How to Change the Windows 11 DNS Servers to Cloudflare for Faster Internet

Every time you attempt to load a webpage (like digitash.com), your computer must first contact a Domain Name System (DNS) server to translate that human-readable URL into a machine-readable IP address. By default, Windows 11 uses the DNS servers provided by your local Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Unfortunately, ISP-provided DNS servers are notoriously slow, prone to crashing, and often log your browsing history to sell for targeted advertising. By manually changing your Windows 11 DNS settings to a private, highly optimized provider like Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), you can noticeably speed up how fast webpages begin to load and significantly improve your privacy.

How to Change the DNS Settings

1. Open the Windows 11 Settings app by pressing Windows Key + I.
2. In the left-hand navigation pane, click on Network & internet.
3. At the top of the screen, click on the primary connection you are currently using (either Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
4. If you clicked Wi-Fi, click on Hardware properties on the next screen.
5. Look down the list for a setting labeled DNS server assignment (it should currently say “Automatic (DHCP)”).
6. Click the Edit button next to it.
7. A small pop-up window will appear. Change the top dropdown menu from “Automatic (DHCP)” to Manual.
8. Toggle the switch for IPv4 to the On position.

Entering the Cloudflare IP Addresses

You must now provide the exact IP addresses of Cloudflare’s public servers.

9. In the box labeled Preferred DNS, type the following exact IP address:

   1.1.1.1

10. In the box labeled Alternate DNS (the backup server in case the first one fails), type:

    1.0.0.1

11. Click the Save button at the bottom of the window.

You can verify the change was successful by looking at the “DNS server assignment” list in the Settings app; it should now proudly display the two IP addresses you just typed in.

From this moment forward, every single webpage you visit will be resolved through Cloudflare’s massive, privacy-first global network, completely bypassing your local ISP’s logging systems and routing you to your destination noticeably faster.