How to Change DNS on Windows: A Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to change DNS on Windows, using either the GUI or command-line with PowerShell.

The most common scenario on enterprise computers is for DNS addresses to be handled by either DHCP servers or another IP address management solution. If you have not needed to change this configuration on one or more computers in a while, this guide will help refresh your memory. I will cover both Windows client and server operating systems.

For this guide, I demonstrate how to manually assign alternate DNS settings. Using DHCP to manage DNS is outside the scope of this article.

How to change DNS on Windows 10

What if you could change how your Windows 10 device finds every website with just a few clicks? The steps below show the most common ways to modify DNS settings manually.

Pros and cons of each method

Method	Pros	Cons
Control Panel	Works everywhere, familiar layout, stable interface	Slower for repeated changes
Settings app	Modern interface, easier to find for many users	Not consistent across all Windows 10 builds
PowerShell	Great for scripting, fast for advanced users, supports automation	Requires command knowledge and careful selection of interface index

Using Control Panel

• I am on my Windows 10 client machine. Let me click the Start button, type “control,” then select Control Panel.

• Your Control Panel view may differ, but you can locate the Network and Sharing Center or Network Connections.

• Look for your primary connection. It is often the one on the domain network, meaning the network adapter is associated with the computer’s domain membership.
• Click the Ethernet or Wi-Fi link next to Connections, or select Change adapter settings on the left.
• Select Properties at the bottom.
• Then select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties again.

• This system already has a manually assigned IP configuration. If I wanted to test a specific website or internet-based app, instead of relying on my domain’s DNS servers, I could manually change the DNS to Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8).

That completes the process.

Using PowerShell

If you prefer command-line tools, here is how to view and change DNS settings using PowerShell. Open your preferred terminal and run this command to view the current configuration:

Get-DnsClientServerAddress

To remove the second DNS entry and change the first entry to 8.8.8.8, use the following command. Run PowerShell as an administrator.

Set-DNSClientServerAddress -InterfaceIndex 7 -ServerAddresses 8.8.8.8

Run Get-DnsClientServerAddress again to confirm the change.

How to change DNS on Windows 11

What if Windows 11 gave you an even easier way to adjust DNS settings? Let’s walk through the options.

Using Windows Settings

• Open Start → Settings → Network & internet.

• Select the Properties link.
• You can view your IPv4 DNS servers in the middle of the screen.
• Select Edit to adjust the values.

• Change the DNS server to 8.8.8.8 and save.

Using PowerShell

We can use the same cmdlets that work on Windows 10.

Get-DnsClientServerAddress

This displays both IPv4 and IPv6 DNS settings.

• To change to Google’s DNS server:

Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceIndex 12 -ServerAddresses 8.8.8.8

Run Get-DnsClientServerAddress again to confirm.

How to change DNS on Windows Server (Core)

What if server environments handled DNS changes just as easily? Fortunately, they do. Here are the methods for Windows Server.

Using SConfig (Windows Server Core)

On Windows Server installations with Server Core, you can adjust DNS settings using SConfig.

• On the main menu, select option 8 for Network settings.

• I will choose index 1 because it is my only network adapter.

• This view shows familiar settings including IP addresses and DNS server entries.
• Choose option 2 to adjust DNS servers.

• After making the changes, I reselected option 8 to verify the updates.

Everything looks correct.

Using PowerShell

You can also view DNS settings using PowerShell on Windows Server 2022.

Get-DnsClientServerAddress

Those addresses match the DNS servers used by my domain controllers. To change to Google’s DNS server:

Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceIndex 3 -ServerAddresses 8.8.8.8

I ran Get-DnsClientServerAddress again to confirm the change was successful.

Conclusion

Changing DNS server settings in Windows is a straightforward way to troubleshoot TCP/IP issues or adjust performance temporarily. Whether you need to address connectivity problems or optimize your network setup, the ability to modify DNS settings is a powerful troubleshooting tool.

Choose reliable DNS servers and consider speed, security, and organizational policies when adjusting DNS configurations. As demonstrated, you have several methods to view and modify DNS settings across Windows versions.

What is DNS?

What if every website required you to remember a string of numbers instead of a name? That is the problem DNS solves. DNS is an acronym for Domain Name System, a long-standing decentralized naming system for computer networks across the globe. Devices that use DNS include desktops, laptops, servers, televisions, IoT devices, and many more.

DNS translates domain names into IP addresses so computers know where to connect. It also provides information for services such as email routing and other domain-related details.

You may find it useful to use an alternate DNS provider to troubleshoot security or performance issues. Popular public DNS providers include OpenDNS, Cloudflare, and Google DNS.

What configuration should I use, manual or automatic?

Should you assign DNS servers manually, or let something else do it? There are two main approaches. You can manually assign DNS servers on each device, or allow a system to assign them automatically. DHCP, the most common system for this, provides an easier setup and better long-term administration. You enter DNS details on the DHCP server, and client machines inherit the configuration without manual change.

One note of caution. Before switching a device from DHCP to manual DNS, you should confirm whether the change is appropriate. On Active Directory domain-joined devices, modifying DNS settings may disrupt access to directory services and other key network resources because Active Directory and DNS are tightly integrated.

Frequently asked questions