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Just like in Mac OS X, you can change the DNS servers on your iPad. This can significantly speed up Safari and other iPad apps that use the Internet. For a general introduction to DNS, and to learn why you would want to change the DNS servers on your iPad, see How to Change Your Mac's DNS Servers.

Before we start, you should know a couple things about how iOS handles DNS. First, these instructions only work for Wi-Fi connections - iOS does not allow you to change the DNS servers when connected to cellular networks. Also, the changes are network specific, so you'll need to change the DNS servers every time you connect to a new wireless network. The good news is that iOS remembers the settings, so you won't have to do anything the second time you connect to a network.

Here's how to change your iPad's DNS servers:

1. From the iPad's home screen, tap Settings.
   
   
2. Tap General on the sidebar. The screen shown below appears.
   
   



3. Tap Network. The screen shown below appears.
   
   



4. Tap Wi-Fi. The available wireless networks in range of your iPad appear, as shown below.
   
   



5. Find your wireless network in the list, and then click the arrow. The screen shown below appears.
   
   



6. Tap the DNS field.
   
   
7. Delete the current DNS servers, and enter the new DNS servers. (If you enter more than one DNS server, be sure sure to separate the servers with commas.)
   • To use OpenDNS, enter 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
   • To use Google DNS, enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
8. Test your new DNS servers to make sure they're working.
   • If you're using OpenDNS, visit the OpenDNS test page.
   • If you're using Google Public DNS, follow these testing instructions.

That's it! You've updated your iPad's DNS servers!

Related Articles

• How to Find the Best DNS Servers
• How to Change Your Mac's DNS Servers
• Change an AirPort Extreme's DNS Servers

Meet Your Macinstructor

Matt Cone, the author of Master Your Mac, has been a Mac user for over 20 years. A former ghost writer for some of Apple's most notable instructors, Cone founded Macinstruct in 1999, a site with OS X tutorials that boasts hundreds of thousands of unique visitors per month. You can email him at: [email protected].