Internet & Network / DNS

How to Change the DNS Server in Windows 11

Quick answer

Changing DNS is a configuration choice, not a first-aid button. If a website name recently broke, [flush the DNS cache](/guides/flush-dns-cache-windows) first. If names still fail while the connection is up, set DNS on that adapter in Settings → Network & internet → your Wi-Fi or Ethernet → DNS server assignment → Edit. Write down the previous setting so you can switch back. This is not how you fix [Wi-Fi that keeps disconnecting](/guides/wifi-keeps-disconnecting-windows-11).

Practical PC editorial teamUpdated November 2, 202611 min readBeginner-friendlyAbout 10 to 20 minutes

Quick diagnosis

If several of these match what you see, you are in the right guide.

You were told to "change DNS" as a test
Some names never resolve on this PC
You want a specific resolver (ISP, organization, or a public resolver you chose on purpose)
Automatic DNS works on the phone but this PC uses a stale or broken resolver

Possible causes

The router or ISP resolver is failing or filtering names
Windows is still using a remembered DNS after you moved networks
A VPN left a custom DNS behind
Someone set a DNS address that is now offline

What you need

Settings
The DNS addresses you intend to use

What this problem usually means

DNS translates a name such as example.com into an address the PC can contact. Windows normally uses whatever the router hands out (often your ISP). You change DNS on the PC when that resolver is the problem, or when you have a reason to use another. You do not change it to make Wi-Fi "faster" in general.

If the error is specifically "DNS server is not responding," start with that explanation and repair path. This page is the how-to for the setting itself.

Before you start

Prefer addresses your ISP or employer documented. Public resolvers (for example, well-known anycast DNS) are a common test; they are not magic and they change who sees your name lookups.
On a work PC, custom DNS may violate policy or break internal hostnames.
Changing DNS on Windows does not change the router for phones and TVs. Those still use the router unless you change it there too.

Quick fixes

1. Flush cache before you change servers

A flush is reversible and local. Follow flush DNS. If that restores names, you did not need a new resolver.

Step-by-step troubleshooting

Set DNS on Wi-Fi in Windows 11

Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi.
Open the connected network properties (the name of the SSID).
DNS server assignment → Edit.
Choose Manual. Turn IPv4 on. Enter the preferred and alternate DNS addresses you intend to use.
Save. Open a new browser tab to a site you were not already viewing.

Ethernet is the same idea: Network & internet → Ethernet → the adapter → DNS server assignment. Set the adapter you actually use. Setting Wi-Fi DNS does nothing while you are on a cable.

Switch back to automatic

Edit DNS again → Automatic (DHCP). That returns Windows to whatever the router provides. If automatic is broken, the router or ISP resolver needs attention, changing the PC is only a bypass.

Confirm what Windows is actually using

ipconfig /all

What this does: Lists adapters and the DNS servers Windows has for each.
Why run it: You can see whether your manual values applied, or whether a VPN adapter still owns lookups.
What you should see: The active adapter shows the DNS servers you set, or the DHCP values if you went back to automatic.
If it fails: If an unexpected adapter is "Media connected," disable a leftover VPN or Ethernet in Settings while you test Wi-Fi.

Optional: check public records

If one hostname fails everywhere, the name itself may be down. Use DNS Lookup to see whether public records exist. That tool does not change your PC's DNS setting.

Do you actually need a DNS change?

Choose an answer. The next question appears below, no account or download required.

What are you trying to fix?A site that worked yesterday suddenly will not resolveAlmost no names work; the network icon may say no internetI have specific DNS addresses I am supposed to use

Flush DNS first. Then compare a phone on the same Wi-Fi. Change Windows DNS only if this PC is the odd one out.

Follow Wi-Fi connected but no internet or DNS server not responding. A DNS change can be one test there, not the whole article.

Set them on the correct adapter as above. Keep automatic as the fallback if internal names break.

How to know the problem is fixed

ipconfig /all shows the servers you chose on the active adapter, and a name that previously failed now opens. If nothing changed, you edited Wi-Fi while using Ethernet, or a VPN is still in the way.

If the problem continues

If every resolver you try fails, DNS is not the only break, routing, firewall, or a dead WAN is more likely. Return to the connection guides. If only some sites fail, see some websites won't load rather than shopping for more DNS IPs.

When this may be hardware failure

DNS settings cannot diagnose a bad Wi-Fi card. If the adapter disappears or never joins, that is hardware or driver territory.

Common mistakes to avoid

Entering DNS addresses from a social post without a way back to automatic.
Setting DNS on the wrong adapter.
Expecting a DNS change to stop Wi-Fi disconnects or raise speed tests by itself.

Frequently asked questions

Should I change DNS on the router instead?

Yes if every device should use the same resolvers. Windows-only DNS is the right test when only this PC fails, or when you do not want to touch the router.

Is IPv6 DNS required?

Only if you turn IPv6 DNS on in the same Edit dialog. If you are unsure, set IPv4 DNS and leave IPv6 on automatic unless your network admin says otherwise.

Written by Practical PC editorial team. We write practical Windows and PC troubleshooting guides for home users, students, and office workers. Guides are researched from official documentation and widely observed support patterns, then reviewed for safety and plain language. We do not invent lab tests, certifications, or first-hand repair experience we do not have.