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How to change the DNS settings on a Motorola WR850G router

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Setup Router Staff
(Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 5 minutes

This page shows how to change the DNS settings on the Motorola WR850G router.

Other Motorola WR850G Guides

This is the dns guide for the Motorola WR850G. 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 Motorola WR850G

To get started configuring the Motorola WR850G DNS page you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Motorola WR850G, follow our Motorola WR850G Login Guide.

Change the DNS settings on a Motorola WR850G

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

router wan setup
This is the wan page from your Motorola WR850G router.

You start on the Internet Basic page of the Motorola WR850G router. To change the Domain Name System (DNS) settings, you are on the correct page.

Configure the DNS section of your Motorola WR850G

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Simply look down this page until you see the radio button labeled Obtain DNS Server Address Automatically. Make sure that you tick the No button.

Below that are four boxes titled Primary DNS. Enter the main address of the DNS Server you would like to use here. Remember that this address is the one that is always accessed first.

Below that is the Secondary DNS. This address is only accessed if the first address can't be found. Enter the secondary address of the DNS server you plan on using.

If you have a tertiary address, go ahead and enter that in the boxes labeled Tertiary DNS. This third address is rarely used and can be left blank if you like.

Lastly, click the green Apply button when you are finished. That's all there is to it.

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 Motorola WR850G Info

Don't forget about our other Motorola WR850G info that you might be interested in.

This is the dns guide for the Motorola WR850G. We also have the following guides for the same router: