To block porn on your home Wi-Fi, log in to your router and replace its DNS servers with a free family filter. Good choices are Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.3 and 1.0.0.3, CleanBrowsing’s Adult Filter at 185.228.168.10 and 185.228.169.11, or OpenDNS FamilyShield at 208.67.222.123 and 208.67.220.123. Once saved, every device on your Wi-Fi gets filtered automatically: phones, laptops, tablets, game consoles and smart TVs.
It takes about ten minutes, costs nothing, and covers devices that don’t have their own content settings. Here’s how to do it and what it won’t catch.
How DNS filtering works #
Every time a device opens a website, it first asks a DNS server to translate the site’s name into an address. Your router usually passes those questions to your internet provider. A family DNS service answers the same questions but refuses to give out addresses for adult sites. According to Cloudflare, when a domain matches its blocking list it returns 0.0.0.0 instead of the real address, so the site doesn’t load.
Change the DNS on the router and every device that gets its settings from the router uses the filter, with nothing to install.
Which free filter to choose #
All three are free for home use. Addresses come from each provider’s own documentation.
| Service | Primary DNS | Secondary DNS | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 for Families | 1.1.1.3 | 1.0.0.3 | Blocks malware and adult content |
| CleanBrowsing Adult Filter | 185.228.168.10 | 185.228.169.11 | Blocks adult sites and enforces SafeSearch; allows VPNs and mixed-content sites like Reddit |
| CleanBrowsing Family Filter | 185.228.168.168 | 185.228.169.168 | Stricter: also blocks proxies, VPNs and mixed-content sites like Reddit |
| OpenDNS FamilyShield | 208.67.222.123 | 208.67.220.123 | Preconfigured to block adult content; no sign-up |
For most households, Cloudflare or CleanBrowsing’s Adult Filter is a sensible default. The Family Filter closes more loopholes by blocking VPNs and proxies, but it also blocks some large sites other people in your home may use.
How to change your router’s DNS, step by step #
Every router’s admin page looks different, but the process follows the same shape. These steps follow Cloudflare’s router guide.
- Open your router’s admin page. Type the router’s IP address into a browser on a device connected to your Wi-Fi. It’s often
192.168.1.1or192.168.0.1, and it’s usually printed on a label on the router. Many newer routers and mesh systems use a phone app instead. - Log in. Use the admin username and password, which are often on the same label unless you’ve changed them.
- Find the DNS settings. Look under sections named Internet, WAN, DHCP, LAN or Advanced. The field is usually called DNS server, Primary DNS or Custom DNS.
- Write down the current values. If anything goes wrong, you can put them back.
- Enter the family filter’s primary and secondary addresses. Switch the setting from automatic (from your provider) to manual or custom first if needed.
- Save or apply the settings. Some routers restart.
- Reconnect your devices. Turn Wi-Fi off and on again on your phone and laptop so they pick up the new settings.
If your router won’t let you change DNS #
Some internet providers lock the DNS setting on the router they supply. If you can’t find or change it, you have three options: check your provider’s help pages for a way to change it, use your own router behind the provider’s box, or set the filter on each device instead. On Android that means Private DNS; on iPhone, Cloudflare’s app or Screen Time.
What a router filter doesn’t catch #
A router filter is a strong layer at home, but it has clear gaps:
- Mobile data. Phones on cellular don’t use your router. Set a filter on the phone itself to cover that.
- Other networks. Work, a friend’s place or a café Wi-Fi aren’t covered.
- Encrypted DNS in browsers. Some browsers can use their own “secure DNS” (DNS over HTTPS), which skips the router’s setting. Check the browser’s privacy or security settings and either turn it off or point it at the same family filter.
- VPNs and proxies. These route around your DNS entirely. The CleanBrowsing Family Filter blocks many of them.
- Content on mainstream sites. DNS filters block whole domains. Explicit material on a site that isn’t blocked as a whole won’t be filtered.
- You. You know the router password. As with any block, it adds friction and a delay rather than making access impossible.
Tell the people you live with #
A router filter affects everyone on the network. If you share your home with a partner or housemates, tell them you’re turning on a family filter, and pick one that won’t block things they need. Cloudflare’s or CleanBrowsing’s Adult Filter is less likely to cause problems than the stricter Family Filter. You don’t have to explain why unless you want to. “I’m setting up a filter that blocks adult sites and malware” covers it.
Pair the router with a plan for urges #
A home filter works well against the moment of drifting from an ordinary search into explicit content. It does less against a strong urge, because the urge will look for a way around it. That’s why filtering works best as one layer of a plan that also includes knowing your triggers and having something to do when an urge hits. Our guide to dealing with porn urges covers that routine.
Full Clear handles that side. It isn’t a blocker, but its free panic button walks you through breathing, reading your own reasons and a 90-second timer. Its free urge log records the hour, mood and situation each time, so you can see whether your urges happen at home on Wi-Fi at all or somewhere a router filter can’t reach.
If you want something stronger than DNS filtering, with tamper alerts or reports to someone you trust, see the best porn blocker apps.
Frequently asked questions #
Will changing my router’s DNS slow down my internet? #
Usually you won’t notice a difference. DNS lookups are a tiny part of loading a page, and large providers like Cloudflare run fast global networks. If something feels slow after the change, you can switch back to the values you wrote down.
Can router DNS filtering be bypassed? #
Yes. Using mobile data, a VPN, a proxy, or a browser’s own encrypted DNS all get around it, and anyone with the router password can change it back. It’s a useful layer that stops casual access, not a guarantee.
Does a router filter block porn on my phone? #
Only while your phone is connected to your home Wi-Fi. On mobile data or other networks, you need a filter on the phone itself, such as Private DNS on Android or Cloudflare’s app or Screen Time on iPhone.
Will the filter affect everyone in my house? #
Yes. Every device that connects to your Wi-Fi uses the router’s DNS. That’s the point for households with kids, but tell other adults in the home and pick a filter that won’t block sites they rely on.