkbox to "Use the following DNS server addresses" and enter the addresses of the servers you selected. Then click "OK" and the new settings will be saved.

macOS

1. You need to go to the system settings and click on the "Network" icon.
2. In the section that opens, select the network through which you access the Internet from the list on the left - Wi-Fi or a wired connection. In the part of the window with detailed information about the network, click on the "Advanced" button.
3. In the window with additional settings, select the "DNS" tab. There will be two columns. Under the left column (DNS servers), click on the plus sign next to "IPv4 or IPv6 addresses".
4. A window will open for adding a new DNS server, in which you need to enter its addresses and save the changes by clicking "OK".

Android

Here, just like Windows, there are configuration differences depending on the OS version, so we will describe two ways to add a new DNS server.

First way:

1. Open Wi-Fi settings and long press on the name of the desired network until a pop-up window appears. In this window, select "Change Network".
2. In the options that open, click on "IP Settings" and select the "Static" option. Then, in the same parameters, scroll down the list of settings to the DNS 1 and DNS 2 items. In the corresponding boxes, enter the IP addresses of the desired DNS servers.

Second way:

1. Open the device settings and go to the "Network and Internet" section. At the bottom, find the inscription "Advanced" and click on it to expand the list of additional options.
2. Click on "Personal DNS Server". By default, "Automatic" is selected, you must change the box to "Host name of the provider of the personal DNS server" and enter its domain name (that is, the web address of the resource, not the IP). After that, you need to click on the "Save" button, and then turn the airplane mode on and off to reset the cache data (device memory).
   

iOS

1. You need to go to the Wi-Fi settings and click on the circle with the letter i next to the name of the network through which the Internet is accessed.
2. In the window that opens with network information, you need to find the DNS line and enter the IP address of the desired DNS server.

Note. In all methods of connecting a DNS server that involve entering an IP, you need to enter two addresses - primary and secondary (each server has several IPs). This is necessary in case there are some problems on the server and the first address does not work. Then the DNS server will automatically connect via the second IP. The exception is connecting on iOS, since only one address can be entered in the settings.

To connect a third-party DNS server, it is recommended to use servers from reliable and well-known companies. For example: OpenDNS, Cloudflare, Google, Yandex, etc. (a list of DNS server providers can be found on the Internet).

Conclusion

DNS servers are used to store IP addresses associated with all domains (web addresses) of websites that are registered on the Internet. It is through these servers that users access the site when they enter its domain. Each user gets their own DNS server from the ISP, but in some cases it is advisable to replace it with a different server. This is necessary to increase the speed of transition to sites or bypass regional blocking. 

You can change the DNS server in the settings of the device through which you access the Internet. In this case, it is better to use the servers of reliable corporations (all servers are suitable for any device - both PCs and laptops, as well as phones and tablets).