How to Set Up OpenDNS for Your Home Network

OpenDNS is a free-to-use consumer DNS service that makes your home internet faster, safer, and more reliable by filtering content and blocking threats at the DNS level. Setup means pointing your router (or individual devices) at OpenDNS's public resolver addresses — 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 — and optionally creating a free account to enable content filtering and parental controls. It's designed to be quick and easy, and OpenDNS provides guides and a knowledge base if you get stuck.

What You Need Before You Start

• Access to your router's admin panel. You'll need the router's IP address (often 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1), plus the admin username and password. If you don't have these, check the label on the router or your ISP's documentation.
• The OpenDNS resolver addresses: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220.
• A free OpenDNS account (optional but recommended) if you want filtering, parental controls, and per-network settings.
• Your public IP address, which you'll register with OpenDNS if you want account-based filtering to apply to your home network.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Change DNS Settings on Your Router (Recommended)

Configuring the router covers every device on your network at once — phones, laptops, tablets, smart TVs — without touching each one.

1. Log in to your router's admin panel.
2. Find the DNS settings section (often under WAN, Internet, or DHCP settings).
3. Replace the existing DNS servers with:
   • Primary: 208.67.222.222
   • Secondary: 208.67.220.220
4. Save and reboot the router if prompted.

Expected result: All devices using the router's DNS will now resolve through OpenDNS.

2. Or Change DNS on a Single Device

If you can't access the router or only want to protect one device, change the DNS settings in that device's network configuration instead. The exact menu varies by operating system, but the values you enter are the same two addresses above.

3. Create an OpenDNS Account and Register Your Network

1. Sign up for a free account at opendns.com.
2. Add your home network and enter your current public IP address.
3. Choose a filtering level — for example, pre-configured protection or custom content filtering for adult content and other categories.

Expected result: Your network's DNS traffic is now associated with your account, and your chosen filters apply.

4. Verify the Setup

Visit OpenDNS's welcome page in a browser. If the setup worked, you'll see a confirmation that you're using OpenDNS. If you registered your network, the page will recognize your account.

Common Snags

• Dynamic IP addresses. Many home ISPs change your public IP periodically, which breaks the link between your network and your OpenDNS account. Most routers support a dynamic DNS (DDNS) updater client, or you can run OpenDNS's own updater tool to keep the IP current.
• Router won't accept the settings. Some ISP-provided routers lock DNS fields. In that case, set DNS per device instead, or check whether your router supports custom DNS at all.
• Filters not applying. Confirm your public IP is registered and up to date, and that devices aren't bypassing the router's DNS (for example, via a hardcoded DNS or a VPN).
• Devices using their own DNS. Some browsers and apps use encrypted DNS (DoH) that bypasses router settings. You may need to disable that feature per device for filtering to work.

Why It's Worth the Effort

According to OpenDNS, the service shortens routes between your network and its global data centers through peering partnerships, which can make internet access faster. It also helps make the web safer by letting you safeguard your family against adult content and more, and it's described as the easiest way to add parental and content filtering controls to every device in your home. Setup is intentionally simple — as the site puts it, a PhD in Computer Science is not required, and helpful guides and a knowledge base are available if you need them.

For enterprise-level protection, OpenDNS now points to Cisco Secure Access, which guards against malware, phishing, and ransomware. Home users, however, are served by the consumer suite described here.