OpenDNS review: addresses, setup, and honest trade-offs

Addresses and encrypted DNS

OpenDNS publishes a standard pair of IPv4 addresses plus IPv6, and supports encrypted transport for anyone who wants to avoid plaintext DNS queries.

For encrypted DNS, OpenDNS supports DNS-over-TLS at dns.opendns.com and DNS-over-HTTPS at https://doh.opendns.com/dns-query. Its DoH endpoint doesn't expose the permissive CORS headers a browser needs to time it directly, which is why OpenDNS shows up in the edge comparison rather than the in-browser DNS speed test — most operating systems and routers, however, can use DoT or DoH natively.

FamilyShield: filtering without an account

FamilyShield is OpenDNS's pre-configured, adult-content-blocking variant. Instead of logging into a dashboard and picking categories, you simply point your device or router at a different address pair and the filtering is already active.

FamilyShield blocks adult content plus the same phishing and malware domains as the standard resolver. It does not offer granular category controls — for that, OpenDNS requires a free account and configuring the resolver to recognize your network, typically by registering your public IP address or installing a lightweight roaming client.

Phishing and malware protection

The core value of the standard OpenDNS resolver is that it refuses to resolve domains known to host phishing pages or malware, using Cisco's threat-intelligence feeds. This happens before your browser even connects to the site, so a blocked domain typically shows a block page instead of loading. It's a meaningful safety net for households and small offices that don't want to rely solely on browser-level phishing warnings.

Privacy trade-offs, honestly

Owned by Cisco. Offers configurable content filtering with a free account; logging follows Cisco's privacy policy. If your priority is minimizing what any resolver operator can see about your browsing, that's worth weighing against resolvers built specifically around a no-logging pledge, such as Cloudflare or Quad9. OpenDNS's default use of EDNS Client Subnet (ECS) also means it shares part of your network's location with the authoritative servers it queries, which can improve content-delivery-network routing at a small privacy cost. See our best DNS for privacy guide for a fuller comparison.

Speed: what to expect

OpenDNS runs on Cisco's global anycast network, so it's generally reliable across regions. Exactly how fast it answers from your connection depends on your ISP's routing and distance to the nearest node — we don't publish fixed latency numbers because they vary by location and moment. Run the live DNS speed test to see how OpenDNS compares to other resolvers from where you actually are. As with any resolver, a faster DNS response shortens the brief delay before a page starts loading — it does not increase your download or upload bandwidth.

Pros and cons

Who OpenDNS suits

OpenDNS is a solid fit if you want built-in phishing protection with essentially zero setup, or if a household needs simple adult-content blocking without managing a filtering app on every device — FamilyShield covers that at the router level in a couple of minutes. It also suits small offices that already trust Cisco's security ecosystem. If your top priority is the strictest possible no-logging privacy or you want ad blocking baked in, a resolver like Quad9 (security-first, non-profit, no-logging) or AdGuard DNS (ad and tracker blocking) is likely a better match — see our privacy-focused comparison and the general best DNS for gaming guide if latency and jitter matter more than filtering.

How to set up OpenDNS

Enter the primary and secondary addresses above (or the FamilyShield pair for automatic content filtering) into your router for network-wide protection, or into an individual device if you only want it there. Full click-by-click steps:

• Change DNS on Windows
• Change DNS on macOS
• Change DNS on Android
• Change DNS on iPhone
• Change DNS on Linux
• Change DNS on your router