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How to change the DNS settings on a Cisco DPC3848V 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 Cisco DPC3848V router.

Other Cisco DPC3848V Guides

This is the dns guide for the Cisco DPC3848V. We also have the following guides for the same router:

What is the DNS setting on a Router

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:

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 Cisco DPC3848V

To get started configuring the Cisco DPC3848V DNS page you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Cisco DPC3848V, follow our Cisco DPC3848V Login Guide.

Change the DNS settings on a Cisco DPC3848V

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

router setup
This is the setup page from your Cisco DPC3848V router.

Now that you have finished logging into the Cisco DPC3848V router you should see a page like the one you see here. Running along the top of the page you should see a list of possible options. Pick the one labeled Setup.

Next select the tab titled LAN Setup.

Configure the DNS section of your Cisco DPC3848V

router IP address lan home network
This is the lan page from your Cisco DPC3848V router.

Do you see a page like the one displayed above? If so you are on the correct page. Scroll down until you see LAN 1 Static DNS 1. Enter the main DNS server in these four boxes.

Enter the secondary DNS server in the four boxes labeled LAN 1 Static DNS 2. Remember this DNS server is only used on rare cases when the main DNS server is unavailable.

Finally if you want to enter a third DNS server you can do so in the four boxes labeled LAN 1 Static DNS 3. You could also leave this blank if you want because there is little to no chance that you need a third DNS server.

That's it, don't make any other changes to this page. To apply the changes you have made click the button at the bottom of the page labeled Save Settings.

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 Cisco DPC3848V Info

Don't forget about our other Cisco DPC3848V info that you might be interested in.

This is the dns guide for the Cisco DPC3848V. We also have the following guides for the same router: