Nintendo’s latest video console, the Switch has conquered the gaming world. From “Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee” to enabling Hulu streaming, Nintendo Switch has taken care of it. The gaming console uses Wi-Fi to connect online and so, by default, the DNS settings on your Nintendo Switch should be set automatically once you are connected to a hotspot or Wi-Fi network.
These DNS settings are the ones from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) but you can manually configure a different set of servers like Google’s DNS servers if you face any DNS issues. Unknown to you, your connection may be inconsistent and incompatible. Thankfully, to fix this issue, it is recommended that you change or optimize your DNS settings for an effective connection.
Have you ever wondered how to change the DNS settings on your Nintendo Switch? Do you spend hours trying to figure out what the heck DNS means? Then this guide is for you! It will walk you through setting up a proxy server, effectively bypassing any filters put in place by your ISP. If you have tried to change the DNS settings on your Nintendo Switch, but it wasn’t working? We have the solution with our step-by-step tutorial.
In this guide, I will show you quick steps on how you can change the primary and secondary DNS settings on your Nintendo Switch. We will be using the DNS provided by Google in this tutorial because they tend to be faster and more reliable than DNS servers from other Internet Service Providers (ISPs). However, if you want to use your own network settings, you are free to do so.
Before we get started, let’s know about DNS.
Table of Contents
What is DNS?
DNS is an abbreviation for Domain Name System. DNS work just like the phonebook where you can search for a certain person on your contact list and get their phone number. DNS is touted as the phonebook of the internet; connecting across multiple web browsers with websites.
The Domain Name System is responsible for translating domain names into a given IP address to enable the initiating client to load the requested internet resources. In a nutshell, it translates the words or figures you entered into its IP address to give the browser a better understanding of what you are trying to do.
The Domain Name System encompasses all software and hardware used by the internet uses to translate hostnames into IP addresses and also provide other domain-related information.
There are numerous reasons why any Nintendo Switch owner would consider changing his DNS sever provided to him by his ISP after subscribing to their service. The reason is that some of them may not be inconsistent or unreliable for running a game smoothly on the Nintendo Switch.
Before you change your default or current DNS settings, ensure that you write them down just in case you need to revert back to them later.
In case you are considering changing your DNS settings, here are some of the free DNS servers that you should take note of:
Google
8.8.8.8.
8.8.4.4.
Open DNS
208.67.222.222.
208.67.220.220.
DNS (Domain Name Servers) are the gateway to the internet. If your DNS settings aren’t correct, you won’t be able to connect to certain websites on your Nintendo Switch. I’ve created this article purely for educational use to diagnose and resolve any setup issues or errors with DNS connectivity.
How To Change The DNS Settings On Your Nintendo Switch
Anyone can easily customize the Nintendo Switch’s DNS settings. However, if you are not tech-savvy or haven’t done this before, this guide will help you configure the DNS settings of your Nintendo Switch with ease.
Just as I said, changing the DNS settings on your Switch is easy. All that you need to do is to get to the Settings menu and the Internet area.
Follow these steps below to better grasp the concept:
Visit the Home Menu: Press or hold the button directly below the right analog stick, which has a home icon.
Open Internet Settings: Go to the Settings icon, click on Internet and then select Internet Settings. You may have to wait for a while for the console to search for available networks.
Change DNS Settings: Once you have accessed the Registered Networks list, choose your own network by pressing A. Now, select Change Settings, scroll down to DNS Settings, and click on it.
Enter Your Preferred DNS Servers: Choose Manual, go to Primary DNS, input your DNS server, and press OK. After that, move over to Secondary DNS and enter your preferred server too. Press OK when you are done.
Already, we have provided you with Google’s Domain Name System. If you want to use Google’s DNS, enter 8.8.8.8 for Primary DNS and 8.8.4.4 for Secondary DNS.
Why Should I Change The DNS Settings On My Nintendo Switch?
All over the world, the Nintendo Switch is considered one of the best gaming consoles for gamers. The design and features of this console endear it to game-inclined individuals. That said, Nintendo began including VoD apps in its stores.
Currently, the likes of YouTube and Hulu have not only made it a high-quality game console but an exciting tool anyone can enjoy. With Hulu and YouTube, you will surely enjoy a great streaming experience.
Have you ever noticed a decline in your internet connection while playing games or watching a video on your Nintendo Switch? If yes, the problem can be traced to your Internet Service Provider’s servers. Due to overload and peak times, the speed of your internet connection reduces, thereby ruining your online video streaming and gaming erratically.
If you want your Nintendo Switch to have an active internet connection or to access the Nintendo eShop with ease, one of the things you must have to set up properly is the Domain Name Server. If you face connection error issues like the 2813-0998 and 2110-3127 error codes, you may have to check the network settings on your Nintendo Switch.
Most people do not know that the Nintendo Switch may not work properly because of this issue. At times, a hitch in the network connection may revert all values of your DNS to zeros, and this can cause problems in connecting to the internet. To prevent this from happening, follow the method I have you above to change your Nintendo Switch’s DNS settings.
At some point, I had a DNS error after changing the region of my Nintendo account and this made it almost impossible for me to access the Nintendo eShop. To fix this problem, I had to check my DNS Settings, and I manually changed the Primary and Secondary DNS to Google’s servers.
Changing your DNS settings will help you overcome some glitches. There are various benefits of configuring the DNS settings on the Nintendo Switch.
Let’s have a closer look at some of them, shall we?
What are The Benefits of Changing DNS Settings On Nintendo Switch?
1. Improved Internet Speed
Internet speeds rely largely on the strength of your Internet Service Provider. If your ISP doesn’t invest enough resources in their servers, you will likely experience the thing dreaded by online gamers– game lags.
However, when you change your DNS, you could get a server that is used by a handful of people. This will not only prevent delays and lags when you are online but also give you a better internet speed. Then again, streamers can enjoy their videos without the annoying buffering sign showing up every minute or so.
To avoid this frustrating latency, consider changing your DNS server.
2. Access to Geo-Restricted Content
The release of streaming giants, YouTube and Hulu on Nintendo Switch is a bonus for video streamers, who can now play games and also watch their favorite shows, blockbuster movies, and videos with their console. You can as well project your Nintendo Switch to a big-screen TV with the push of a button.
Regrettably, Hulu is only available in the United States. The same thing also goes for certain YouTube videos that are only available in certain regions of the world. Luckily, if you use a Smart DNS service, this will not be an issue.
You can easily falsify your online location and emerge anywhere across the world using smart DNS services such as Express VPN, NordVPN, BulletVPN, and Unlocator. The abovementioned Smart DNS service provider will modify the parts in the URL that reveal your location and whereabouts.
When changing your location, you will appear anywhere the service you are connected to is based. Therefore, if you switch to a server in the United States, you will be granted access to Hulu.
Furthermore, there are reports that Netflix may join Hulu and Youtube on the Nintendo Switch. If this comes to fruition, then using a Smart DNS service like ExpressVPN to access the rich American Netflix library would be a bright idea – especially if you love the video content from the U.S.
Is Changing The DNS Settings Safe?
Safety isn’t a feature that comes with every VPN. A VPN can help change your DNS settings but will not provide the extra later of protection that you want. However, it may quicken your connection speed and give you unrestricted access to geo-restricted content, and nothing more.
Although Google’s servers may try to help you keep off from phishing and malicious websites, and protect you from DOS attacks, however that is not enough. If you want to increase your online security, then consider installing a VPN on your Nintendo Switch.
Encrypting your data with a VPN may reduce your internet speed a bit but this is the price that you’ve to pay for your security. If you wouldn’t want to expose yourself or if want to keep your whereabouts as discreet as possible, having a Smart DNS is the best way to get optimal internet speed.
Safety comes first and should be your priority as well.
What Are The Best Smart DNS Service Providers?
The main job of a Smart DNS tool is to bypass regional and territorial restrictions. If content or material is only available in certain regions or locations, using a smart DNS service can help you access that material.
Here are some of the top DNS Service providers right now. You can consider investing in them to enhance your streaming and gaming experience on the Nintendo Switch.
ExpressVPN is one of the trusted and reliable options in the VPN industry. When paired with the Nintendo Switch, it delivers a superior gaming experience. This VPN provider has its own Smart DNS Service, which it calls ‘MediaStream’. Also, you can get to watch and play games and watch videos online without experiencing any latency, lags, or restrictions whatsoever.
Surfshark has a wide coverage. It covers over 65 countries and boasts more than 2,000 servers. The gigantic server network of this VPN service provides you with a variety of options to connect to. More importantly, you can configure your Nintendo Switch’s DNS settings with this VPN. Upon changing your DNS Settings with this tool, viewing geo-restricted content will no longer be an issue.
BulletVPN gives you incredibly fast and supersonic servers around the world. It doesn’t have a huge number of servers but the locations it offers are very useful. BulletVPN has a Smart DNS service, so streamers can have an amazing experience while using it.
Like other providers in this list, NordVPN boasts a huge server network. This Panama-based company is ranked on the list of the top 5 best VPNs. Aside from that, it has a Smart DNS feature that enables you to unblock geo-restricted material and stream any content you want on your Nintendo Switch console.
One of the underrated but powerful VPN services is Unlocator. This VPN provider has a user-friendly and intuitive interface that is simple and great to use. Unlocator unblocks restrictions and gives you access to more than 240 channels worldwide. Popular channels such as E! and Netflix can be found in its channel list.
Conclusion
So, now you know how to change the DNS on Switch, making it easy for you to get anywhere on the internet. Once you’ve set up your own DNS settings on your Switch, Nintendo will not be able to track your location info and other private data.
We hope that you were able to change your Nintendo Switch’s DNS settings with this guide. If at any point in time you have any problem changing the DNS servers, always refer to this guide to help you out. Maybe you are troubleshooting a connection problem, consider checking for the problem after changing the DNS settings.
Now that you know the benefits of reconfiguring your Nintendo Switch DNS servers, you can now bypass throttling and secure access to geo-restricted content worldwide.
If you haven’t done this on your Nintendo Switch yet, then follow the instructions and let us know how it works for you. Our steps worked perfectly for us, so we would like to get as much feedback as possible to help other gamers with this same issue.
Roger Mark is a freaky gamer who has been involved in the gaming industry for more than a decade, mostly testing out hundreds of gaming consoles and devices including gaming mice, headphones, earbuds, controllers, speakers, chairs, desks, and TVs. After getting a massive amount of information about gaming gadgets, Roger deemed it wise to share it with others too. His articles are in-depth and simple to understand. When he is not writing, there is a 99% chance that he's playing video games or watching a blockbuster movie.
