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How to set up OpenDNS or Google DNS on Windows 8

Windows 8 and 8.1 use classic adapter properties to set custom DNS servers.

Why change DNS on Windows 8?

Public DNS helps when your ISP resolver returns outdated records or fails intermittently.

Recommended public DNS servers

  • OpenDNS (Cisco): 208.67.222.222 / 208.67.220.220
  • Google Public DNS: 8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4
  • Cloudflare DNS: 1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1

Steps for Windows 8 / 8.1

  1. Open the desktop, right-click the network icon in the system tray, and choose Open Network and Sharing Center.
  2. Click Change adapter settings.
  3. Right-click your connection → Properties.
  4. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) → Properties.
  5. Choose Use the following DNS server addresses and enter OpenDNS or Google DNS IPs.
  6. Confirm with OK and close the windows.

Flush DNS cache

Run Command Prompt as administrator and flush the resolver cache.

ipconfig /flushdns
  1. Press Windows key + X and open Command Prompt (Admin) if available, or search for cmd.
  2. Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.
  3. Retry the website.

Verify it worked

If the site still fails, clear browser cache and test another network to isolate the issue.

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