How to change IPv4 DNS server address to public DNS in Windows?

  • Article

Summary

Technical Level: Basic Applies to: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 & 8.1. This Wiki Article is intended to guide you "how to change DNS settings" in Windows. In the event of browsing/surfing failures, as a diagnostic step, we need these kinds of changes. 

Details Change DNS server address to public DNS in Windows 7, 8 and 8.1

**
**

  ** (1)** Right-click on network icon in the taskbar and click "Open Network and Sharing Center"

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=3f57cbec-b300-4d94-be47-c0b902ba03e9

**  (2)** Click "Change adapter settings"

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=d3f2d78c-9a6e-488e-9245-50badf1020d7** **
**

**

**(3) **Select the active/ connected network adapter, right click and select "Properties"

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=579bcc7a-6a9d-4322-977e-685ab33f440e

** (4) **Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and click properties and then select "Use the following DNS server address". (By default "obtain DNS server address automatically" is selected).  When you select "Use the following DNS server address", you can use the DNS address you want. Popular public DNS addresses are Google DNS (8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4), OpenDNS (208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220), etc.  (Here in this article we are using Google public DNS.)

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=da4c4608-aee7-46e3-9a5f-192075dd8602

After changing the DNS settings, click OK in the TCP/IP properties wizard. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Change DNS server address to public DNS in Windows Vista

**
**

  ** (1)** Right-click on network icon in the taskbar and click "Network and Sharing Center"

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=ccadd4c8-ec21-4f87-92fa-d12937bcd137

**  (2)** Click "Manage network connections"

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=f23e1675-df61-4d2d-aebb-929a1f0b6d51

**(3) **Select the active/connected network adapter, right-click and select "Properties"

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=ae2342bd-2b76-4d61-bdc7-a9ad09d0ffc2

(4) Accept user account control and click continue.

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=30517f75-8dae-42b6-b159-9f5e7b86b714

**(5) **Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and click properties and then select "Use the following DNS server address". (By default "obtain DNS server address automatically" is selected).  When you select "Use the following DNS server address", you can use the DNS address you want. Popular public DNS addresses are Google DNS (8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4), OpenDNS (208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220) etc.  (Here in this article we are using Google public DNS .)

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=9d0aa32d-b901-4345-9c00-c1253eacef1d

After changing the DNS settings, click OK in the TCP/IP properties wizard. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Change DNS server address to public DNS in Windows XP

**
**

(1) Open Start menu and click "Control Panel"

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=15a4ee01-e396-4cba-be4d-e56abaa792cf

(2) Click "Network and Internet Connections" 

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=253df53d-644d-4baf-bccf-9a16ce1c8380

(3) Click "Network Connections"

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=014f981f-6904-4f65-b1c7-6c7fb1aed32d

(4) Select the active/connected network adapter and right-click and select "Properties"

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=abb885d4-51c8-4b0f-80c7-503c31b9897d

(5) Select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" and click properties and then select "Use the following DNS server address". (By default "obtain DNS server address automatically" is selected).  When you select "Use the following DNS server address", you can use the DNS address you want. Popular public DNS addresses are Google DNS (8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4), OpenDNS (208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220) etc.  (Here in this article we are using Google public DNS.)

http://fud.community.services.support.microsoft.com/Fud/FileDownloadHandler.ashx?fid=ec8c62e3-bde8-489e-8990-5fe3f0dc6e48

After changing the DNS settings, click OK in the TCP/IP properties wizard. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS: This is just a replica of author's wiki.
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows8_1-networking/how-to-change-ipv4-dns-server-address-to-public/56548e8d-eb9c-4fc5-807c-eefca5d278d0