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How to change the DNS settings on a TP-Link TD-W8960N 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 TP-Link TD-W8960N router.

Other TP-Link TD-W8960N Guides

This is the dns guide for the TP-Link TD-W8960N v1.3.6. 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 TP-Link TD-W8960N

To get started configuring the TP-Link TD-W8960N DNS page you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the TP-Link TD-W8960N, follow our TP-Link TD-W8960N Login Guide.

Change the DNS settings on a TP-Link TD-W8960N

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 TP-Link TD-W8960N router.

You begin on the Device Info page of the TP-Link TD-W8960Nv1.3.6 router. Click the choice on the left side of the page labeled Advanced Setup, then DNS, and DNS Server.

Configure the DNS section of your TP-Link TD-W8960N

router dns setting
This is the dns page from your TP-Link TD-W8960N router.

This takes you to the page you see above. This is the only screenshot we have of a DNS server for this router. This appears to be the page for the WAN DNS server, which is used for updates, not day to day use. If you know of a different DNS server page, please let us know.

To set this DNS server you need to uncheck the box that reads Auto DNS Server. Now, there are two radio buttons to pick from, click the one that reads, Use the following Static DNS IP address.

Then enter the primary address of the DNS server you have decided to use in the box that says Primary DNS server. This address is always used first.

Next, in the Secondary DNS server box, enter the secondary or alternate address of the DNS server you want to use. Remember that this address is only used if the first can't be found.

That's it, just click Apply/Save when you are 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 TP-Link TD-W8960N Info

Don't forget about our other TP-Link TD-W8960N info that you might be interested in.

This is the dns guide for the TP-Link TD-W8960N v1.3.6. We also have the following guides for the same router: