To change DNS settings in Windows 11, open Settings > Network & internet, select the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, find DNS server assignment, and choose Edit. Record the original setting and addresses before switching between Automatic (DHCP) and Manual. If you enter manual IPv4 or IPv6 resolvers, decide explicitly whether DNS over HTTPS is required and whether fallback to unencrypted DNS is acceptable. Save, test the same domain names, and restore the recorded configuration if the change does not help.

Key Takeaways

Edit the connection that is actually carrying traffic, not an inactive adapter.

Record Automatic/Manual state, every IPv4 and IPv6 address, and encryption choices first.

Use only resolver addresses and DNS-over-HTTPS details from an administrator or provider you trust.

Allowing plaintext fallback means a query may be sent without encryption when HTTPS fails.

DNS cannot repair weak Wi-Fi, a disconnected router, a captive portal, or a provider outage.

This is a Windows 11 procedure, not a recommendation for any particular public DNS service. For broader diagnosis, start with the device and app troubleshooting guide.

Do you really need to change DNS settings in Windows 11?

DNS translates names such as example.com into network addresses. A DNS change is relevant when several domain names fail to resolve even though the device still has a working local connection. It is less likely to help when Wi-Fi disconnects, every device on the router is offline, a sign-in portal is waiting, or only one account, app, or website fails.

Before editing, compare a small set of symptoms:

Observation	More likely layer	First action
Several unrelated names fail on one PC	DNS or a local filter	Record DNS and compare another network
All devices fail on the same network	Router or internet service	Check the shared connection
One app or site fails	App, account, service, or policy	Test unrelated destinations
An IP address works but names do not	DNS is plausible	Verify with approved support steps
A captive portal is incomplete	Network authorization	Complete the trusted sign-in

Changing DNS does not guarantee faster browsing, greater privacy, or access to content. Results depend on the resolver operator, transport encryption, network policy, caching, and the destination. Do not cycle through random addresses as a substitute for identifying the failing layer.

Which connection and recovery values should you record?

Windows keeps settings per network interface. A laptop may have Wi-Fi, Ethernet, a dock, virtual adapters, and cellular interfaces at the same time. Changing an interface that is not active will not change the path you are testing.

Open Settings > Network & internet.
Confirm whether the current path is Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
Open that connection's properties.
Find DNS server assignment and note whether it says Automatic (DHCP) or Manual.
If it is manual, record preferred and alternate IPv4 and IPv6 addresses exactly.
Record the DNS-over-HTTPS choice and the fallback-to-plaintext setting for each enabled protocol.

Microsoft documents Automatic (DHCP) and Manual IP-related settings on the current Windows network settings page.［1］ If the computer is managed and the fields are locked or repeatedly restored, stop. A work or school policy, security product, or network profile may own the configuration.

Keep the recovery record outside the Settings window. A screenshot is optional for your own reference, but a written list is easier to compare and does not need to contain Wi-Fi passwords or other credentials.

Change DNS for the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection

In DNS server assignment, select Edit.
Choose Manual.
Turn on IPv4, IPv6, or both according to the approved resolver information you received.
Enter the preferred and alternate address for each enabled protocol.
Set the DNS-over-HTTPS option deliberately rather than accepting a value you do not understand.
Select Save, then reopen the properties page to confirm what Windows retained.

Enter only numeric DNS server addresses in the address fields. A website URL, proxy address, PAC file, search suffix, and router administration page are different settings. Do not copy a resolver from an anonymous speed list or a forum command without knowing who operates it and what policy applies.

If you need different DNS on both Wi-Fi and Ethernet, configure and verify them separately. Windows does not treat a manual Wi-Fi value as a universal setting for every adapter.

Automatic versus Manual

Automatic (DHCP) asks the network to supply settings. This is usually the correct restoration target when the connection originally inherited DNS from a home router, workplace, hotel, or mobile hotspot. Manual keeps the addresses you enter for that interface until another authorized configuration changes them.

Manual values can break internal hostnames on a workplace or home network if the chosen resolver does not know those names. They can also conflict with a VPN, filter, parental-control service, or device-management policy. Preserve the original mode so the test is reversible.

What do DNS over HTTPS and plaintext fallback change?

Windows 11 can expose encryption choices for a manually entered resolver. Microsoft describes three behaviors: DNS over HTTPS off, on with an automatic template, or on with a manually supplied template. It also exposes a fallback option. The wording available to you may vary by Windows build and whether Windows recognizes the resolver.

DNS over HTTPS off sends ordinary DNS queries without HTTPS encryption.
On (automatic template) uses a known HTTPS template when Windows has one for that server.
On (manual template) requires an exact, trusted HTTPS template from the resolver operator or administrator.
Fallback to plaintext on permits unencrypted DNS if HTTPS cannot be used.
Fallback to plaintext off means resolution should fail instead of silently dropping encryption.

The fallback choice is a policy decision, not a performance tweak. If encrypted DNS is required, enabling plaintext fallback defeats that fail-closed expectation. If availability is more important on a network that does not support the chosen encrypted path, disabling fallback may leave names unresolved. Follow the requirements of the network owner rather than guessing.

Do not invent an HTTPS template or assume that every numeric resolver address supports encrypted DNS. An address working for ordinary DNS does not prove that a particular HTTPS endpoint belongs to the same operator.

Verify the result with controlled tests

Use the same tests before and after the change so that an unrelated recovery is not mistaken for proof.

Close and reopen the affected browser or app.
Test two or three unrelated domain names, including one that already worked.
Confirm that internal names still work if the network depends on them.
Compare another trusted network if practical.
Reopen the connection properties and confirm the saved addresses and encryption state.

A successful result is consistent name resolution without breaking known-good or internal destinations. One page loading once is weak evidence because caches, a restored router link, or a completed portal sign-in may have changed simultaneously.

This guide does not require destructive cache commands, registry edits, or opaque PowerShell. If an administrator asks for command-line evidence, use its version-specific instructions, record the output, and avoid commands that change unrelated adapters.

If Windows still reports no internet, follow the ordinary Wi-Fi checks before changing more settings. Microsoft recommends narrowing device, router, and adapter causes and reserving broader network reset for later.［2］ The Windows connected-without-internet guide covers that scope.

How do you restore the original DNS configuration?

Restore immediately if the test makes resolution worse, breaks internal resources, or produces no clear benefit.

Return to Settings > Network & internet and open the same active connection.
Select Edit beside DNS server assignment.
If the original mode was Automatic (DHCP), select it and save.
If it was Manual, restore every recorded IPv4 and IPv6 address in the original fields.
Restore the original DNS-over-HTTPS and fallback choices.
Reopen affected apps and repeat the baseline tests.

Do not use Network reset merely to undo one known DNS change. Network reset removes and reinstalls network adapters and returns broader settings to defaults, so it is a later recovery step with wider impact. Use the Windows network reset guide only after preserving adapter, VPN, virtual-switch, and enterprise requirements.

If a setting keeps returning, identify its owner. DHCP, device management, a VPN, a security filter, or administrator policy may be applying it. Repeatedly fighting that state can leave the device inconsistent without fixing the original problem.

What to do if DNS still fails

Return to the evidence:

If an explicit error says the DNS server is unavailable, use the DNS server not responding guide.
If Wi-Fi is connected but all traffic fails, diagnose the connection before DNS.
If only one app, site, or account fails, test its service status and local policy.
If the problem follows a VPN, proxy, or filtering product, restore the baseline and review that product's supported configuration.
If the network is managed, provide the administrator with the adapter name, timestamps, original and tested values, and exact errors.

Avoid replacing one unverified resolver with another. A clear restore point and comparable tests are more useful than a long list of addresses.

Summary

Change DNS in Windows 11 only on the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection and only after the symptoms point to name resolution. Record the original Automatic or Manual state, IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, and encryption policy. Understand that plaintext fallback can remove the encryption guarantee. Verify the same names before and after, then restore the exact baseline if the change does not produce a clear, safe improvement.

FAQ

Where are DNS settings in Windows 11?

Open Settings > Network & internet, select the active Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, find DNS server assignment, and select Edit.

Should I choose Automatic or Manual DNS in Windows 11?

Keep Automatic when the network is meant to supply DNS. Use Manual only when you have approved resolver addresses and a reason to override the network for that interface.

Can I enter both IPv4 and IPv6 DNS servers?

Yes. Enable and configure each protocol for which you have valid, trusted addresses. Do not copy an IPv4 address into an IPv6 field or vice versa.

What does fallback to plaintext mean?

It allows Windows to send an unencrypted DNS query if DNS over HTTPS fails. Leave it off when encrypted DNS is a strict requirement and accept that resolution may then fail closed.

Does changing DNS improve Wi-Fi signal or speed?

It does not improve radio signal or repair an internet outage. Name lookup time can vary, but no resolver guarantees a universal speed improvement.

Why does the DNS setting keep changing back?

DHCP, device management, a VPN, a security filter, or administrator policy may own the value. Identify that owner instead of repeatedly overwriting it.

Do I need to reset the network after changing DNS?

No. Save the setting, reopen the affected apps, and run controlled tests. Network reset is a broader last-stage action, not a routine DNS step.

How do I reset or undo a manual DNS change in Windows 11?

Return to the same connection and restore the recorded Manual values or select Automatic (DHCP) if that was the original mode; Automatic is also how you reset DNS to what the network supplies. Restore encryption and fallback choices too. Clearing cached lookups is a separate, optional step: ipconfig /flushdns in Command Prompt resets the DNS client resolver cache without changing server addresses.［3］ A VPN is a separate connection choice, not a substitute for restoring the correct Windows 11 DNS mode and resolver addresses.

Sources

Microsoft Support - Essential network settings and tasks in Windows — https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/connectivity-networking/essential-network-settings-and-tasks-in-windows
Microsoft Support - Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows — https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/fix-wi-fi-connection-issues-in-windows-9424a1f7-6a3b-65a6-4d78-7f07eee84d2c
Microsoft Learn - ipconfig — https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/ipconfig

Sources checked 4 October 2026.

How to Change DNS Settings in Windows 11