Configure DNS for VPN

When you set up a VPN, your DNS queries will be sent through the VPN instead of directly to your ISP. This can be helpful if you want to prevent your ISP from seeing which websites you're visiting, or if you're having problems with DNS spoofing or man-in-the-middle attacks.

To configure DNS for your VPN, you'll need to add a few lines to your configuration file. Different VPN providers use different configuration files, so you'll need to check the documentation for your specific provider. The following example shows how to configure OpenVPN on Linux:

client

; route-gateway dhcp

; server 10.8.0.1 255.255.255.0

push "dhcp-option DNS 10.8.0.1"

; push "dhcp-option DNS 208.67.222.222"

; push "dhcp-option DNS 208.67.220.220"

The first line, client, tells OpenVPN that this is a configuration file for a client. The next three lines, route-gateway dhcp, server 10.8.0.1 255.255.255.0, and push "dhcp-option DNS 10.8.0.1", tell OpenVPN to route all traffic through the VPN and to use the VPN server's DNS instead of the local DNS. The last two lines, push "dhcp-option DNS 208.67.222.222" and push "dhcp-option DNS 208.67.220.220", tell OpenVPN to use the DNS servers provided by OpenDNS.

You can also specify static DNS servers by adding the following lines to your configuration file:

; push "dhcp-option DNS 10.8.0.1"

; push "dhcp-option DNS 208.67.222.222"

; push "dhcp-option DNS 208.67.220.220"

The first line, ; push "dhcp-option DNS 10.8.0.1", tells OpenVPN to use the DNS server at 10.8.0.1. The second line, ; push "dhcp-option DNS 208.67.222.222", tells OpenVPN to use the DNS servers provided by OpenDNS. The last line, ; push "dhcp-option DNS 208.67.220.220", tells OpenVPN to use the DNS servers provided by Google Public DNS.

After you've added the appropriate lines to your configuration file, save the file and restart OpenVPN. Your DNS queries should now be sent through the VPN.

If you're using a different VPN provider, check the documentation to see how to configure DNS for your specific provider. You may also need to add the following line to your configuration file:

;ms-dns 10.8.0.1

This line tells Windows to use the DNS server at 10.8.0.1. You'll need to add this line if you're using OpenVPN on Windows, or if you're using a different VPN provider that doesn't support push "dhcp-option DNS" in its configuration file.

Once you've configured DNS for your VPN, you can use a tool like DNSleaktest.com to check whether your DNS queries are being sent through the VPN. If they are, you'll see the IP address of your VPN server instead of your ISP's DNS servers.

If you're still having problems, try using a different DNS server. You can use the following public DNS servers:

- Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1

- Google Public DNS: 8.8.8.8

- Quad9: 9.9.9.9

- OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222

You can also try using a VPN service that provides its own DNS servers, such as ExpressVPN or NordVPN.

If you're still having problems, contact your VPN provider for more help.