Thanks to DNS, we can navigate with the utmost freedom, accessing blocked sites and very quickly, which certainly does not always happen with the DNS set up in our computer or on our router.
In this guide we will look at why to use Google’s home DNS and how to change it on Windows, Mac, Router, Android and iOS.
What are DNS
DNS is an important component for Internet access: without them we will all have to write a series of numbers and points to access the favorite sites (type 149.10.199.30, to access this site instead of writing www.teknologya.com). The DNS are therefore a sort of “telephone directory” that everyone contacts when they have to open a new Web page: even visiting www.google.com, the DNS server receives our request and converts it into a valid IP address for that site; vice versa, if we enter an IP address for a server, the DNS will assign the right domain name, so as to be reachable anywhere in the world.
When a new site is created it is added to the DNS of the whole world, so that all users with an Internet connection and a Web browser can access it easily.
Why set GOOGLE DNS
The basic DNS is provided by the telephony operator (ISP), which then handles all our DNS requests with a variable speed: so there are DNS faster than others.
In addition to this distinction, it must be said that the judicial authorities intensely use DNS blocks to prevent access to sites not allowed for offenses, to which all Italian operators must abide by. But nothing prevents the user from using foreign DNS without blocking, so as to circumvent the problem and access a specific site again (except for the presence of a much more effective IP block).
By a general rule, it is generally thought that the fastest DNS servers are those provided by your operator, but this is not always the case. In fact, replacing them with Google’s DNS servers or even better with those of Cloudflare, which are currently among those available, the fastest, we will be able to reach much faster than those of our provider, the site of our interest.
What are Google DNS
Google DNS is:
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
These addresses, corresponding to the Primary and Secondary DNS of Google, can be set inside the router or much more comfortably, inside our computer, in the network configuration of the operating system you used, be it Windows or Mac.
How to set up Google DNS
On Windows
If you want to use Google’s DNS servers or any other service on Windows, just right-click on the network icon (bottom right), open the Connection Center or Open Connections and Internet (on Windows 10) and click on Change tab options to find yourself in the menu with all network connections
Now right click on the connection you are using, click on Properties, then select Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IP) and then on Properties a little lower.
In the new window select the Use the following DNS server addresses and, in the two fields now usable, enter the new DNS you want to use.
Click OK to make the changes take effect.
On Mac
Also on Mac it is possible to change the DNS for the connection in use. To do this simply click on the System Preferences icon (found in the Dock bar below) and among the many items select Network. You will see all the connections available on your Mac.
Select the connection you are using, then click on the lower right of Advanced. In the new window, go to the DNS tab and enter the ones you prefer.
Once you enter the Google DNS just click OK to take advantage of the new DNS immediately.
On Router
As mentioned previously, in addition to changing the DNS settings on your computer you can also change it in the settings of your router.