Before you start
- Make a free DNSAFE account at my.dnsafe.net. No card needed.
- Register your home connection. In the app, go to Devices›Add a home connection. Your home's internet address is filled in for you. DNSAFE uses it to know the lookups are yours, so do this from home.
- Keep these two addresses handy. They're the same for every brand of router.Your DNSAFE addressesPrimary DNS
3.12.124.91Secondary DNS3.11.62.44Use both DNSAFE addresses. Don't put your internet provider's DNS in the second box: lookups that go there aren't filtered.
Change DNS on your eero
- Open the DNS settings. In the eero app, tap Settings (bottom right), then Advanced networking›DNS.
- Turn on Custom DNS. Tap the switch next to Custom DNS.
- Enter DNSAFE. Put your primary and secondary addresses from the box above in the IPv4 boxes.
- Save. Tap Save (top right). Your eero network restarts to apply it, so expect Wi-Fi to drop for a minute or two.
Menu names can change with firmware updates. If yours look different, the maker's own page is linked under Sources.
Check it worked
- Open
blocktest.dnsafe.neton any device on your Wi-Fi. You should see the DNSAFE block page. That means filtering is on. - Or run the DNS leak test. It should show DNSAFE answering your lookups.
- Still seeing the normal page? Turn Wi-Fi off and on again on that device (it keeps the old settings for a while), then try again.
Stop IPv6 DNS from skipping DNSAFE
Many internet providers give homes IPv6 as well as IPv4. Your router can then hand devices a second DNS server, your provider's IPv6 one, and phones and laptops may use it instead of DNSAFE. Lookups that go there aren't filtered. Do this if the protection test says Partly protected, or the block test works on some devices and not others.
- Turn IPv6 off. In the eero app, tap Settings›Advanced networking›IPv6 and turn the switch off. Your network restarts to save it.
Smart-home gear that uses Thread or Matter relies on IPv6 inside your home. If anything stops responding after this, turn IPv6 back on and use DNS IDs on your phones and computers instead.
Then turn Wi-Fi off and on on your phone and run the protection test. It should say Protected. Browsing, streaming and gaming keep working over IPv4. If you'd rather keep IPv6, protect each phone and computer with its own DNS ID instead: in the DNSAFE app, add the device. DNS IDs send every lookup to DNSAFE.
Not set up yet? DNSAFE Home is free: block malware, scams and adult sites on every device.
Start freeIf something's not right
Websites stopped loading after the change
DNSAFE doesn't recognise your home's internet address yet. Open my.dnsafe.net from home: it will offer to use the new address. Internet providers change it from time to time; here's how to keep it up to date automatically.
Some devices aren't filtered
Your internet provider's IPv6 DNS is the usual reason: see Stop IPv6 DNS from skipping DNSAFE. A device with its own DNS setting, a browser with “secure DNS” turned on, or a VPN can also go around your router: see how to stop DNS filtering bypass, or set DNSAFE up on that device too.
Custom DNS is greyed out
That happens when eero Plus filters are on, because eero Plus filters DNS itself. To use DNSAFE instead, turn them off first: in the eero app tap Home, the box under Security & privacy, then Network Controls, and turn off Advanced Security and Ad Blocking and remove any content filters and blocked or allowed sites and apps.
My devices show the eero as their DNS server
That's normal when eero features like local DNS caching or HomeKit are on: devices ask the eero, and the eero asks DNSAFE. Filtering still works; check with blocktest.dnsafe.net.
My internet provider's router is in front of this one
Change DNS on the router your devices connect to. If your devices connect to the provider's router instead, change it there: see the guides for Xfinity, Spectrum, AT&T and Verizon Fios.
Frequently asked questions
Does changing DNS slow down my internet?
Usually not. DNSAFE answers from the region nearest you. Pages load the same; blocked sites just don't open.
Will this affect gaming or streaming?
No. DNS only looks up where a name points. Games and video play as before; only the categories you choose to block are stopped.
Can I undo it?
Yes. In Settings › Advanced networking › DNS, turn Custom DNS off and tap Save.
Do I still need antivirus?
Yes. DNS filtering stops bad sites before they load, but it doesn't scan files already on a device. Use both.