How to Set DNS in Proxifier?

Setting DNS in Proxifier is crucial for controlling how network requests are resolved, ensuring privacy, preventing DNS leaks, and maintaining consistent connectivity when using a proxy. Properly configuring DNS helps direct your traffic efficiently and securely through the specified proxy servers.

Accessing Name Resolution Settings

To configure how Proxifier handles DNS, you need to access the "Name Resolution" settings within the application. This dialog allows you to manage various aspects of hostname resolution.

Steps to access DNS settings:

1. Open Proxifier.
2. Navigate to the Profile menu in the top bar.
3. Select Name Resolution from the dropdown menu.
4. Alternatively, you can click on the corresponding Name Resolution icon on the toolbar (often depicted as a globe or a network symbol).

Upon selecting this option, the "Name Resolution" dialog box will appear, presenting you with the various DNS configuration choices.

Understanding DNS Resolution Modes

Proxifier offers several modes for handling DNS queries, each suited for different scenarios and security requirements.

Automatic DNS Detection (Default)

By default, Proxifier is set to automatically detect your system's DNS settings.

• Mode Name: Detect DNS settings automatically
• Description: When this mode is enabled, Proxifier continuously monitors your network condition to automatically detect and use the DNS servers configured on your operating system (e.g., those assigned by your router or ISP).
• Use Case: This is the simplest option and works well for most general browsing and application usage when you don't have specific privacy or routing concerns related to DNS.

Manual DNS Configuration

For greater control or to use specific DNS providers (like public DNS services for enhanced privacy or speed), you can manually specify DNS servers.

Steps to configure DNS manually:

1. In the "Name Resolution" dialog, uncheck Detect DNS settings automatically.
2. In the "DNS Servers" section, click the Add button.
3. Enter the IP address of your desired DNS server (e.g., 8.8.8.8 for Google Public DNS, 1.1.1.1 for Cloudflare DNS).
4. Repeat for additional DNS servers to provide redundancy.
5. You can use the Up and Down buttons to prioritize the order of these servers.

Examples of public DNS servers:

• Google Public DNS: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
• Cloudflare DNS: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
• OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220

Resolving Hostnames Through Proxy (Remote DNS)

This is a critical feature for privacy and security, as it prevents DNS leaks by routing DNS queries through your proxy server.

• Mode Name: Resolve hostnames through Proxy
• Description: When enabled, Proxifier does not resolve hostnames locally on your computer. Instead, it sends the DNS query through the configured proxy server to be resolved by the DNS server on the proxy's network.
• Use Case: Essential for maintaining anonymity and preventing DNS leaks, especially when using VPNs or proxies that claim to hide your true IP address. Without this, your DNS queries might still go directly to your ISP, revealing your location or browsing habits.
• Considerations: This mode relies on the proxy server handling DNS queries correctly. If the proxy doesn't support remote DNS resolution or uses a slow DNS server, it might affect performance.

Advanced DNS Options and Best Practices

Within the Name Resolution dialog, you may find other options that refine how Proxifier handles DNS queries:

• Process DNS requests only from proxified applications: This option ensures that only applications routed through Proxifier have their DNS requests managed by Proxifier's settings, while other applications use the system's default DNS.
• DNS processing timeout: Allows you to set how long Proxifier waits for a DNS response before timing out.
• Prefer local DNS for local hostnames: Can be useful in corporate environments or networks with local servers that need to be resolved locally.

Best Practices for DNS Configuration:

• Prevent DNS Leaks: Always choose Resolve hostnames through Proxy when privacy is a concern. Test for DNS leaks regularly using online tools.
• Speed vs. Privacy: If speed is paramount and you trust your ISP, Detect DNS settings automatically might be faster. For better privacy and bypassing geo-restrictions, manual configuration with secure public DNS or remote DNS via proxy is preferred.
• Redundancy: When manually configuring, add at least two DNS servers to ensure continued resolution if one server becomes unavailable.
• Testing: After making changes, test your internet connectivity and DNS resolution. Try accessing various websites to confirm everything loads correctly.

Troubleshooting Common DNS Issues

If you encounter issues after configuring DNS in Proxifier, consider these troubleshooting steps:

• No Internet Access or Slow Loading:
  • Check if your proxy server is online and functioning correctly.
  • If using manual DNS, ensure the entered IP addresses are correct and the servers are reachable.
  • Try switching back to Detect DNS settings automatically to see if the issue resolves.
  • If using Resolve hostnames through Proxy, ensure your proxy supports this feature and is not overloaded.
• DNS Leaks:
  • Verify that Resolve hostnames through Proxy is enabled.
  • Ensure that no applications are bypassing Proxifier (e.g., via Proxification Rules).
  • Your proxy server might not be properly handling DNS; consider using a different proxy or a dedicated VPN service.
• Specific Websites Not Loading:
  • Clear your browser's DNS cache and system's DNS cache (ipconfig /flushdns on Windows).
  • Temporarily disable Proxifier to see if the issue persists, indicating it might not be Proxifier-related.

Summary of DNS Resolution Modes

By carefully configuring your DNS settings in Proxifier, you can ensure that your internet traffic is routed securely and efficiently, maintaining both performance and privacy.