This post shows students and new users how to enable DNS over HTTPS or DoH when using Windows 11.
DNS over HTTPS or DoH is a protocol for performing remote domain name system queries over HTTPS protocol. It was created to enhance user privacy and security by not allowing eavesdropping.
Domain Name System or DNS is a protocol used by computer to convert human-readable names into IP addresses. The standard DNS protocol without HTTPS makes it possible for someone with the right device to sit in the middle and eavesdrop.
This is known as man-in-the-middle attack. This individual could also manipulate the your DNS traffic and take it over making it seems you’re communicating with the rightful resources or websites.
That’s why you should use DoH when available always.
If you’re a student or new user looking for a computer to start learning on, the easiest place to start is Windows 11. Windows 11 is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. Windows 11 is the successor to Windows 10 and it’s expected to be released later this year.
To get started with using DoH in Windows 11, follow the steps below:
Switch to DoH in Windows 11
To set Windows 11 up with DoH protocol and IP addresses, click on Start and go to Settings as shown in the image below.
In Systems Settings page, locate the sidebar on the left and click “Network & internet.” In the options to the right of the window, select “Ethernet”
On the Ethernet settings page, select the Network device you want to switch to DoH. If you system as more than one Network device – for example, Wired and Wi-Fi devices, you’ll have to configure each profile.
On my machine, I only have a single Network interface – Wired network.
Select the Network you’re working with and scroll down to DNS server assignment: Click Edit to and change the Manual.
When you select Edit, on the next screen choose Manual. Then type in the preferred and alternative DNS server IP addresses of you choice for IPv4 and IPv6.
The table below gives you some choices to use.
For IPv4 DNS servers:
| Google Public IPv4 DNS | Preferred DNS | 8.8.8.8 | Alternate DNS | 8.8.4.4 |
| Cloudflare Public IPv4 DNS | Preferred DNS | 1.1.1.1 | Alternate DNS | 1.0.0.1 |
| Quad9 Public IPv4 DNS | Preferred DNS | 9.9.9.9 | Alternate DNS | 149.112.112.112 |
For IPv6 DNS servers:
| Google Public IPv6 DNS | Preferred DNS | 2001:4860:4860::8888 | Alternate DNS | 2001:4860:4860::8844 |
| Cloudflare Public IPv6 DNS | Preferred DNS | 2606:4700:4700::1111 | Alternate DNS | 2606:4700:4700::1001 |
| Quad9 Public IPv6 DNS | Preferred DNS | 2620:fe::fe | Alternate DNS | 2620:fe::fe:9 |
Complete the DNS entries with the IP addresses below for all your networks and save.
Before saving the IP address change, select Encrypted only (DNS over HTTPS) shown in the image and save.
Save and exit.
When you’re done, you DNS profile should look similar to the ones in the image below:
That’s it!
Repeat the same steps above for your Wi-Fi network interface and any other you find in the list.
Conclusion:
This post showed you how to configure Windows 11 with DNS over HTTPS (DoH). If you find any error above, please use the comment form below to report.
