DNS Servers - which have priority?

Random

I connect to the internet through a router.

If I input manual DNS server details on my PC will they override the router details?

ntlbell

ciaranfo wrote:

I connect to the internet through a router.

If I input manual DNS server details on my PC will they override the router details?

not really sure on what your trying to ask, manually assigning dns server's to a pc won't interfer directly with dns servers that are assigned to a router.

Random

My router uses IBB DNS servers. If I put OpenDNS ones on my PC, which ones will my PC be using?

christophicus

You will also have to put the open DNS ones into your router.

degsie

ciaranfo wrote:

If I input manual DNS server details on my PC will they override the router details?

Just try it and then run 'ipconfig /all'. You will see which DNS setting are applied.

You can change the DNS setting on your router and then have your pc pick these up automagicly by pointing DNS to your router's ip.

ethernet

Was thinking the same thing a few months back. I found the PC's settings took priority over the router's.

JonathanAnon

Okay, I think you are both missing the point. The routers that you will get from the broadband provider are designed to make it easy for you to connect to the Internet withour having to manually configure the clients. To accomplish this, the router is set up to supply the clients with ALL the configuration that they need to access the Internet.

To access the Internet a PC needs the following:
IP address and subnet mask
Gateway
DNS servers (at least one)

There is a service called DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) that is designed to supply the clients with all of these. This means that you can get a brand new PC out of the box plug it in to the router and it will automatically access the Internet WITHOUT HAVING TO MANUALLY CONFIGURE THE ABOVE SETTINGS.

So the proper way to set this up is to configure the proper DNS server settings on the router (whatever your ISP's DNS servers are) and configure the client LAN Connection's TCP/IP setting to "Obtain IP address automatically" and "Obtain DNS server address automatically". This enables the client to use the router as a sort of proxy DNS.

Like I said the reason for doing this is so that you do not have to manually enter the DNS settings on the client. But if you want to enter the DNS servers manually, there is no problem with this either.

ethernet

JonathanAnon wrote:

Okay, I think you are both missing the point. The routers that you will get from the broadband provider are designed to make it easy for you to connect to the Internet withour having to manually configure the clients. To accomplish this, the router is set up to supply the clients with ALL the configuration that they need to access the Internet.

To access the Internet a PC needs the following:
IP address and subnet mask
Gateway
DNS servers (at least one)

There is a service called DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) that is designed to supply the clients with all of these. This means that you can get a brand new PC out of the box plug it in to the router and it will automatically access the Internet WITHOUT HAVING TO MANUALLY CONFIGURE THE ABOVE SETTINGS.

So the proper way to set this up is to configure the proper DNS server settings on the router (whatever your ISP's DNS servers are) and configure the client LAN Connection's TCP/IP setting to "Obtain IP address automatically" and "Obtain DNS server address automatically". This enables the client to use the router as a sort of proxy DNS.

Like I said the reason for doing this is so that you do not have to manually enter the DNS settings on the client. But if you want to enter the DNS servers manually, there is no problem with this either.

That's no good to you if your ISP gives you a crappy router for free which won't allow you to change DNS servers without being naughty and reflashing it with alternative firmware. The approach you outline certainly is the the better way to go.

Gerard_Smith

Ok here is a question related to this. If you change the DNS setting on your PC/Mac but do not change them on your router would you still be affected by problems with your routers DNS?

For example if Eircom were having DNS problems and your Mac was set to openDNS but your router was still using Eircoms DNS would the Eircom DNS problems affect your mac?

Snaga

Gerard_Smith wrote:

If you change the DNS setting on your PC/Mac but do not change them on your router would you still be affected by problems with your routers DNS?

No - the manually configured DNS settings are the ones your pc (or Mac) uses.

The router does not act as a DNS proxy unless you direct your DNS requests directly to it (as in the full DHCP scenario).