Most of us never think to change the default DNS settings on our Xbox One. We’re either unaware of them, or are content with the DNS server our internet provider has paired us with automatically.
However, the default DNS settings on our Xbox One are rarely the best, fastest, or even most secure DNS settings available to us.
There are a host of DNS servers free to use and open to the public, including from huge names like Google, which may offer us better connection speeds, and thus smoother, less laggy, online gaming.
To find out how to change your DNS settings, and which DNS settings are best for the Xbox One, see our step-by-step guides below. For all other information, or if you have further questions, see our FAQs instead.
Table of Contents
How to change the DNS settings on your Xbox One
- Power up your Xbox One by turning the console on and connecting your controller
- Log into your Xbox One account using your controller and login credentials
- Press the ‘X’ home button in the center of your Xbox One controller
- Navigate through the Menu like this: Profile & system > Settings > General > Network settings
- On ‘Network settings’, select ‘Advanced settings’
- Next, select ‘DNS settings’ from the options available
- Next, select ‘Manual’ instead of ‘Automatic’
- Finally, enter your new DNS settings (see below to find out which are best for the Xbox One!)
The best DNS settings for the Xbox One
Below is a table with the best DNS settings for the Xbox One based on these servers’ overall performance and ping rate.
However, please note that not all of these server settings will be best for your specific location. We recommend testing these DNS settings’ ping rates out on a DNS Performance & Speed checker, like this one here: https://www.dnsperf.com/dns-speed-benchmark
| 8.8.4.48.8.8.8 | |
| OpenDNS | 208.67.222.222208.67.220.222 |
| Cloudflare | 1.1.1.11.0.0.1 |
| Level 3 | 4.2.2.14.2.2.24.2.2.34.2.2.44.2.2.54.2.2.6 |
| Quad9 | 9.9.9.9149.112.112.112 |
| NTT | 129.250.35.250129.250.35.251 |
| Sprintlink | 204.117.214.10199.2.252.10 |
| Verisign | 64.6.64.664.6.65.6 |
| Comodo Secure | 8.26.56.238.20.247.20 |
Choose a set of DNS setting numbers from the table above and enter them into your Xbox One’s Manual DNS server settings by following our first tutorial in this article. Test the connection and game away! That’s all there is to choosing the best DNS settings for your Xbox One.
If you have any further questions please see our FAQs below.
FAQs
What are the DNS settings on the Xbox One?
DNS stands for ‘Domain Name System’ and has been a fundamental part of the internet since its inception at the close of the 20th century. DNS essentially gives a human-friendly name to the binary/numerical code used by computers and devices to detect Internet Protocols (IP) and service addresses.
In other words, the DNS settings on your Xbox tell your Xbox which servers to use when streaming, downloading, and gaming online. Typically, most Xbox users will never have changed their DNS settings, and so they will automatically be set to the default DNS settings set by your internet provider.
However, DNS settings can be manually altered to connect to the Public Servers of any number of service and server providers.
Why would I need to change the DNS settings on the Xbox One?
You don’t need to change the DNS settings on your Xbox One. The default settings applied by your home WiFi internet connection should be more than satisfactory for all online gaming and streaming.
However, default DNS settings are rarely the fastest DNS settings available to you. Changing your DNS settings to a larger, faster, or more local DNS server may drastically improve the speed of your Xbox Live connection. As such, choosing the optimal DNS settings for your Xbox One may reduce your chance of experiencing lag, and may smooth the entire gaming process for you.
Is it safe to change my DNS settings on the Xbox One?
It is absolutely safe to change the DNS settings on your Xbox One, and in fact doing so may actually make your gaming system more secure than it previously was. The only thing you really need to be aware of is the fact that changing your DNS settings does not guarantee a better connection, and in fact if you choose poorly for your location, you may experience worse connection speed than before.
What is a good ‘ping’ rate for DNS settings?
The ‘ping’ rate of a DNS server is the time it takes (in milliseconds) for a signal sent from your device to reach the DNS server and return to your device; in other words, to ‘ping’ back. Think of it like sonar or radar. Your device sends out a message, and counts the milliseconds to see how long it takes to receive a reply.
A good ‘ping’ rate for a DNS server is typically between 40-60ms. Lower is even better. The lower the ping rate, the closer the DNS server is to you, and thus the faster your Xbox Live connection should be. You can of course play online with a ping rate higher than 60ms, but you will likely start to experience lag if you do.
DNS servers located 150km away from you, for example, may offer a ping rate of 43ms, whereas DNS servers located 10,000km away may offer a rate of 218ms.
