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WiFi Devices: Smartphones, Game Consoles, etc.
OpenDNS speed, reliability and safety can be applied to devices that access the Internet through wireless (WiFi) networks or hotspots. Supported devices include personal computers, many smartphones, game consoles, digital media players and Internet browsing devices such as tablet computers and iPads.
A WiFi network is provided from an integrated wireless network router (WiFi capability and network router in a single device) or a wireless access point connected to a port of a network router. In either case, a WiFi network is simply a wireless extension of an existing network, which is defined by a unique IP address.
All OpenDNS filtering and security settings for a network, including a WiFi network, are inherited by the computers and devices connected to that network.
To configure OpenDNS for WiFi devices, we highly recommend configuring your WiFi network router to use the OpenDNS servers. For those instructions, follow this link.
Many cellular smartphones are WiFi compatible, which provides two network options for sending and receiving data: the cellular network primarily used by the phone (e.g. 3G, 4G, GPRS, etc.) and a WiFi network. If OpenDNS is configured as the DNS for the WiFi network, OpenDNS filtering and security settings are applied to the smartphone that is utilizing that WiFi network.
To use a smartphone on a WiFi network, the phone must have WiFi activated and be connected to an available WiFi network. When connecting to a WiFi network that does not use OpenDNS, you may not be able to use OpenDNS during that session unless DNS settings can be explicitly set on that phone.
Some smartphones have adjustable DNS settings that you can configure to use OpenDNS servers when browsing the Internet, which enables OpenDNS benefits such as greater Internet speed, reliability and safety. A phone configured to use OpenDNS is protected from botnet and phishing threats, which is useful when connecting to WiFi routers that are not already configured to use OpenDNS.
However, comprehensive filtering and security settings that may have been configured on the WiFi router at home and office will not apply when your phone is connected to another WiFi network, as that network will have a different IP address.
To use OpenDNS for use on a smartphone via WiFi, we recommend configuring your router to use OpenDNS for DNS requests. To change the DNS settings on a smartphone, please refer to the manufacturer instructions or the cellular provider's website.