Xfinity Router and DNS Change in 2022 – A Comprehensive Guide

Xfinity Internet is a service that certainly gives more than most ISPs out there. It is a reliable and effective internet service that is worth the time and money. Perhaps one of the best parts about being part of the Xfinity family is that you get a high-speed internet connection almost anywhere in the States. 

However, like all internet services out there, Xfinity Wi-Fi internet sometimes faces a few glitches as well. While everything appears perfect on the ISP front, sometimes the service is far from that. Consider a server outage right in the middle of a work call or a network outage on a weekend when your family is away and you are hoping to video call them.

Of course, the running about seems pointless after a while. Getting an Xfinity router means being stuck with Comcast’s default network settings and the much-talked-about DNS servers. Which is not entirely too easy to bypass. 

In this article, we discuss DNS and the settings that come in-built by default with the Xfinity router. You can bypass or change the DNS on your Xfinity Wi-Fi device without compromising your internet in a few ways. This paves way for an internet that is fast, effective, reliable, and much more secure than you may presently have. 

 

What is DNS?

DNS is a rather interesting concept and one that formed the initial basics of the internet. Before the advent of DNS, the internet was a rather confusing place to be. Let us outline why. 

The internet is a web of interconnected computers on a network that identify each other through an IP address. Hence, each website has a distinctive IP address that when entered responds by opening up the website. An IP address is a unique combination of numbers separated by periods.

For instance, consider what we know today as Amazon. Among its 100 million IPv4 addresses, one of Amazon’s owned IP addresses is 54.210.0.0. Now imagine learning a huge, big phonebook of all your favorite websites. Sounds tedious, doesn’t it?

Well, it is very exhausting. Therefore, the concept of DNS came to being. A Domain Name System is a system where websites contact each other using IP addresses. However, it is no longer necessary to type in the IP address. No. Now you can just use the domain name for the website and still reach the same place. 

So rather than typing in 54.210.0.0 into your address bar, all you need to do is type Amazon.com and you will reach your target website. This is all thanks to the DNS that has eased the way we connect over the internet. 

 

Can We Change the DNS on Xfinity?

Xfinity rarely struggles with DNS failures but it does happen. It may be due to increased internet consumption or other protocols. However, the default settings for the DNS come pre-set in the Xfinity Wi-Fi router and are a little tricky to get past. This is because the router has the DNS servers encoded on it which makes them quite immune to change. Even if you do manage to bypass the DNS, the Comcast gateways intercept the exchange and redirect it back to the DNS servers. 

However, there are certain ways through which you can change the DNS settings on your Xfinity router to help it become more manageable. In the following paragraphs, we have highlighted some ways through which you can change DNS on different systems. It does seem like a lot of work but for the most part, it works just fine.

 

Alternate DNS: Making the Switch  

The recent outages that Comcast has suffered in the Bay Area and Seattle are putting people at unease. The DNS offered commercially by Xfinity ISPs is not making the cut. So what then becomes of the DNS failure and what is the way around this? 

The answer is a simple and unproblematic switch to a public DNS. You can achieve this with just a few tweaks to the network settings and it is reversible if you ever want to go back to how things were before. Open DNS, Cloudflare, and Google DNS are the biggest contenders for public DNS on the market as of now.

 

Change Your DNS Server on Windows 10

If you have a Windows 10 PC in 2022, here are a few simple steps to change your DNS server. Follow the steps carefully and you shall be just fine. 

1. Open the Windows Start menu or press the Windows key
2. Select Settings 
3. When the menu opens up, select Network and Internet
4. Once in, click on the option that says Change Adapter Options
5. Select the connection that you want to change the DNS server. Usually, it would be the connection you are currently connected to and would be visible as green bars
6. Select the option that says Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). You would find it on the drop-down menu option but if you don’t just scroll through the list
7. Select Properties
8. Select the last option to enter a new DNS address. Some alternate DNS servers that you can use are OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222 & 208.67.220.220, Google DNS: 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4, and Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 & 1.0.0.1.
9. Click OK at the bottom of the box. Your edits would not go live until you do this step so do not skip this part! And, that is it. You have successfully changed the DNS settings on your Windows 10 device.

 

Change Your DNS Server on macOS

If you are a Mac user and want to use Xfinity Wi-Fi but not its default DNS, there is a simple way to get around it. Simply follow the steps below. 

1. Click on the Apple icon on the top left side of your screen
2. Select System Preferences
3. Select Network on the next page
4. Choose the option you want to change the DNS server for. A green circle with the connection shows that the network is connected. Once you have selected your connection click to launch the Advanced setting menu given at the bottom. 
5. On the top of the window, you will see an option for DNS. Select it
6. A new window pops up. Click on the plus (+) sign at the bottom of it
7. Enter a new DNS address. As mentioned above in the PC section, you can choose a public DNS like OpenDNS, Cloudflare, or the Google DNS
8. Click OK to save your new settings. Then go back to the Network window and click Apply so your settings will become functional. Once you do that, your DNS reaches full configuration and you can browse again.

 

Third-Party DNS Servers

A third-party DNS is one of the many public DNS servers that are available around the globe by different providers. They allow you freedom of access and because they have fewer people accessing them, faster browsing speed. 

Third-party DNS servers are quite effective because they manage almost 100% uptime. Most DNS servers also have extra security layers to keep their users safe so you cover that front too.

Some of the third-party DNS servers that work well with your Xfinity router are:

 

1. Google DNS:

This DNS is quite easy to reach at 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4 and hence popular with the public. However, it is important to know that Google stores the IP address of devices using their DNS servers. The information that Google accesses from your device is stored as either a temporary or a permanent log. 

The temporary log is stored for 24-48 hours and stores some information to help enhance the user experience. The permanent log is stored for good but does not have any personal information about you, rather the region and type of the request. 

2. Cloudflare:

Cloudflare has a DNS that is quite effective owing to the privacy and speed it offers. Their policy ensures that no user-sensitive data is stored on their servers and anything that is stored is deleted within 25 hours. You can reach the DNS at 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1, fairly easily. Cloudflare DNS is a good option to opt for if you are struggling with the internet through the Xfinity login and the original router DNS settings. 

 

Conclusion

We hope that our highlighted information on the ways you can tailor the DNS to your liking will help you customize your router settings. While you use your Xfinity router, you may not be willing to use the default DNS, which is completely understandable. You can switch to a different DNS without much hassle. 

However, whatever DNS you decide to choose, make sure you know the ins and outs of it. Privacy and security concerns can turn into major issues if not addressed early on. Choose a service that will best work for you without compromising your online presence.

 

FAQs

1. Is Xfinity/Comcast DNS fast?

While the Comcast DNS works well too, sometimes it can back up and slow down due to increased traffic and multiple online users.

2. What is the fastest DNS server in the United States of America?

Currently, the fastest DNS in the States is that of Cloudflare. It stands unparalleled in terms of both response time and security.

3. What are the default details for Xfinity router login?

Enter 10.0.0.1 in the address bar for your browser. The Xfinity login for your router will open up. All you have to do is type admin in your username panel and password in your passcode panel.

4. Do DNS servers affect gaming?

DNS servers do not directly affect gaming but some DNS servers may block malicious, advertising pop-ups, making the experience more enjoyable. DNS servers with better security are preferred while gaming because there is a high relay of information over the internet and it is best to have a DNS that keeps your private info safe.