How to change Xfinity Router DNS Settings will be explained in this article. Most internet users in the US swore by Comcast and their Xfinity xFi router for all their connectivity needs. But what most of them don’t know is that they are mainly stuck with Comcast’s default network settings and the DNS servers.
The main reason for this is that most users think that these settings are hard-coded and unmodifiable. So are you one of them and wondering how to change Xfinity router DNS Settings? If yes, then we’re here with you.
Changing your DNS settings on your Xfinity router can be tricky. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you might accidentally mess things up. This article shows you how to change your DNS settings on your router.
Comcast has over 30 million customers across the United States. They offer cable TV, high-speed Internet, phone service, and home security systems. Their routers provide their customers with access to the Internet.
Comcast offers two types of routers: the DOCSIS 3.0 and the DOCSIS 3+ models. The DOCSIS 3.x series provides faster speeds and better reliability. The DOCSIS 4.0 series is currently being rolled out. It will allow even more bandwidth than the current version.
Table of Contents
What is DNS?
DNS stands for Domain Name System. It is a protocol used by computers to translate human-readable domain names into IP addresses. For example, when you type www.google.com into your browser, it actually looks at the DNS server to find the IP address of Google’s website.
Another example is when you want to Google the scores for Manchester United vs. Manchester City. In this case, you need to enter a string of numbers to access DSTV online rather than typing the whole words.
Can you Change DNS on Xfinity?
DNS failures are becoming very prominent lately, especially because of the advanced protocols and increasing internet consumption. And I usually recommend not messing with the default DNS configurations during the process of hooking the Internet to Xfinity Cable Box. In this case, the best solution is to tamper with the settings by easily changing DNS settings on the router.
So, YES! You can change your DNS settings on any router. However, if you have an older model, you may not be able to do so. So make sure you check your manual before proceeding.
Even when you change these settings on the computer, Comcast will always notice the transaction and eventually get it to Comcast DNS servers. Luckily, there are some workarounds to the Comcast restrictions. Here are the best solutions to enable you to get to Public DNS servers and get a relatively better browsing experience. But before that:
- If you have an Xfinity router on a lease, consider shifting to a personal router.
- An alternative is to add another router through the Bridge Mode.
How to switch to an Alternate DNS
The experienced underperformances of DNS offered by ISPs in some areas including the Seattle and Bay area have made everyone question whether there’s a way to bypass this Xfinity DNS failure. In most cases, the solution will involve switching to a public DNS.
It means that with two to three tweaks to the network setting, you can greatly improve the performance and uptime.
Another important thing is that you can always get back to using a commercial DNS server or a private server. For the public DNS services, Google DNS and Google DNS are the market leaders.
This clearly means that you can always configure the Xfinity router to your relevant DNS settings on your device. To make sure we’re on the same page, here is what to know about the Open DNS and Google DNS.
OpenDNS
This service is free and open source. They offer many features such as parental controls, malware protection, and web filtering. Their main focus is speed and stability. They also provide a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for users to manage their accounts.
- It requires registration but offers free basic service.
- If you need network usage analysis or malware protection, you will be expected to pay.
- Has oldest public DNS servers.
- 208.67.220.220 and 208.67.222.222 DNS servers.
Google DNS
- This DNS offers no add-on features.
- It offers Free DNS servers.
- It is convenient to retain and configure (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4: DNS server).
With that information, let’s move on to how you can alter DNS settings in your router. Before that, I need to let you know that the DNS settings will highly depend on your network device and OS. But the main point is consistent across platforms. Follow these steps:
- Right-click on the Start menu and eventually open Control Panel on Windows.
- Head to Network and Internet.
- After this, end to Network and Sharing Centre. This is usually on the left panel.
- Head to Change Adapter Settings.
- Based on the type of connection to configure, you can choose the appropriate option.
- If you are using Wireless, then right-click on Wireless Network Connection.
- For Ethernet connection, right-click on Local Area Connection.
- Now select properties-From here, you might need an Administrator account to continue.
- Choose Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IPv4) and go to properties. All this is under the Network Tab.
- Now head to Advanced Settings and you will find DNS servers under the DNS tab. The servers, in this case, belong to the provider which in this case is Comcast.
- You can now remove the values and choose your DNS server. In our case, you can choose between Google DNS or OpenDNS.
- Finalize by clicking OK and restarting the connection.
FAQs
What DNS server does Xfinity use?
There are many DNS servers that Xfinity use including 68.87.74.166 68.87.76.178 68.87.76.182, 68.87.72.134 68.87.72.130 68.87.75.198 etc.
Does Xfinity have a DNS server?
Yes, the DNS server makes it easy for you to reach websites by easily converting a name into an IP address. Yes, Comcast Xfinity has a DNS that provides this capability to Internet users.
Can you change Xfinity router DNS?
Comcast doesn’t allow this but it’s very possible as we’ve explained above.
Conclusion
So far, we’ve discussed the importance of DNS in today’s world. We’ve also covered how to change the Xfinity router to use a different DNS server. If you want to learn more about DNS, you can check our updates.
