DNS Setup Guide

Should you change DNS?

A different DNS service may help if name lookups fail or take too long. It will not repair weak WiFi or make an established download faster. Start with the DNS checks and keep the error you are trying to resolve.

Ask IT first on a managed Mac or work network. Custom DNS may interfere with work names, parental controls, or a network sign-in page. Test on one Mac before considering any household-wide change.

Choose a service without a speed promise

The example below uses Cloudflare's public resolver. It is an example, not a claim that it is fastest for your location. Its privacy policy describes limited logging and retention; it is not a no-logs service. Entering DNS addresses alone also does not set up encrypted DNS.

Cloudflare's standard resolver addresses are 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1. For an IPv6-only connection, use 2606:4700:4700::1111 and 2606:4700:4700::1001. These are the standard service, not its family-filtering addresses. Cloudflare lists the options separately.

Record, change, and check

These steps follow Apple's current macOS 27 guide. Choose your version on Apple's page if the controls differ.

1. Open Apple menu > System Settings > Network. Select the network service you use, such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet, then Details > DNS.
2. Save a screenshot of the DNS Servers list, including its order. Note which entries you can edit and which are supplied automatically. Leave Search Domains and TCP/IP settings unchanged.
3. Under DNS Servers, use + to add each address in the pair above, one at a time. For this comparison, remove previous manually entered DNS servers only after recording them. Automatically supplied entries may be greyed out; do not change your IP address to remove them.
4. Click OK. Reopen the same panel and check the saved list. This changes DNS for the selected network service on this Mac, not for other household devices. Do not assume it is limited to one saved WiFi name.
5. Retry the failing site and your normal work sites. A VPN or browser with its own DNS may use a different resolver. A successful page load alone does not prove which resolver answered, and cached answers can affect the comparison.

Restore the old setup

If nothing improves, or a previously working service fails, return to the same DNS panel. Remove only the addresses you added. Restore any manual entries you removed in their original order. If the original list was automatic, leave no manual entries from this test so the network-supplied servers can be used again. Click OK, reopen the panel, and retry the original task.

If settings are locked or revert unexpectedly, ask the device or network administrator. Do not add a VPN or change router settings to force the test through.