Encrypted DNS overview
The Domain Name System (DNS) server matches domain names (like www.netgear.com) to their IP addresses. Instead of having to remember a website’s IP address, you can enter the domain name, and DNS resolves the domain name to its IP address. For more information, see What is a Domain Name System (DNS) server?.
Encrypted DNS connections are either DNS over TLS (DoT) or DNS over HTTPS (DoH). These connections increase security and user privacy by encrypting the data sent between DNS resolvers and client devices (for example, a computer or smartphone). These types of connections might increase the privacy of your network, but they interfere with parental controls services like NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls (SPC).
Encrypted DNS connections have a built-in fallback state. If a connection to a DoH or DoT server is blocked, some browsers default to non-encrypted communication.
If your browser does not revert to a non-encrypted DNS connection and you are unable to access a certain website, you must manually disable DoH (most browsers don’t support DoT).
Encrypted DNS connections and NETGEAR SPC
NETGEAR SPC blocks encrypted DNS connections because with DoT or DoH enabled, SPC cannot properly monitor or manage your family members’ devices. This setting should not affect how your devices connect to the Internet, because the fallback state is active.
Mozilla Firefox turns on DoH automatically; if you cannot access websites as a result of NETGEAR SPC blocking encrypted DNS connections, you can disable DoH. To disable DoH on Mozilla Firefox, follow the instructions in the Manually Enabling and disabling DNS-over-HTTPS section of Mozilla's Firefox DNS-over-HTTPS article.
DoH is disabled by default in other browsers. If you previously enabled DoH in Chrome, or if you subscribe to Apple iCloud+ and use Safari's Private Relay function, you might need to disable them.
- For Google Chrome, follow the instructions in the Use a secure connection to look up sites’ IP addresses section of Google's Manage Chrome safety and security article.
- For Apple Safari, follow the Turn off iCloud Private Relay instructions for your device in Apple's About iCloud Private Relay article.
For more information: