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How to change the DNS settings on a Planet ADW-4401 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 Planet ADW-4401 router.

Other Planet ADW-4401 Guides

This is the dns guide for the Planet ADW-4401. 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 Planet ADW-4401

To get started configuring the Planet ADW-4401 DNS page you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Planet ADW-4401, follow our Planet ADW-4401 Login Guide.

Change the DNS settings on a Planet ADW-4401

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 Planet ADW-4401 router.

You begin on the System Status page of the Planet ADW-4401 router. When you want to change the DNS server settings, tick the choice at the top of the page labeled Advance. Then directly below that appears a new menu, pick DNS from this menu. Finally, on the left of the page, choose DNS Server.

Configure the DNS section of your Planet ADW-4401

router dns setting
This is the dns page from your Planet ADW-4401 router.

You are now on the correct page to change the Domain Name System Settings.

1. Tick the radio button labeled Set DNS Manually.

2. Some boxes should appear at this point, and in the first box, enter the primary address of the DNS Server you wish to use. This address is always going to be used first.

3. In the next box, enter the secondary address of that same DNS server. This is a back-up address, and only used if the first can't be found.

If you like, you can leave the third DNS box empty.

4. Finally, if you're happy with your changes, tick the Apply Changes button.

That's it, you did 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 Planet ADW-4401 Info

Don't forget about our other Planet ADW-4401 info that you might be interested in.

This is the dns guide for the Planet ADW-4401. We also have the following guides for the same router: