Installing DNS using the Add Roles Wizard. Enabling and configuring a DNS server Installing DNS on a windows server

To ensure the security and reliability of your Internet connection, as well as for uninterrupted access to websites, social networks and online services, you can use third-party DNS servers that operate at the first line of access to the Internet.

Popular DNS servers are presented on our website in the Secure DNS services section. Most often, setting up DNS helps VPNs and proxies work more efficiently, providing a higher level of protection for your privacy and anonymity.

We bring to your attention detailed instructions on how to set up DNS on a computer running Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista and XP.

Setting up DNS using DNS Jumper

Run the utility, select from the list DNS server preferred server (eg Google Public DNS) and click Apply DNS.

Setting up DNS in Windows 10, 8.1, 8

1. To open (also available in the menu Control Panel > Network and Internet), press the Windows key + R and in the Run window, enter the following command and click OK:

Control.exe /name Microsoft.NetworkandSharingCenter

2. In section View basic network information and set up connections, select Network for .

3. In the window that opens, select Properties.

4. In the connection properties window in the list The marked components are used by this connection select item IP version 4 (TCP/IPv4) in Windows 10 or and click Properties.

5. In the window that opens, on the tab Are common select item.

6. Enter the DNS addresses of your choice, such as Google DNS, in the Preferred DNS server and Alternate DNS server fields (depending on the selected service, the field may be left blank).

7. Check the box for and click OK to save changes.

• Right-click on the Windows icon (Start menu) and select Command Line (Administrator) or Windows PowerShell (Administrator)
• Type the command ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter

Setting up DNS in Windows 7

1. Right-click on the Internet icon in the tray and select .

2. In section View active networks, select the item to the right of:

3. On the tab Are common in the window click the button Properties.

4. On the tab Net connection properties window, scroll down and select , click the button Properties.

5. On the General tab of the Properties window, at the bottom, select , and then enter the IP addresses of the selected DNS service, for example, Google DNS.

6. Check the box for Confirm settings on exit and press OK to save changes.

Update DNS cache as follows:

• Click menu Start> enter cmd in the "Search programs and files" field > right-click on the found link and select Run as administrator
• IN Command line Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.
• Restart your computer.

Setting up DNS in Windows XP

1. From the Start menu, open Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel window > select Network connections, then select your current connection.
3. On the General tab in the window Connection Status Click Properties.
4. On the General tab of the Connection Properties window, scroll down and select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), then click Properties.
5. On the General tab of the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties window, at the bottom, select , and then enter the IP addresses of the selected DNS service, such as Google DNS.
6. Click the button OK and close all windows.

Setting up DNS in Windows Vista

1. From the Start menu, open Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel window, select .
3. Under Network, select View status each connection.
4. On the General tab in the window Connection Status Click Properties.
5. On the Network tab of the connection properties, scroll down and select , click the Properties button.
6. On the General tab of the Properties window, at the bottom, select , and then enter the IP addresses of the selected DNS service, Google DNS.
7. Click OK and close all windows.

Found a typo? Highlight and press Ctrl + Enter

DNS stands for Domain Name System, that is, “Domain Name System”. This is a system in which all server domain names are distributed according to a certain hierarchy. Let's figure out what DNS servers are for, how to configure them on Windows 7, what to do if the server does not respond, and how to fix possible errors.

What is DNS and what is it for?

The DNS server stores information about domains. What is it for? The fact is that the computer does not understand our letter designations for network resources. For example, yandex.ru. We call this the site address, but for a computer it is just a set of characters. But the computer perfectly understands IP addresses and how to access them. IP addresses are represented as four numbers of eight characters in the binary number system. For example, 00100010.11110000.00100000.11111110. For convenience, binary IP addresses are written as identical decimal numbers (255.103.0.68).

So, a computer, having an IP address, can immediately access a resource, but remembering four-digit addresses would be difficult. Therefore, special servers were invented that stored a corresponding symbolic designation for each resource IP address. This way, when you type a website address into your browser's search bar, the data is sent to the DNS server, which looks for a match to its database. DNS then sends the required IP address to the computer, and then the browser accesses the network resource directly.

When you configure DNS on your computer, the connection to the network will go through the DNS server, which allows you to protect your computer from viruses, set parental controls, block certain websites, and much more.

How to find out if the DNS server is enabled on your computer

You can find out whether the DNS server is enabled on your computer and its address through the “Control Panel”.

How to install

Video: setting up a DNS server

Why do you need to change the DNS server?

Of course, your provider also has its own DNS server; your connection is defined through this server by default. But standard servers are not always the best choice: they can be very slow or even not work at all. Very often, operator DNS servers cannot cope with the load and crash. Because of this, it is impossible to access the Internet.

In addition, standard DNS servers only have the functions of determining IP addresses and converting them to symbolic ones, but they do not have any filtering functions. Third-party DNS servers of large companies (for example, Yandex.DNS) do not have these shortcomings. Their servers are always located in different places, and your connection goes through the nearest one. Thanks to this, page loading speed increases.

They have a filtering function and implement a parental control function. If you have children, then this is the best option - dubious sites that are not intended for children will become inaccessible to them.

They have a built-in antivirus and a blacklist of sites. So, scam sites and sites containing malware will be blocked and you won't be able to accidentally catch a virus.

Third-party DNS servers allow you to bypass website blocking. It sounds a little absurd, because we said that DNS servers are designed to block unwanted resources. But the fact is that Internet providers are forced to deny access to sites banned by Roskomnadzor in their DNS servers. Independent DNS servers Goggle, Yandex and others are not required to do this at all, so various torrent trackers, social networks and other sites will be available for visiting.

How to configure/change DNS

Here you can configure the order in which DNS servers are accessed. Inexperienced users should be explained that there is no one such server that would store all existing Internet addresses. There are too many websites now, so there are many DNS servers. And if the entered address is not found on one DNS server, the computer turns to the next one. So, in Windows you can configure the order in which you access DNS servers.

DNS suffixes can be configured. If you don't know this, then you don't need these settings. DNS suffixes are a very difficult thing to understand and are more important to the providers themselves. In general terms, all URLs are divided into subdomains. For example, server.domain.com. So, com is the first-level domain, domain is the second, server is the third. In theory, domain.com and sever.domain.com are completely different resources, with different IP addresses and different content. However, server.domain.com is still located in the domain.com space, which, in turn, is located inside com. The DNS suffix when accessing the server is domain.com. Even though the IP addresses are different, the server can only be found through domain.com. In Windows, you can configure how suffixes are assigned, which has certain advantages for internal networks. As for the Internet, the creators of DNS servers have already configured everything necessary automatically.

Possible errors and how to fix them

What to do if the server is not responding or is not detected

What should I do if, when I try to access a website, I receive the error “The computer settings are configured correctly, but the device or resource (DNS server) is not responding”? It is possible that the DNS service has been disabled on the computer for some reason. The DNS server you are using may have stopped working.

Doesn't resolve names correctly

If the DNS server does not resolve names or resolves names incorrectly, there are two possible reasons:

1. DNS is not configured correctly. If everything is configured correctly for you, then perhaps the error is in the DNS server itself. Change the DNS server, the problem should be solved.
2. Technical problems on the telecom operator’s servers. The solution to the problem is the same: use a different DNS server.

DHCP server: what is it and what are its features

The DHCP server automatically configures network settings. Such servers will help in a home network, so as not to configure each connected computer separately. DHCP independently assigns network parameters to the connected device (including host IP address, gateway IP address, and DNS server).

DHCP and DNS are different things. DNS simply processes the request as a symbolic address and passes on the corresponding IP address. DHCP is a much more complex and intelligent system: it organizes devices on the network, independently distributing IP addresses and their order, creating a network ecosystem.

So, we figured out that DNS servers are designed to transmit the IP address of the requested resource. Third-party DNS servers allow you to speed up the Internet (unlike the provider’s standard servers), protect your connection from viruses and scammers, and enable parental controls. Setting up a DNS server is not difficult, and most problems with it can be resolved by switching to a different DNS server.

Now we will install the server role DNS server on the operating system Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter, then we will create a forward lookup zone, and also remember what DNS is and what it is needed for.

And before installing and configuring a DNS server, let's remember what DNS and a DNS server are. Since there is a lot of such information on the Internet, we will look at this briefly and get straight to the point. Let me remind you that in previous articles we looked at installing Windows Server 2012 R2 and installing and configuring a DHCP server on the same operating system, now we continue and next we have a DNS server.

What is DNS and DNS server?

DNS (Domain Name System) is a domain name system that allows you to find out the IP address of a host by a domain name and vice versa. Since each computer or network device has its own IP address, and in order to access a particular computer or device, you accordingly need to know this IP address, but since remembering a certain sequence of numbers is not convenient, and even if, for example, you are accessing many computers (remembering is simply not realistic), so in order not to remember these numbers, there is a domain name system, for example, which is better for perception 192.168.1.1 or mycomp. This is a simple definition, but since the material is for novice administrators, this is quite enough.

DNS server is a network service or, simply put, software that provides and supports DNS. The DNS server may be responsible for a specific zone in which the corresponding computers are located. And since the DNS system is hierarchical, the DNS server can redirect the request to a higher-level server if it cannot determine the host’s IP address from the domain name.

Enough theory, and since the material is dedicated specifically to installing the DNS server role, let's get straight to it.

Note! As the name suggests, we will install the DNS server on Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter, only we will use the trial version, as in previous articles.

Installing a DNS server on Windows Server 2012 R2

Step 1

Open Server Manager and select " Add roles and features»

Step 2

On the next window you don’t need to do anything, this window is a simple reminder to the administrator that the administrator account must be protected with a strong password, that it is necessary to install all the latest updates, by the way, you can make sure that this window does not appear next time, To do this, check the appropriate box. And click " Further»

Step 3

At this step, you also don’t need to do anything, everything is selected correctly by default exactly as we need it, click “ Further»

Step 4

Then you have to select the server on which the DNS server role will be installed, since I have only one server, I select it and click “ Further»

Step 5

It is precisely at this step that we need to choose which roles we will install, and we will accordingly install the DNS server role, so we select it

Then we will immediately be prompted to install DNS server administration tools, and since I will administer it on the same server, I click “ Add components”, so that you don’t have to search for them and forcefully select them in the next step. And if you administer the DNS server from another server, you don’t have to add these tools, but add them accordingly on the server from which configuration and management will be carried out.

Step 6

Step 7

On the next window we are told what to pay attention to when installing the DNS server role, click “ Further»

Step 8

We confirm the installation by pressing the button “ Install", checking the "Automatic server restart" checkbox is not necessary in this case.

That's it, the installation has begun.

It won’t last long, about 3 minutes, and the following message will appear, click “ Close»

That's it, the DNS server server role is installed. To launch the DNS server management tools, use Server Manager->Tools ->DNS

Or via the Start menu

The control itself looks like this:

Creating a forward lookup zone on DNS server 2012 R2

In the “Forward View Zones” group, right-click and select “ Create a new zone»

After that, the wizard for creating a new zone will start, click “ Further»

In the next window, select our zone type, you can see the description directly under each type, I select “ Main"I press" Further»

Then we have to write the name of our zone, in my case, since it’s a test server, I’ll choose the name local, You, in turn, write the name of your domain, or if your domain will not have access to the Internet, in other words, local (purely on your network), then in principle you can write whatever you want.

Then you have to select “Dynamic update type”; I will disable this functionality for now, but later I can always enable it, and you can enable it if, for example, you have a DNS server only for your local network, click “ Further»

The final window, which tells us that everything is ready, we accordingly click “ Ready»

That's it, the zone has been created, let's create a record of type A, for example for our own server. To do this, right-click on the zone and click “ Create node A or AAAA»

Then we enter the name of our node, which we want it to have, and accordingly what IP address it has, this is in fact. Click " Add node»

A message appears indicating that the node has been created.

And the corresponding entry will appear

Then don’t forget to check which DNS server is installed in our network interface settings (it should be ours, i.e. the IP address of this server). Then, accordingly, we can check the operation of the newly installed DNS server, for example, launch the command line and try to ping the node that we created a little earlier

As you can see, the system recognized its IP address by its domain name. And I propose to end here. Good luck!

DNS (Domain Name System) is a domain name system that is presented on servers in the form of a certain hierarchy. When working on the network, you can encounter errors in the operation of domains, which is why changing the server used will save you. In Windows 7, it is possible to configure the DNS server and change its parameters, which is done very simply, in just a couple of steps.

Purpose of DNS

Computing devices do not understand our language, as well as the address that we enter into the search bar of the browser we use. The computer only understands IP - the code designation of the client (user). Such information is provided to the server in the form of a binary number system, for example, 00100010.11110000.00100000.11111110. This set of numbers is automatically converted to the decimal system, for our understanding. In this case with the example above, it would be 255.103.0.68.

For clients, remembering even such a set is extremely difficult. Therefore, when registering a domain on the appropriate resources, we come up with some kind of letter designation.

After registering a domain, we receive both an alphabetic expression of the future site and a numerical one, presented in the form of a binary or decimal number system.

When a user sends a request to the server (indicates the address in the search bar), it goes to the DNS server - where the site domain is stored. The system automatically searches for matches, and if everything is fine, then we get to the site.

All computer requests are made using DNS

Among other things, this address ensures the user’s security while surfing the Internet. In this way, we protect ourselves from various types of malicious software. If this parameter is disabled on the computer, the client will not be able to access this or that resource on the network.

When should you change your DNS address and where to get it?

By default, the option to automatically obtain a DNS address is enabled on your computer. This setting is optimal for most users. Only in exceptional situations should it be changed. For example, when you need to access a certain resource on which you have been blocked.

Some servers may be located quite far from the hosting. This has a direct impact on the loading speed of website pages. It is recommended to use free addresses, which you can easily obtain from many search engines. For many users, this will be the best way out of this situation. Ideal: Yandex.DNS or Google Public DNS. In this case, the connection will be made through the nearest server.

Yandex.DNS or Google Public DNS services are free to use and very reliable

It is most advisable to change the DNS address for owners of their own resources. When a user sets this information in the site domain, he automatically “tells” the entire global Internet community about the location of the resource so that it can be found, opened and the information stored there can be read.

Changing DNS will allow you to access blocked sites.

The same addresses from Yandex and Google are not bound by any obligations with Roskomnadzor, unlike Internet providers who provide you with the opportunity to operate the network.

How to find out DNS and where it is located

As with most system settings, you can find DNS server information through the Control Panel.

Open the Start menu and select Control Panel.

Open Control Panel from the Start menu

In the window that appears, open the “Network and Internet” tab and click on “View network status and tasks.” Here you will find the “View active networks” section. It will contain all the networks to which your computer is connected. Click on the one that is responsible for connecting to the Internet.

Select the active network that is responsible for connecting to the Internet

Now go to the properties of the selected network. Click on "Properties"

Once clicked, a window with many options will appear. You need "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)". Select it with your mouse and open Properties. Highlight “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and click on “Properties”

The window that opens will contain all the information you are interested in. By default, automatic retrieval of the server address should be enabled.
Automatically obtaining an IP address is optimal for advanced users

In order to set a new address, you should repeat the manipulations mentioned above (go to the properties “Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4)”).

You need to change the checkbox from “Obtain DNS server address automatically” to “Use the following DNS server addresses” and enter the desired address.

Check "Use the following DNS server addresses" and set the DNS address you need

Such options should be changed with extreme caution and care. Analyze DNS servers in advance and avoid using little-known ones.

Video: installing a DNS server

DNS Settings

Setting up and changing an address is carried out in the same way as obtaining information about it. First, you again need to go to the “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” properties. You can configure and change the DNS server in the “Advanced...” tab.

In the “Advanced” tab, you can independently change the order in which the client accesses the servers

You should know that all sites and domains are stored on different servers, and there are a huge number of them. Thus, if you specify a specific address, and it is not on one server, the machine automatically switches to another, and so on, until the desired result is found.

You can configure DNS suffixes, but unless necessary, it is better not to change anything in this setting

DNS suffixes are needed exclusively by network providers to provide various levels of access, since the address of any site can be divided into several parts.

Domain levels are counted from the end, for example, in the address server.domain.com there are three levels and server is the third.

There is no need to configure anything here, since everything should already be done for you. You run the risk that you will completely lose access to most sites and will have to set everything up again.

DNS server not responding: how to fix problems in Windows 7

This is one of the most popular problems that users may encounter while surfing the Internet. By the way, it is not the most pleasant, since there can be many reasons for its appearance. Such problems can be solved in several ways.

First of all, you need to check whether the corresponding service is activated on your personal computer.

Open Control Panel and go to System and Security.

In the Administration option, select Services.

In the list presented, find the “DNS client” entry and double-click on it with the left mouse button.

In the window that appears, change the service startup type to “Automatic”.

If the automatic startup type has already been set, then the problem is not with your computer, but is on the side of the server you are using. You can get rid of the problem by changing the address, as described above.

It is best to use search engine addresses: the address from Google is 8.8.8.8, and from Yandex - 77.88.8.1.

One of the options described should definitely help. If this still does not happen, update the network adapter drivers and check the cable connection to the computer. If this doesn't help, call your Internet provider.

If the error appears to be incorrect DNS name resolution, you will also need to change the address.

What is a DHCP server and how does it differ from DNS

DNS is part of DHCP, which is a much more advanced system. DHCP deals with the organization of the network used, the distribution of IP addresses and the creation of the network ecosystem. It contains a wide variety of information that it processes and exploits in the future: host IP address, gateway IP address and information about the DNS server. All these parameters are configured by the system automatically, and changing them is highly not recommended.

DNS are designed to transmit IP addresses, obtain data about resources and connect to them. If necessary, any user can change the address to speed up the network, protect their computer from unwanted consequences and optimize the operation of sites in general. All this is possible by changing the domain server.

A DNS server is an extremely useful feature to protect your own computer from malicious sites. The process seems difficult for beginners, but in reality everything is much simpler, and the procedure for installing a DNS server will not take much time.

DNS is an acronym derived from Domain Name System. From English to Russian this is translated as “Domain Name System” changing them into IP addresses. And the DNS server stores the corresponding addresses in the database.

The work is carried out in this way: the browser, going to the site, contacts the DNS server to find out the desired address. The Server identifies the site, sends a request to it, and sends the received response back to the user.

How to find out if the DNS server is enabled on your computer

The current DNS server settings are determined as follows:

1. “Control Panel” -> “Network and Internet” -> “View network status and tasks.” Select your network connection, go to the “General” panel, then go to properties.
2. Go to the properties of “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)”.
3. Open the "General" tab. If the option to use the following DNS server addresses is activated, it means it is in working mode.

Repeat the previous steps, activate “Use DNS server”. After this, you will need to specify a primary DNS server, and then a secondary one.

How to configure/change DNS

When changing or additional settings, you will not need to perform many actions. You must use the window that was opened earlier and go to the “Advanced” item. Here the detailed adjustment of access to DNS servers is carried out. In Windows 7, you can configure all this yourself. Therefore, the question of how to change the DNS server yourself will not cause problems.

DNS suffixes are also available for management. The average user does not need them. This setting, which helps to conveniently share resources, was created for providers.

On a wi-fi router

When using a router, you must set its IP address in the DNS options. To perform these manipulations, you will need DNS relay and DHCP server enabled.

The router interface is designed for checking and subsequent detailed settings. First you need to check the DNS in the WAN port. DNS relay is activated in the LAN port settings.

On the computer

Setting up a DNS server in Windows 10 is similar to the same situation in earlier versions of the OS. First you need to select the “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” properties. Go to additional options and configure the list of servers.

Setting up a DNS server on a computer and on a laptop is the same.

On a tablet

Depending on the installed operating system, the actions differ somewhat, but they all have the following points in common:

• Open the “Wi-Fi” menu located in “Settings”.
• Go to the properties of the current Internet connection.
• Click “Change network”, then “Show additional parameters”.
• Scroll to the DNS servers item, then register them.

On a smartphone

Since now there is not much difference between the operating systems of a phone and a tablet, to set up the necessary DNS servers, it is enough to know the instructions described above.

Possible errors and how to fix them

Problems with Internet operation occur when the DNS server settings are incorrect, including when they unexpectedly fail.

What to do if the server is not responding or is not detected

Most often, this problem occurs when the server is disconnected or the settings are lost. To do this, open the “Control Panel”, go to “System and Security”, then “Administration”. Click on “Services”, find “DNS Client” and double-click on it. The status bar indicates the command “Running”. Otherwise, you need to select automatic startup type from the drop-down list above.

If the service is running but the error still appears, there are server problems. First, it is better to change the DNS server addresses according to the above instructions. However, it is still possible to reinstall the network card drivers, check the Internet connection and ask your provider about possible technical problems.

Doesn't resolve names correctly

If this error occurs, you need to check the correctness of your DNS server settings. It’s better to simply change the DNS server address to get rid of the problem.

Problems are also possible on the operator’s servers, and the problem is solved in the same way - by changing the DNS.

For the inexperienced user, there is a list of high-quality and free servers:

Addresses: 8.8.8.8; 8.8.4.4

Like all Google services, it performs its tasks efficiently, but has a known disadvantage - it collects and stores user statistics. Despite this, the server does not have any access to personal data, so there is no need to worry about security.

If you want to learn more about server work, there is official documentation on the information site.

OpenDNS

Addresses: 208.67.222.222; 208.67.220.220

A popular server due to the presence of a wide range of filters and protection against theft of personal data. Basic functions are free, but it is possible to purchase premium access, which allows you to create a “locked network environment” and increase connection speed.

DNS.WATCH

Addresses: 84.200.69.80; 84.200.70.40

Does not require registration to use, provides a more serious level. The only negative is the low speed.

Norton ConnectSafe

Addresses: 199.85.126.10; 199.85.127.10

It also does not “ask” for pre-registration and securely stores user data. Created by the developers of Norton antivirus, without requiring additional advertising.

Level3 DNS

Addresses: 4.2.2.1; 4.2.2.2

Suitable not only for personal use, but also for corporate purposes. A completely free resource, it ranks third in global popularity.

Comodo Secure DNS

Addresses: 8.26.56.26; 8.20.247.20

The basic version is free, but for some money you can purchase a large number of useful services. It provides reliable data protection in both paid and free versions.

OpenNIC DNS

Addresses: you should go to the project website, it will select the best ones depending on the user’s location.

Due to its huge coverage, it allows you to conveniently explore the Internet anywhere in the world.

DHCP server: what is it and what are its features

Most suitable for networks with a large number of computers due to the transfer of their network settings to all connected devices.

Such a server allows the administrator to specify a range of server hosts and avoid wasting a lot of time on detailed optimization.

It only works with IP address settings and the addresses themselves.

Conclusion

The primary task of DNS servers is to transfer an IP address. Servers from other companies, some of which are described above, can speed up and greatly facilitate Internet surfing. However, it does not require painstaking setup, and many errors can be resolved by using another server.