Changing DNS using Android VPN Apps.

A

ashjas

Messages
8
Location
Delhi
ISP
Airtel
Hi,

I am trying to change the DNS server on Android through Netguard.
The problem i am facing, is that Netguard is only able to change the DNS while i am on mobile data, and not when connected to
wifi on Excitel broadband.

I have tested many VPN apps that intend to change the DNS by way of establishing a dummy local VPN on android, and none of them are
able to effect a dns change (verify through DNS leak test)

The only app that thats able to do this is the cloudfare app, but then, i dont want its dns server, i want a custom dns server which
is not in scope for this app.

I contacted netguard dev, but he isnt very interested to have a look on this.

My request is, can any excitel users test this through netguard app? Steps are here. (refer point 4).

I guess, its something to do with excitel infrastructure, thats preventing this, as i tried this on 2-3 devices and all behave same, so its not os issue.
Moreover, as soon as i switch to another wifi(JioFi) netguard/(other dns changer apps) are able to effect the dns change.

Thanks.
 
Try Intra.
 
I tried intra app, but same behaviour as netguard.
Edit..
Well, sorry, but i tried again, and intra apps behaviour is same as cloudflare app.

One thing i noted, is that both cloudflare and intra app do dns over https, so that might be a differentiating factor.
And Netguard afaik doesnt do dns over https.

But still i dont get why dns over https is REQUIRED for excitel , and not for other wifi/ or mobile data


But even this intra app isnt a solution for my needs, as i need a proper firewall with DNS changer, which netguard only provides,
minus, the dns changer thats not working with excitel!

Puzzled..
 
Last edited:
You would need DoH/DoT to bypass Excitel's interference with DNS queries. I use DNS Crypt on my PC specifically for this reason.
 
i recommended intra because it allows for custom dns servers. but you would only be able to use dot/doh capable dns servers.
 
Try smartdnsproxy(Paid service)
 

ashjas said:
The problem i am facing, is that Netguard is only able to change the DNS while i am on mobile data, and not when connected to
wifi on Excitel broadband.
Click to expand...

I have only seen the opposite most of the time.

Even though the DNS is as old as the internet itself, it is yet to become a standard or stable or it is yet to become perfect. Lots of things are happening around DNS these days. So, we can't expect it to work the way we want it to work.

Anyway, if you are on Android Pie, you may use private DNS with AdGuard DNS. Works fine for approximately 80% of the time on both mobile and wifi connection. I don't use Excitel, btw. But, I don't think Excitel has any control over the DNS, especially if we use DoH or DoT.
 
I use Airtel (4G) for mobile data.

Even with Airtel, I can change DNS server using a workaround (apart from private DNS feature in Android Pie). I rarely use the workaround for DNS, though. I have a VPN at work connected with Airtel VDSL through Mikrotik. So, I connect to my work VPN that in turn changes the DNS. Again, I use it only to connect to server/s at work when I am at home.
 
which popular/trusted dns providers allow dns over https expect cloudflare ?

for pc I am using simple dns and for mobile I recently got pie update, because my isp also do the same transparent dns hijacking.
 
quad does.

Now Testing DNSCrypt • Quad 9 Privacy

google of course does but does not seem to be available on dnscrypt right now. so hard to get it on pc.

there are a bunch of more that are listed in simple dnscrypt app.

Fpyze2A.png
 

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