Quick Start Setup Guide

Quick Start Setup Guide

This guide will walk you through the steps needed to configure ScoutDNS to your network.

Step 1: Register Network IP

ScoutDNS operates as a closed/private DNS resolver. This helps to improve security and prevent system abuse by third parties. As a closed system, our DNS resolvers will only answer requests from known users/networks. For this reason, we must configure your WAN IP network address with the ScoutDNS application.

Create Site

All networks must be associated to a site. By default, ScoutDNS allows up to four networks to be configured to a single site location.



Click "New Site"

Enter a Site name and click "Save"

Create Network

Once you have created the Site, it is time to add the network and associate a policy.



Click "Add Network". Enter network name and WAN IP address. If you are using a Dynamic DNS service, you can enter your domain name instead. Select policy and click the check mark to register the network. Finalize by clicking "Save".

You can find your WAN IP Here.

More on Dynamic IP support here.

Step 2: Configure Network to ScoutDNS


Locate your network DNS server settings


Identify which device or server on your network points your client devices to your public DNS servers. This is usually a router or sometimes a firewall. Typically, the device that handles your IP address (DHCP) or the device that serves as your default gateway is also where you configure public DNS servers.

If you are an active directory/domain controller environment, please refer to this detailed guide for configuring DNS in your environment.

Log on to the server or router where DNS is configured


Once you’ve logged in, find the DNS settings for this device. If you're unsure of where these settings are, please refer to your device configuration manual.


Example of Sonicwall DNS settings for network.



Change your DNS server addresses


Change your DNS server address to IPs provided from the GUI. ScoutDNS Operates a global anycast network for performance and resiliency.  



Make sure your DNS is set to be static. Write down the previous DNS server information in case you wish to revert the change.

** Advanced users may try to work around your DNS settings to add their own. This can be fixed by creating firewall rules. To create firewall rules restricting DNS go here.

Restart Machines/Clear Cache

If your users acquire DNS from DHCP, these machines may need to reboot or reconnect to the network in order to adopt the new server settings.

If DNS is applied via network proxy, you should clear the proxy resolver cache.

*** Remember to clear ALL CACHE in local machine, browser, and domain controllers if applicable.

To confirm your system is now using ScoutDNS resolvers, click here: verify.ScoutDNS.com. In some DNS proxy cases the verification check my not register even when DNS traffic is passing. Another option to verify is by checking the ScoutDNS Logs.

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