Updating DNS Server names on my Nighthawk X4S R7800

Greetings, all!

First post here, hoping someone can help me.

I'm somewhat savvy in networking and PCs, but figure I can always learn something, and figure this is a good place to start.

I'm trying to update my DNS server entries to servers that test as faster (*).

My old entries were:

8.8.8.8 (Google)

8.8.4.4 (Google) and one more that I forget and didn't write down.

I changed my DNS servers to:

208.67.220.123 (OpenDNS)

208.67.222.220 (OpenDNS) and

24.113.32.29 (AS-WAVE-1)

I applied the changes, and can see these settings in the router, but on my local machine, I still see the old settings.

I've done the obvious things, like going to an (administrative) command prompt, and typing ipconfig/release, ipconfig/renew and ipconfig/flushdns (and I get the "Successtully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache" message).

I've restarted the router as well as the local machine, and still don't see my router changes reflected on the local computer.

I'm running a Windows 10 PC connected by a wired ethernet connection.

If anyone has any insight as to what I'm missing, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks a lot!

-Glenn

(* In case anyone is interested, my results are based on a utility called 'DNS Benchmark' (from Steve Gibson of Gibson Research Corporation, the creator of SpinRite. Some other old-timers like me may remember Steve and his great products. The utility appears to be from about 2010, but it contains the ability to scan current DNS servers for cached name retrieval speed, and seems like another helpful free utility from Steve Gibson. )

schumaku
Nov 01, 2020
The configuration of the DNS IP servers applies to the router only. The Netgear consumer routers are pusing out the router LAN IP with the DHCP along wth the IP address and subnet.

More comprehensive routers offer dedicated controls for the DNS servers used by the router, and the DNS servers hand out by the DHCP server. This isn't available on these devices.

If you have configued DNS servers on the DHCP enabled adpater is not Negear's issue.

The combination Windows does make out of the adapter locally manual configured DNS addresses while still being a DHCP client, adding the DHCP supplied DNS IP to the end of the list (what makes sense under some conditions) is a different story, and up to Microsoft.

7 Replies

schumaku
Guru - Experienced User
Oct 31, 2020
Whatever you configure on the router, the DHCP server will hand-out the router LAN IP address and act as a DNS relay.
- Grateful_Guy
  Aspirant
  Oct 31, 2020
  Thank you for the answer, Schumaku. So, if the router is passing those DNS server entries out, why am I not seeing the ones that are currently entered in the router when I look at the "ipconfig/all" results on my local machine?
  Forgive my ignorance, but I'm still not getting why what's entered in the router is not reflected on my PC....
  - antinode
    Guru
    Oct 31, 2020
    > I'm trying to update my DNS server entries to servers that test as
    > faster (*).
    
       Why? How many seconds/year do you expect to save by using a faster
    DNS server?
    
    > [...] but on my local machine, I still see the old settings.
    
       You're one up on me; with my weak psychic powers, I can't see any of
    your "the settings", old or new.
    
    > [...] if the router is passing those DNS server entries out, why am I
    > not seeing the ones that are currently entered in the router when I look
    > at the "ipconfig/all" results on my local machine?
    
       The DHCP server in the router will normally be passing out its _own_
    (LAN) IP address to DHCP clients. As already explained:
    
    > [...] the DHCP server will hand-out the router LAN IP address [...]
    
       If anyone other than you could see what you're seeing 'when [you]
    look at the "ipconfig/all" results on [your] local machine', then you
    might get a better explanation sooner. Copy+paste is your friend.

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Updating DNS Server names on my Nighthawk X4S R7800