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How to change the DNS settings on a Dlink DSL-2740R 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 Dlink DSL-2740R router.

Other Dlink DSL-2740R Guides

This is the dns guide for the Dlink DSL-2740R. 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 Dlink DSL-2740R

To get started configuring the Dlink DSL-2740R DNS page you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Dlink DSL-2740R, follow our Dlink DSL-2740R Login Guide.

Change the DNS settings on a Dlink DSL-2740R

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

router status mac address internet IP
This is the status page from your Dlink DSL-2740R router.

We are going to start on the DEVICE INFO page of the Dlink DSL-2740R router. To change the DNS server settings, click the choice at the top of the page labeled SETUP. This opens a new set of choices running down the left side of the page, pick the one labeled Internet Setup, then in the pop-up window, ADSL Setup.

Configure the DNS section of your Dlink DSL-2740R

router setup
This is the setup page from your Dlink DSL-2740R router.

On this page, tick the box that reads Manual Setup.

Scroll down this page and find the heading of DNS AND DEFAULT GATEWAY. Click the radio button labeled Use the following DNS server addresses.

Next, in the box labeled Preferred DNS server, enter the main address of the DNS server you want to use.

In the Alternate DNS server box, enter the secondary DNS server address.

Lastly, click the Apply button at the bottom of the page.

This should be the only page that needs to be filled in, but there is a page you need to check and set if needed. To get there, click the choice at the top of the page labeled Advanced, then on the left, DNS Setup.

router dns setting
This is the dns page from your Dlink DSL-2740R router.

Now this page should be filled in, but if not, tick the radio button labeled Use the following DNS server addresses.

Down below that, place your cursor in the box labeled Preferred DNS Server and enter the primary address of the DNS server you used on the previous page. In the box labeled Alternate DNS Server enter the same DNS Server's secondary address.

Click the Apply Settings button at the bottom of the page.

You're finished!

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 Dlink DSL-2740R Info

Don't forget about our other Dlink DSL-2740R info that you might be interested in.

This is the dns guide for the Dlink DSL-2740R. We also have the following guides for the same router: