Microsoft was released today a new version of Windows 10 on the channel Windows Insider Dev. The new build brings several improvements as well as settings for encrypted DNS.
The DNS-over-HTTPS is a relatively new feature security which aims to protect DNS traffic from third parties. Encrypts DNS traffic using the HTTPS protocol. For those who don't know, DNS is used to "translate" domain names (iguru.gr) into numeric IP addresses.
Unencrypted DNS traffic allows the network provider, e.g. the ISP and other third parties who have access to the same network, to control which pages you visit. In addition it is possible for ISPs to change requests, e.g. blocking them or redirecting them (as we saw with its ban Subs4free).
Microsoft announced some time ago that the operating system of Windows will support encrypted DNS. Browser developers (Mozilla ή Google) have added functionality support to their programs.
The new version of Windows 10, however, brings support for DNS-over-HTTPS in the Operating System Settings for Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections.
For ethernet:
Follow the path Settings - Network & Internet - Status.
Click Properties.
Select Edit IP or Edit DNS Server (Edit IP assignment or Edit DNS server assignment).
For Wi-Fi:
Follow the path Settings - Network & Internet - Wi-Fi.
Click Properties.
Select Edit IP or Edit DNS Server (Edit IP assignment or Edit DNS server assignment).
The current version only recognizes some DNS-over-HTTPS providers by default, namely Cloudflare, Google and Quad9.
Select the DNS you want from the following table:
Server Owner | Server IP addresses |
Cloudflare | 1.1.1.11.0.0.1
2606: 4700: 4700 :: 1111 2606: 4700: 4700 :: 1001 |
8.8.8.88.8.4.4
2001: 4860: 4860 :: 8888 2001: 4860: 4860 :: 8844 |
|
Quad9 | 9.9.9.9149.112.112.112
2620: fe :: fe 2620: fe :: fe: 9 |
Enter or paste an IP address into the page, then select one of the available DNS encryption options.
The options are:
No encryption.
Encrypted only (DNS-over-HTTPS).
Priority encryption, allowed and unencrypted connection.
Confirm your choice and check if it works by looking at the DNS servers in the network properties. They must show (encrypted).
Microsoft states that Windows 10 administrators may also try custom DNS-over-HTTPS servers, but this requires the following netsh command: