Modern Smart TVs are able to open practically any web page as if we were in front of a classic PC: all models have a real web browser with which to open pages containing streaming videos or multimedia content not available as a dedicated app. Unfortunately, these browsers are not as fast as those seen on a computer, in addition to being able to present problems related to the additional contents of the page or to the block applied by some operator.If we want speed up the uploading of streaming videos to the Smart TV as much as possible, in this guide we will show you how to change DNS on Smart TV, so you can browse faster on any site without problems.
In the guide we will show you how to change the DNS on an LG Smart TV (used as a test), but the steps are practically identical on any operating system and any TV manufacturer, just find the right menus and act as indicated.
Change DNS on Smart TV
For the guide we will show you how to change the DNS of the Smart TV both if it is connected via Wi-Fi and if we use an Ethernet network cable to bring the Internet connection. Finally we will show you in a dedicated chapter how to change the DNS directly from the home modem, so as to apply the change to all connected network devices (including Smart TVs).Change DNS for Wi-Fi connections
Most Smart TVs are connected via Wi-Fi, so you can connect to the Internet without the aid of a cable, which is often difficult to use if there are multiple rooms in the home.To change the DNS of the Wi-Fi connection of the Smart TV in our possession, press the button Settings on the remote control, open the section relating to Network, Wi-Fi, wireless o Internet (depending on the TV model), we select the menu Advanced Wi-Fi settings, we press on the item Modification and insert the preferred DNS in the field DNS server (or a similar name).
If necessary, we also unlock the item that allows you to automatically obtain the configuration parameters from the modem (in the image Impost automatically), so you can change the DNS without any problem.
Once the desired DNS has been entered, simply confirm and turn off and turn on the Smart TV to make the changes effective: from the next Wi-Fi connection, the new DNS server will be used for the web pages and apps that connect to the Internet, obtaining a speed increase in loading and unblocking of unreachable sites.
Change DNS for Ethernet cable connections
If we connect the Smart TV via Ethernet cable, the changes are roughly similar to those already seen for Wi-Fi.
All we have to do is connect the Ethernet cable to the LAN socket of our TV, connect the other end to the modem and, once connected, access the Smart TV settings again, so that we can change the DNS in the menu Network, Internet o LAN (depending on the TV in use). Once the right page is open, remove the check mark from the automatic settings and configure DNS server, DNS Server or similar entries, setting the DNS service we intend to use.
At the end, we recommend turning the Smart TV off and on again, so that the changes made take effect.
Change DNS from the modem / router
Can't we change DNS on our Smart TV or do we want to apply this change to multiple Smart TVs in one go, without wasting time on manual configuration? In this case we advise you to act directly from the modem, applying the DNS change in the advanced settings.To do this, turn on any PC equipped with a Web browser and connected to the same network used by the Smart TV, open the Web browser and type 192.168.1.1 in the address bar to access the modem configuration panel. On some modems the IP address is different, so it is better to retrieve it directly from Windows as seen in our guide How to find the IP address of the home router.
Once inside the modem configuration panel, press on the menu Network o Internet settings, identifichiamo il menu DNS o DNS settings, remove the check mark from the automatic DNS item and set the preferred DNS servers in the respective fields.
Once the DNS has been set, press on Apply or on OK and we wait a few minutes for the changes to take effect. From now on, any device connected to our home network will use the DNS chosen in the modem, so as to circumvent any blocks and prevent the loading of unwanted content on all the Smart TVs in our possession.
If the proprietary modem prevents DNS modification (which is very common on modems offered by operators), we can unblock the situation by connecting a personal router in cascade or by changing the proprietary modem with a compatible modem, such as those visible in our guide Best Modem to Buy (Fiber, Dual Band, Wireless AC).
Conclusions
By changing DNS server on our Smart TV we will be able to surf the Internet without having to pay attention to where you click or without running into some blocked site, so you can see the multimedia contents and videos in streaming without problems. By setting the Google DNS for example (8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4) we will have a faster response speed when loading pages and no active blocking.To learn more about the best DNS that we can use for a Smart TV, we recommend that you read our guides to 5 faster and safer DNS addresses to protect your internet connection and how Always have the fastest DNS servers with DNSJumper.
If our priority is to be able to open any blocked or obscured site, just read our article on how Open any blocked or blacked-out site in 6 ways.
