Verify Your Setup¶

After setting up QuietNet DNS, it's important to verify that everything is working correctly. This guide provides several methods to confirm your DNS configuration is properly filtering content.

Quick Verification¶

Check Your Dashboard¶

The simplest verification method is to check your QuietNet dashboard:

Log in to your QuietNet dashboard
Look at the Statistics section
If you see queries being counted and ads being blocked, your setup is working

Visit an Ad-Heavy Website¶

Visit a website known to have multiple ads:

Open a news site or another ad-supported website
If you notice fewer or no ads compared to before, your setup is likely working
Try multiple sites to confirm this behavior

Testing Ad Blocking¶

Online Ad Block Test¶

Use an online tool to verify ad blocking effectiveness:

Visit D3Ward's AdBlock Test
The test will check if your connection blocks various ad networks
A score of 80% or higher indicates good ad blocking

Before/After Comparison¶

Compare the same website with and without QuietNet:

Take a screenshot of a website with your normal DNS
Set up QuietNet DNS
Clear your browser cache (important!)
Take another screenshot of the same website
Compare the two screenshots to see the difference

Testing DNS Encryption¶

Verify DNS over HTTPS (DoH)¶

If you're using DoH, verify it's working:

Visit Cloudflare's Encrypted DNS check
The "Using DNS over HTTPS" section should show "Yes"
Or visit DNS leak test and run the standard test

Verify DNS over TLS (DoT)¶

For DoT verification:

On Linux:¶

# Using dig with +tls flag
dig +tls @103.107.50.10 example.com

# Or using kdig
kdig -d @103.107.50.10 +tls example.com

On macOS/Windows:¶

Use a tool like DNS Leak Test and check if your DNS server matches QuietNet's IP address.

Testing Different Blocklists¶

Testing Specific Blocklist Categories¶

To verify different blocklist categories:

Ads Blocking Test¶

Visit an ad-heavy site like a news website.

Tracker Blocking Test¶

Use the EFF's Cover Your Tracks tool.

Malware Blocking Test¶

Visit AMTSO's feature check page (don't worry, these are safe test pages).

Adult Content Blocking Test¶

Try accessing a known adult website (if you have this blocklist enabled).

Technical Verification¶

Check Your DNS Settings¶

Verify your device is using QuietNet DNS:

Windows:¶

ipconfig /all

Look for DNS Servers in the output.

macOS/Linux:¶

cat /etc/resolv.conf

Check the nameserver entries.

DNS Lookup Test¶

Perform a DNS lookup for a known blocked domain:

Windows:¶

nslookup doubleclick.net

macOS/Linux:¶

dig doubleclick.net

If the domain is blocked, you'll typically see a response pointing to a local or blocking address (like 0.0.0.0 or 127.0.0.1).

Troubleshooting Common Issues¶

Not Seeing Blocked Content¶

If content isn't being blocked:

Verify your DNS settings are correct
Check that you've saved your blocklist preferences
Try clearing your browser cache
Disable any VPNs or proxy services temporarily
Check if your device has DNS settings that override your network settings

Too Much Content Being Blocked¶

If legitimate content is being blocked:

Review your enabled blocklists and disable overly aggressive categories
Add specific domains to your allowlist in the Custom Domains section
Temporarily disable QuietNet to verify it's causing the issue

No Queries Showing in Dashboard¶

If your dashboard shows no activity:

Make sure you're logged into the correct account
Verify your DNS settings are using your personal QuietNet URL/token
Check if your network is blocking custom DNS (some public Wi-Fi does this)
Try accessing some websites to generate DNS queries

Next Steps¶

Once you've verified your setup is working:

Configure your blocklists to match your preferences
Consider setting up QuietNet at the router level for network-wide protection
Set up QuietNet on your other devices