> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.decodo.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overview 

This page explains how DNS works with Decodo proxies, what a **DNS leak** looks like, and why online DNS tests can sometimes show confusing results.

## DNS Setup

To change the DNS on your desired operating system, follow these OS guides:

* [**Windows DNS setup**](https://help.decodo.com/docs/dns-windows)
* [**macOS DNS setup**](https://help.decodo.com/docs/dns-macos)
* [**Android DNS setup**](https://help.decodo.com/docs/dns-android)
* [**iOS DNS setup**](https://help.decodo.com/docs/dns-ios)

<br />

## DNS and Proxies

When you connect to a proxy, websites see the proxy’s IP address, not your real one.

But DNS (the system that converts hostnames like example.com into IP addresses) can still leak information about:

* Which domains do you visit
* Your approximate location, if DNS is resolved by your ISP or local network

For privacy, geo-targeting, and bypassing DNS-based blocks, it's best for the DNS to behave predictably and match your proxy connection.

<br />

## How Proxies Resolve DNS

It depends on the type of proxy and how your tool is configured:

* `HTTP`/`HTTPS` proxies
  * In typical setups, your app sends the hostname (e.g., example.com) to the proxy.
  * The proxy then resolves DNS and connects to the site.
  * DNS appears to come from the proxy location.
* `SOCKS5` proxies
  * There are two types, controlled by your tool configuration:
    * `SOCKS5`: many tools resolve DNS locally and send only the IP to the proxy.
    * `SOCKS5h`: tools send the hostname (not the IP) to the proxy, so DNS is resolved on the proxy.
  * Whether DNS is local or remote depends on how your software uses SOCKS5, not just the proxy itself.

<Note>
  If you care about avoiding local DNS leaks, use `HTTP(S)` or `SOCKS5h` where possible, or configure your DNS on the device to use a trusted resolver (see our device guides).
</Note>

<br />

## DNS Leaks

In the context of proxies, **a DNS leak** is when your queries are being resolved by your **ISP or local network**, even though your traffic itself is going through a proxy.

In other words: the party that should no longer see which domains you visit (e.g. your ISP), still does, because your device is sending DNS queries outside of the proxy path.

What **may not be a DNS leak**:

* DNS is resolved by a public resolver (Google, Cloudflare, etc.) in a country different from:
  * your real country
  * the proxy server you're connecting to
* DNS tests show a location that belongs to our DNS provider, a CDN, or a large anycast network, not exactly the proxy IP/location.

These can look strange in DNS leak tests, but they are often simply the resolver’s own infrastructure, not an exposure of the real IP or ISP.

<br />

## Reduce DNS issues

If you want more control and consistency over DNS, you can:

1. Set a trusted DNS resolver on your device, such as:
   * Google DNS: `8.8.8.8` and `8.8.4.4`
   * Cloudflare DNS: `1.1.1.1` and `1.0.0.1`
2. Prefer proxy modes that resolve DNS on the proxy, such as:
   * `HTTP`/`HTTPS` proxies
   * `SOCKS5H`

For our DNS OS setup guides, click [**here**](https://help.decodo.com/docs/dns#to-change-dns-on-your-desired-operating-system-follow-these-device-guides).

***

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