This article outlines some of the most common and effective ways to configure your network to use CyberFOX DNS Filtering. Whether you manage a small office, a school, or a larger enterprise environment, these methods are designed to help you enforce safe and reliable DNS resolution across your entire network.

CyberFOX DNS Filtering works by intercepting DNS queries and blocking access to malicious, inappropriate, or unwanted content before it reaches your users. By configuring your network to forward DNS traffic to CyberFOX’s secure servers, you gain centralized control over internet access and enhance your network’s protection against online threats.

The configuration method you choose will depend on your network’s size, structure, and existing hardware. This guide provides practical examples and best practices for setting up DNS forwarding at the router, firewall, or DHCP server level, ensuring that all devices on your network benefit from CyberFOX’s filtering capabilities.

Important Configuration Guidelines

Avoid Mixing DNS Providers

• Many devices use round-robin DNS resolution, meaning they alternate between listed DNS servers.
• If you include non-CyberFOX DNS servers, some queries may bypass filtering.
• Only use CyberFOX DNS servers in your configuration:
  • 34.196.202.175
  • 54.80.208.248

Do Not Assign DNS Directly to Client Devices

• Assigning CyberFOX DNS IPs directly to endpoints can break access to local resources (e.g., printers, file servers, internal domains).
• Instead, configure DNS forwarding at the router, firewall, or DHCP server level.
• This ensures:
  • Proper resolution of local hostnames.
  • Centralized control and consistent filtering.

Configuring CyberFOX DNS on a Router

Setting CyberFOX DNS IPs directly on your router is a simple and effective way to enforce DNS filtering in smaller environments, such as:

• Home or small office networks
• Personal use
• Locations without local user authentication

In this setup, the router acts as a DNS forwarder. All DNS queries from connected devices are sent to the router, which then forwards them to CyberFOX’s DNS servers for resolution.

How It Works

• Devices on your network send DNS requests to the router.
• The router forwards those requests to:
  • Primary DNS: 34.196.202.175
  • Secondary DNS: 54.80.208.248

Configuration Notes

• The exact steps to update DNS settings vary by router brand and model.
• Typically, you’ll find DNS settings under sections like:
  • Network Settings
  • Internet Settings
  • LAN/DHCP Settings

Configure the DHCP Server

Using your DHCP server to assign CyberFOX DNS IPs is a flexible and scalable way to enforce filtering across your network, especially when using NAT IPs to apply different filtering policies to different subnets.

This method is ideal for environments such as:

• Public or guest Wi-Fi networks
• Networks without local resources (e.g., no printers, file servers, or internal domains)
• Networks using NAT IPs to apply multiple filtering policies

How It Works

When you configure DNS forwarding through the DHCP server:

• Devices automatically receive CyberFOX DNS IPs when they connect to the network.
• All DNS queries from those devices are sent directly to:
  • Primary DNS: 34.196.202.175
  • Secondary DNS: 54.80.208.248

Configuration Tips

• DHCP configuration steps vary by manufacturer. Refer to your device’s documentation for instructions on setting custom DNS servers.
• On many routers, this setting is found under the DHCP Server or LAN Settings section.
• Be sure not to mix DNS providers—only use CyberFOX DNS IPs to ensure consistent filtering.

Firewall 

To ensure all DNS traffic on your network is filtered through CyberFOX DNS, you can configure your firewall to redirect all DNS queries, even if users attempt to bypass filtering by changing their DNS settings.

This setup is especially useful in environments such as:

• School or educational networks
• Networks with ISP-level transparent DNS proxies
• Offices or public spaces where users can modify DNS settings

Microsoft Entra Domain Services

Microsoft Entra Domain Services (formerly Azure AD Domain Services) supports DNS management through conditional forwarders, allowing organizations to direct DNS queries for specific domains to external DNS providers, such as CyberFOX DNS Filter. This is particularly useful for leveraging CyberFOX’s DNS filtering and threat protection capabilities. Since server-level forwarders and root hints are not supported in Entra Domain Services, administrators must use a Windows Server VM joined to the managed domain to configure DNS settings using the DNS Manager or PowerShell.

To begin, ensure you have:

• A Windows Server VM is joined to the Entra Domain Services domain.
• DNS Server Tools installed (RSAT-DNS-Server).
• Membership in the AAD DC Administrators group.

Follow Microsoft's documentation to Manage DNS for Microsoft Entra Domain Services and set conditional forwarders or configure DNS forwarding by logging onto the Domain Controllers and issuing the PowerShell command below to replace the forwarders with the CyberFOX IPs. 

View Existing Conditional Forwarders

Get-DnsServerZone | Where-Object {$_.ZoneType -eq "Forwarder"}

Set Global Forwarders (if managing a standalone DNS server)

Note: Not supported directly in Entra Domain Services, but useful in hybrid setups and standalone DNS servers.

Set-DnsServerForwarder -IPAddress "203.0.113.10","203.0.113.11" -UseRootHint $False -PassThru