Do You Need a DNS Number to Access a Wireless Router?
Domain Naming Service is an essential component of computer networking, including local wireless networks, but you do not need to have the DNS address to successfully connect to a wireless network router. However, improperly configured DNS on a wireless router can cause connection issues.
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Wireless Access
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At minimum, you will need to know the name, also known as the Secure Set Identifier, of the wireless network you wish to connect to. If the network is secured via an encryption key like WPA2, you will also need to know the alphanumeric passphrase to gain access to the wireless network.
DNS Role
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Computers use IP addresses to communicate over networks. DNS resolves IP addresses to meaningful names that humans can read. For computers on a wireless network to be able to access Internet addresses such as http://www.yahoo.com, a DNS server must be specified on the wireless router during configuration.
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DNS Servers
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On enterprise networks, a DNS server may be a dedicated DNS server within the network. For networks like home networks or small businesses where the wireless router is connected to a broadband Internet modem, this DNS service is often provided by the Internet Service Provider. You may also choose to use public DNS servers, which are faster and more reliable than ISP DNS servers. Google, OpenDNS and Level 3 Communications all have public DNS servers that are free to use.
Problems
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If DNS is not properly configured on the wireless router, computers connecting to the wireless router may be unable to access the Internet via domain names such as http://www.google.com though they may still be able to connect directly via an IP address such as http://74.125.224.148/. To resolve this problem, you must access the wireless router's configuration menu and change the DNS server address. The exact method will vary depending on the make and model of your wireless router, so it best to check your router's documentation for exact steps.
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