This page shows how to change the DNS settings on the ZyXEL P 2601HN router.
Other ZyXEL P 2601HN Guides
This is the dns guide for the ZyXEL P 2601HN F1. We also have the following guides for the same router:
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - How to change the IP Address on a ZyXEL P 2601HN router
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - ZyXEL P 2601HN User Manual
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - ZyXEL P 2601HN Login Instructions
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - Setup WiFi on the ZyXEL P 2601HN
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - Information About the ZyXEL P 2601HN Router
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - ZyXEL P 2601HN Screenshots
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - Reset the ZyXEL P 2601HN
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 ZyXEL P 2601HN
To get started configuring the ZyXEL P 2601HN DNS page you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.
To login to the ZyXEL P 2601HN, follow our ZyXEL P 2601HN Login Guide.
Change the DNS settings on a ZyXEL P 2601HN
If you followed our login guide above then you should see this screen.
Starting on the Device Information page, click the choice of Network, on the left side of the page, then, LAN. Next, click the tab near the top of the page labeled DHCP Server.
Configure the DNS section of your ZyXEL P 2601HN
You are now on a page similar to the one you see here. In the section labeled DNS Server, you may find that the First DNS Server box has the address of your LAN IP. This is due to DNS Proxy. It is checking with the router first to see if it needs a DNS server address.
We are setting both the LAN side DNS server and WAN side DNS server in this guide because it is not clear where the DNS Proxy is going to get it's information from.
To set this page, use the drop down menu next to Second DNS Server, and choose User-Defined. Then enter the primary address of the DNS server you wish to use, in the space provided.
Below that, to the right of Third DNS Server, choose User-Defined from the drop down menu, then enter the secondary DNS Server address in the empty box.
Finally, click the Apply button.
To navigate to the WAN page, click WAN in the left sidebar.
You should now be on the page you see above.
First, choose Routing from the drop down menu labeled Mode.
New options should now appear, skip down to the DNS Server section and tick the radio button labeled Use the following Static DNS IP address.
Next, in the box labeled Primary DNS Server, enter the same primary DNS server that you entered on the DHCP Server page.
Below that, make sure to enter the same secondary DNS Server address that you entered earlier, in the box labeled Secondary DNS Server.
That's it, just click Apply before exiting.
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 ZyXEL P 2601HN Info
Don't forget about our other ZyXEL P 2601HN info that you might be interested in.
This is the dns guide for the ZyXEL P 2601HN F1. We also have the following guides for the same router:
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - How to change the IP Address on a ZyXEL P 2601HN router
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - ZyXEL P 2601HN User Manual
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - ZyXEL P 2601HN Login Instructions
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - Setup WiFi on the ZyXEL P 2601HN
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - Information About the ZyXEL P 2601HN Router
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - ZyXEL P 2601HN Screenshots
- ZyXEL P 2601HN F1 - Reset the ZyXEL P 2601HN