Can you change DNS on a Spectrum router?
Spectrum lets you set DNS in the My Spectrum app. Spectrum says advanced settings are only available in some markets; if you don't see them, the other ways below work.
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 Spectrum router
- Open the app at home. Connect your phone to your Spectrum Wi-Fi, open the My Spectrum app and sign in.
- Open the DNS settings. Tap Services, then Router under Equipment. Scroll down to Advanced Settings›DNS Server and tap Manage DNS.
- Enter DNSAFE. Put your Primary DNS and Secondary DNS from the box above in the two boxes and tap Save.
- Give it a minute. Devices pick up the new DNS when they reconnect. Turn Wi-Fi off and on on your phone, then do the check below. Still nothing after 10 minutes? Restart the router.
Open my.dnsafe.net on the phone and tap Protect this phone. It's covered on Wi-Fi and mobile data. Computers have their own short guide.
Device guides →Whole homeUse your own routerAbout 20 minutesPlug a TP-Link, NETGEAR, ASUS, eero, Google Nest or Linksys router into the provider's box and set DNSAFE there. Every device on its Wi-Fi is covered.
How to →Use your own router
Plug your own router into the Spectrum router or modem, connect your devices to its Wi-Fi, and set DNSAFE on it:
Menu names can change with updates. If yours look different, the provider'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.
The My Spectrum app doesn't have an IPv6 setting (its Advanced Settings cover port forwarding, IP reservations, UPnP, DNS and reset). If the protection test says Partly protected on Spectrum's Wi-Fi, use your own router and turn IPv6 off on it, or use DNS IDs.
The DNS your devices get comes from the router whose Wi-Fi they're on. If that's your own router (behind the provider's box), turn IPv6 off there. Pick your router:
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.
The block test works on my router's Wi-Fi but not on Spectrum's
Devices still on the Spectrum Wi-Fi aren't covered. Move them to your router's Wi-Fi, or turn the Spectrum box's Wi-Fi off so there's only one network.
Some devices still aren't filtered (IPv6)
Your provider's box may also hand out its own IPv6 DNS, which phones and computers can use instead. See Stop IPv6 DNS from skipping DNSAFE.
Frequently asked questions
How do I switch back?
In the same Manage DNS screen, choose Use Spectrum DNS.
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.
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.