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Troubleshooting Guide

This guide helps you solve common issues with QuietNet DNS.

Connection Issues

DNS Not Working At All

Symptoms: No internet connectivity, or websites won't load.

Solutions:

  1. Verify DNS Settings:
  2. Check that you've entered the correct DNS information
  3. For DoH: https://dns.quietnet.app/YOUR_API_TOKEN/dns-query
  4. For DoT: YOUR_API_TOKEN.quietnet.app

  5. IP Address: 103.107.50.10

  6. Test Basic Connectivity: 

    # Windows
ping 8.8.8.8

# macOS/Linux
ping -c 4 8.8.8.8
    If this fails, your internet connection is the issue, not DNS.

  7. Temporarily Use Another DNS: Switch to a public DNS (like 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8) to check if the issue is with QuietNet or DNS in general.

  8. Check Account Status: Verify your QuietNet account is active by logging into the dashboard.

Can't Connect with Encrypted DNS

Symptoms: DNS works with standard DNS but fails with DoH or DoT.

Solutions:

  1. Check Protocol Support: Verify your device or OS supports the protocol you're trying to use.

  2. Check Port Blocking:

  3. DoT uses port 853 - some networks block this

  4. DoH uses port 443 (standard HTTPS) - try this if DoT fails

  5. Verify Certificates:

  6. For DoT on Linux: echo | openssl s_client -connect 103.107.50.10:853

  7. Check for certificate errors in the output

  8. Try a Different Implementation: If your device's native support isn't working, try a third-party client like cloudflared or dnscrypt-proxy.

Ad Blocking Issues

Ads Still Appearing

Symptoms: You still see ads on websites despite QuietNet being configured.

Solutions:

  1. Verify DNS is Working: Check your dashboard to see if queries are being recorded.

  2. Check Blocklist Configuration: Make sure the appropriate blocklists are enabled in your dashboard.

  3. Clear Browser Cache: 

    Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows/Linux)
Cmd+Shift+Delete (macOS)
    Select "Cached images and files" and clear.

  4. Test with Different Browser: Some browsers may have DNS settings that override system settings.

  5. Hard-to-Block Ad Types:

  6. First-party ads (served from same domain as content)
  7. Ads embedded in content streams (like YouTube video ads)
  8. Sites using anti-adblocking technology

Too Many Sites Being Blocked

Symptoms: Legitimate websites or services are being blocked.

Solutions:

  1. Check Your Dashboard: See which blocklist is causing the issue.

  2. Add to Allowlist: Add the domain to your "Always Allow These Domains" list.

  3. Disable Aggressive Blocklists: Try turning off potentially over-blocking categories like "Social Media" or "Cryptomining".

  4. Report False Positives: Contact support to report incorrectly blocked domains.

Device-Specific Issues

iOS/macOS Issues

Symptoms: Configuration profile won't install or doesn't work.

Solutions:

  1. Profile Installation Issues:
  2. Make sure you're using Safari to download the profile
  3. Check Screen Time/Restrictions settings

  4. Try downloading the profile again

  5. Private Relay Conflict:

  6. Go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Private Relay

  7. Turn off Private Relay (it conflicts with custom DNS)

  8. Per-Network Settings: iOS may use different DNS settings for different networks. Verify settings for both WiFi and cellular.

Android Issues

Symptoms: DNS settings not applying or not persisting.

Solutions:

  1. Private DNS Issues:
  2. Try entering the hostname without "https://" or trailing slash
  3. Some Android versions require formatting like YOUR_API_TOKEN.quietnet.app

  4. Ensure you're running Android 9 or newer for Private DNS

  5. App-Based DNS: If native settings don't work, try an app like 1.1.1.1 or Intra configured with your QuietNet URL.

  6. Battery Optimization: Disable battery optimization for DNS apps if you're using them.

Windows Issues

Symptoms: DNS settings not applying across applications.

Solutions:

  1. Network Interface Selection: Ensure you're configuring DNS for the active interface (WiFi or Ethernet).

  2. Multiple Network Adapters: Windows prioritizes connections; check the interface metric: 

    Get-NetIPInterface

  3. Flush DNS Cache: 

    ipconfig /flushdns

  4. Disable Smart Multi-Homed Name Resolution: This Windows feature can bypass your DNS settings.

Linux Issues

Symptoms: DNS settings revert after reboot or aren't respected.

Solutions:

  1. Check resolv.conf Management: Linux distros manage DNS differently: 

    ls -l /etc/resolv.conf
    If it's a symlink, identify the DNS manager (NetworkManager, systemd-resolved, etc.)

  2. Make Settings Persistent:

  3. With NetworkManager: 
    nmcli connection modify "Your Connection" ipv4.dns "103.107.50.10"
nmcli connection modify "Your Connection" ipv4.ignore-auto-dns true

  4. Modify dhclient.conf for DHCP/resolv.conf management

  5. Check /etc/nsswitch.conf: Ensure DNS resolution order is correctly configured.

Network-Level Issues

Router Configuration Problems

Symptoms: Individual devices work with QuietNet, but router-level setup fails.

Solutions:

  1. Check Router Capabilities: Some routers don't allow custom DNS or strip DNS settings from DHCP.

  2. Bypass ISP DNS Hijacking: Some ISPs force their own DNS regardless of settings. Try:

  3. Using DoH/DoT (harder to intercept)
  4. Configuring at each device instead

  5. Set up a local DNS server (like Pi-hole) with QuietNet as upstream

  6. Verify DHCP Settings: Ensure your router is distributing the correct DNS settings to clients.

Public Network Limitations

Symptoms: QuietNet works at home but not on public WiFi or work networks.

Solutions:

  1. Captive Portals: Some public WiFi requires accepting terms before using; temporarily disable QuietNet to connect, then re-enable.

  2. Corporate/Public Network DNS Enforcement: Many public and corporate networks force their own DNS and block alternatives. Options:

  3. Use DoH in your browser only (often works even on restricted networks)
  4. Use a VPN to bypass network restrictions

  5. Wait until you're on a less restrictive network

  6. Mobile Data Fallback: On mobile devices, switch to mobile data temporarily if WiFi DNS is restricted.

Account and API Issues

API Token Problems

Symptoms: Authentication failures or "unauthorized" errors.

Solutions:

  1. Verify Token:
  2. Log into your dashboard
  3. Go to Blocklists > Your DNS Settings

  4. Confirm your API token matches what you're using in your configuration

  5. Reset Token: If you suspect your token has been compromised, you can generate a new one in your account settings.

  6. Check Account Status: Ensure your account is active and in good standing.

Dashboard Stats Not Updating

Symptoms: You're using QuietNet but no queries appear in your dashboard.

Solutions:

  1. Verify Configuration: Double-check that your devices are actually using your QuietNet DNS.

  2. Check Delay: Statistics may have a slight delay in updating (typically a few minutes).

  3. Firewall/Network Issues: Some networks might be blocking stats reporting. Try on a different network.

  4. Browser Issues: Try clearing your browser cache or using a different browser to view the dashboard.

Advanced Issues

DNS Leaks

Symptoms: DNS leak tests show you're not using QuietNet despite configuration.

Solutions:

  1. Identify Leaking Applications: Some applications bypass system DNS settings. Use Wireshark or similar to identify them.

  2. Fix Browser Leaks:

  3. Disable features like "DNS prefetching" or "Secure DNS" if they're overriding your settings

  4. For Chrome, visit chrome://net-internals/#dns and clear host cache

  5. Enforce DNS at Network Level:

  6. Set up firewall rules to redirect all DNS traffic (port 53) to your router
  7. Block outbound DNS except from your router

Performance Issues

Symptoms: Slow website loading or intermittent connectivity.

Solutions:

  1. Check Internet Speed: Rule out general internet issues with a speed test.

  2. Test Latency to QuietNet: 

    # Windows
ping 103.107.50.10

# macOS/Linux
ping -c 10 103.107.50.10
    High latency (>100ms) may indicate network issues.

  3. Try Different Protocols: DoH might be faster than DoT on some networks, or vice versa.

  4. Set Up Local Caching: Consider running a local DNS cache to improve performance.

Getting Additional Help

If you've tried the troubleshooting steps above and still have issues:

  1. Check Our Documentation: Review all relevant guides for your setup.

  2. Collect Diagnostic Information:

  3. Your device type and OS version
  4. Your DNS configuration details (excluding your API token)
  5. Any error messages you're seeing

  6. Results of any troubleshooting steps you've tried

  7. Contact Support:

  8. Premium users: Use the priority support option in your dashboard

  9. Free users: Email [email protected] with your issue

  10. Community Forums: Check our community forums for similar issues and solutions from other users.