DNS Setup Guide

Why change your DNS?

DNS (Domain Name System) translates website names like "google.com" into IP addresses your computer can connect to. Every time you visit a website, your device makes a DNS lookup first.

Most people use their ISP's default DNS servers, which are often slow. Switching to a faster DNS provider can make websites load noticeably quicker—and Network Weather can show you exactly how much faster.

Recommended DNS providers

Cloudflare is typically the fastest and doesn't log your queries. Google is extremely reliable. Quad9 adds malware blocking but may be slightly slower.

Changing DNS on macOS

Step 1: Open System Settings

Click the Apple menu () → System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS).

Step 2: Go to Network settings

Click Network in the sidebar, then select your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).

Step 3: Open Details

Click Details... next to your connected network.

Step 4: Select DNS tab

Click the DNS tab in the details window.

Step 5: Add DNS servers

Click the + button and add your preferred DNS servers. For Cloudflare:

1. Add 1.1.1.1
2. Add 1.0.0.1

Remove any existing entries (usually your router's IP like 192.168.1.1) by selecting them and clicking −.

Step 6: Click OK

Click OK to save. Your new DNS servers are now active.

Verifying the change

After changing your DNS:

1. Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal)
2. Type: nslookup google.com
3. Check that the "Server" line shows your new DNS (e.g., 1.1.1.1)

Network Weather will also show your DNS servers in the Client segment details, along with performance benchmarks comparing your DNS to alternatives.

Troubleshooting

Pages won't load after changing DNS:

• Double-check you typed the addresses correctly
• Make sure you removed old DNS entries
• Try flushing your DNS cache: open Terminal and run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

DNS keeps reverting to router:

• Some networks override your DNS settings via DHCP
• Consider using a VPN (like Cloudflare WARP) which includes DNS

Want to change it system-wide?

• The steps above only affect one network. To change DNS for all networks, you'd need to repeat this for each saved network, or use a VPN/proxy that handles DNS.