What is Google DNS and how can we configure it?

In this post we are going to talk about the domain name resolution service (DNS) offered by Google. Something that has been described many times as a kind of "Internet telephone directory". Let's see What is Google DNS? and what are its advantages.

The DNS (Domain Name System) is a fundamental element for the use of the Internet as we all know it. Thanks to this hierarchical nomenclature system, the Human-readable domain names (such as www.google.com) are converted into IP addresses, which browsers use to load websites.

The domain names, such as "tecnobits.com" are used because they are easy for the human brain to remember. However, they are of no use when it comes to running connection protocols on the Internet. That is where DNS plays its role as a "translator"When you type a domain name into the browser bar, the DNS associates this request with the information stored about the domain you wish to access.

This system of domain names makes using the Internet much easier and smoother, although that is something that users do not always know how to value. When you think about it, it would be crazy to have to memorise all the IPs of the websites we visit, right? Another of its advantages, for example, is that, even if a website changes IP, we can visit it as usual just by using the same domain.

Most home users use the DNS server provided by their Internet service provider. However, there are those who prefer to use their own. alternative systems for different reasons. Google DNS is one of them.

Advantages of using Google DNS

Why should we replace the default DNS server with that of other companies, for example Google? In reality, the basic service that these different options can give us is the same. The difference lies in the additional advantages that they can offer us.

The advantages of using Google DNS are basically three:

• Reliability: Always available, with minimal downtime.
• Security: Helps prevent certain external attacks such as cache poisoning.
• Speed: Significantly improves response time when accessing websites.

In addition, it should be noted that through Google DNS the user can establish parental controls to filter the content that minors can access or also bypass certain access restrictions imposed by operators.

How to configure Google DNS

Changing the DNS server from our Internet provider to Google's is relatively simple. The steps to follow may vary depending on the device where we want to make the change. On the other hand, there is the possibility of execute the change from the router itself, which will also change on all devices that are connected to it.

Set up Google DNS in Windows 11

These are the steps to follow (internet protocol) IPv4):

1. 1. First, you need to go to the Start menu and select Configuration.
   2. Then we'll «Networks and the Internet».
   3. There we selected «Adapter Properties».
   4. In the section of «Network settings», we select our connection (WiFi or Ethernet).
   5. Next, we click on «Connection Properties» and, in the section of "IP Configuration", we selected "Edit".
   6. At this point we can configure the DNS manually by changing from Automatic (DHCP) to Manual.
   7. We activate the IPv4 option and enter the following Google DNS addresses:
      • Preferred Server (Primary DNS): 8.8.8.8
      • Alternate Server (Secondary DNS): 8.8.4.4

Finally, we save the configuration and restart the network connection so that the changes take effect. In case we are using IPv6, these are the Google DNS that we need to add:

• Primary DNS: 2001:4860:4860::8888
• Secondary DNS: 2001:4860:4860::8844

The process for Configure Google DNS on other operating systems (including iOS and Android in the case of mobile devices) is quite similar. The only difficulty is knowing where to find the screens where to add the Google DNS 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. Otherwise, everything is very simple.

Configure Google DNS from the router

Changing the DNS on the router is an interesting option, since it allows us to execute the change simultaneously on all devices that are connected to the network. To access the router we must open the browser and type one of the following IP addresses:

• 192.168.1.1
• 192.168.2.1
• 192.168.0.1

To continue, you will need to enter your username and password. Then we go to the settings tab (its location may vary depending on the manufacturer and router model) and access the local area network or LAN settings from there. Here we will find the window to enter the changes: Primary DNS: 8.8.8.8 and secondary DNS 8.8.4.4.

To finish, just save the changes. The router will then automatically reboot with the new Google DNS settings.