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How to change the DNS settings on a Arris TG852G router

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Setup Router Staff
(Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 4 minutes

This page shows how to change the DNS settings on the Arris TG852G router.

Other Arris TG852G Guides

This is the dns guide for the Arris TG852G. We also have the following guides for the same router:

What is the DNS setting on a Router

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When you connect a router to the Internet it gets a few settings from your ISP automatically. One of the settings that the ISP sets in your router is the DNS setting. DNS stands for Domain Name System and it is used to convert Internet names into actual IP addresses. For instance, when you go to "google.com", your are really connecting to an IP address that is mapped through DNS to a number such as:

  • 173.194.33.73

This mapping happens automatically every time you visit any page on the Internet.

Why Change Your Router's DNS Setting

Some ISPs choose to abuse the DNS system and map unknown names to servers that they control. This can be done in a way that you don't know it is happening since your router is getting its DNS settings from your ISP. For instance, if you have one of these ISPs who is hijacking your DNS, and you try to surf the web to "some-random-site.com" and "some-random-site.com" does not exist, you might get a page back from your ISP with local advertisements on it.

By changing your DNS setting in your router you will effectively change the DNS setting for every computer on your network. This is because when a device is connected to your network your router automatically hands out its own DNS settings to that device. This way you can protect your entire network from ISP hijacking with just one setting.

What Should I Change My DNS To

There are 2 really great DNS servers on the Internet that you can choose from right now: Google Public DNS and OpenDNS. If you are not sure which one to pick then just use Google Public DNS.

When you change the DNS settings in your router, you usually have to enter a Primary and a Secondary setting. The secondary is only used if the primary can not be located. Here are common settings:

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If you want to use Google Public DNS, use the following settings:

  • Primary: 8.8.8.8
  • Secondary: 8.8.4.4

If you want to use OpenDNS, use the following settings:

  • 208.67.222.222
  • 208.67.220.220

Login To The Arris TG852G

To get started configuring the Arris TG852G DNS page you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Arris TG852G, follow our Arris TG852G Login Guide.

Change the DNS settings on a Arris TG852G

If you followed our login guide above then you should see this screen.

router setup
This is the setup page from your Arris TG852G router.

You are now on a page called System Basic Setup for the Arris TG852G. Click the choice at the top of the page labeled LAN Setup. Then to the left, choose LAN Settings.

Configure the DNS section of your Arris TG852G

router setup
This is the setup page from your Arris TG852G router.

Scroll down this new page until you come to the heading of DNS Override. This is where you override your ISPs DNS server.

  1. Place a check in the box labeled Enable DNS Override.
  2. Enter the primary address of the chosen DNS server in the box labeled Primary DNS Server IP.
  3. In the box titled Secondary DNS Server IP enter the secondary IP address of the DNS server you picked.
  4. Finally, place a check in the box labeled Enable DNS Relay.

Don't forget to Apply your changes when you are happy with your work.

Possible Problems when Changing your DNS settings

Most devices on your network will not begin using the new DNS settings until they have been rebooted. After rebooting a device you can go to it's network settings and verify that it is using the DNS servers that you specified.

Other Arris TG852G Info

Don't forget about our other Arris TG852G info that you might be interested in.

This is the dns guide for the Arris TG852G. We also have the following guides for the same router: