Changing the DNS settings on Windows 11 is kind of straightforward—if you know where to go and what to change. Sometimes, your browsing feels sluggish, or you might hit a site that’s blocked or just doesn’t load well. Switching to a faster or more reliable DNS server can make a noticeable difference, but it’s one of those tweaks that’s easy to overlook unless you’ve been digging around in your network settings. It’s like giving your PC a new phone book—it might save you some time, and in certain cases, help you access sites that were otherwise restricted. Plus, it’s not rocket science, but yeah, Windows makes it look a tad more complicated than it really is. Here’s a walk-through with a few tips to get it done without too much fuss.
How to Change DNS on Windows 11
When you swap out your DNS, you’re basically telling your device to look up web addresses in a different server, hopefully one that’s faster or less congested. Doing this can boost browsing speeds, make streaming smoother, or help you slip past some geo-restrictions. The trick is to get into the right menu, change a couple of options, and input the new server addresses. The cool thing? Once set, all your apps and browsers start using that DNS immediately—no restart needed, usually. The downside? Windows isn’t the most intuitive about this stuff, so sometimes you’ll be clicking around for a bit to find the right spot.
How to Fix DNS Settings in Windows 11
Open the Settings menu and dig into Network controls
- Click on the Start menu, then gear up for Settings. Or press Windows key + I—that quick keyboard combo is quicker if you’re impatient.
- Head over to Network & Internet. It’s usually on the left sidebar or under the main categories. Sometimes, it feels like Windows moves things around just to keep you busy.
Select your connection type and access properties
- Pick either Wi-Fi or Ethernet, depending on what you’re actually using. Can’t tell which? Look at your connection icon. Usually, Wi-Fi is obvious, Ethernet looks like a wired connection.
- Click on it, then find Properties. That’s where all the network magic happens—kind of like the command center for your internet connection.
Edit IP assignment from automatic to manual
- Scroll down to the section called IP assignment. Hit Edit. Windows likes to default to DHCP, which auto-assigns IP and DNS—boring but necessary to change if you want custom DNS.
Switch to Manual and turn on IPv4
- In the window that pops up, toggle IPv4 from Automatic (DHCP) to Manual. On some setups, you might need to enable IPv6 too, but for most folks, IPv4 is enough.
- Make sure IPv4 is turned on. This gives you control over the DNS servers.
Input the DNS server addresses and save
- Type in your preferred DNS addresses. You know, those big names like Google’s 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 or Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1.
- Hit Save and reboot your connection if needed. Sometimes Windows acts like it forgot what you just changed; a quick toggle off/on can help.
Not sure if it’s working? Open up a browser, visit Speedtest, and see if there’s a notable bump in your download/uploads. Or, try to ping a site like Google from Command Prompt with ping google.com. That can give you a quick check if your DNS is resolving fast enough.
A few quick tips when messing with DNS
- Write down your current DNS settings before changing—Windows can be weird sometimes, and undoing it might be useful later.
- Pick reliable DNS servers—Google, Cloudflare, OpenDNS—those are pretty solid and trustworthy.
- If your internet acts funny after switching, try flushing the DNS cache with
ipconfig /flushdnsin Command Prompt. Sometimes things get stuck. - Check your connection using DNS Checker to see if your new server is propagating properly.
Quick Qs about DNS
What’s the point of changing DNS? Will it make the internet faster?
Basically, yes. Some servers respond faster than others, so swapping to a snappier one might speed things up a bit. Also handy if your default provider blocks certain sites or has weird DNS issues.
Is this safe? Won’t I mess up my internet?
As long as you stick to reputable DNS providers like Google or Cloudflare, it’s pretty safe. Just remember, if you mess up the addresses or go off the rails, you can always revert back to automatic DNS in the same menu.
Can I switch back if I don’t like it?
Yep. Just redo the same steps and set the IP assignment back to Automatic (DHCP). No harm done.
Are there alternatives to changing DNS manually?
Yes. You can also tweak your router’s DNS settings so all devices get the same setup, or use specialized VPNs with DNS features, but that’s a whole other story.
Wrap-up checklist
- Open Settings (Windows key + I)
- Go to Network & Internet
- Select your connection type
- Click Properties
- Scroll to IP assignment and click Edit
- Switch to Manual, enable IPv4
- Input new DNS addresses, save, and check if it actually helped
Wrap-up
Changing DNS in Windows 11 isn’t exactly a secret handshake, but it definitely feels like a hidden trick. Sometimes it can boost speed, sometimes it just gives you a way around restrictions. Just remember to pick your DNS providers wisely—Google and Cloudflare are usually reliable. Overall, it’s not a huge effort, but it can make an impact. If nothing else, it’s good to know how to do it in case you hit weird network issues later on.
Hopefully, this gets someone a bit faster browsing or avoids some blocked sites. Good luck experimenting with different DNS servers — the internet is kinda wild that way.