Many owners of popular budget smartphones face a situation where web pages load slowly and some applications can not connect to the server. Often the reason is not the speed of your tariff, but the way your Redmi 5A handles domain name requests. Standard servers of the provider can work unstable or be filtered, which leads to long waits and errors.
Changing these parameters allows you to redirect traffic through faster and more reliable nodes, which does not require you to obtain super-user rights or complex flashing of the device, just make a few correct changes to the network settings of your Android device to feel the difference in network response speed.
In this article, we will take a look at all the customization options available, from standard system functions to the use of specialized software, which addresses are considered the most stable at the moment, and how to avoid typical errors that can completely deprive a phone of access to the Internet.
Why Change DNS on Xiaomi Smartphone
The Domain Name System works like the Internet’s phone book, translating human-readable site addresses into digital ones. IP-Addresses that tech understands. Your Redmi is the default. 5A They use servers provided by the ISP, and they don't always work perfectly, and they're often overloaded, which causes delays in opening sites, or censor access to certain resources.
Using alternative public servers like Google or Cloudflare can significantly improve network response speeds, especially for low-end models where modem hardware is limited and every millisecond of latency is felt more strongly, and some providers can swap ads or block access to content, easily bypassing a change in DNS.
Another important aspect is security: Standard ISP servers may not have protection against phishing sites, while specialized services often block access to malicious domains even before they load onto your phone. Traffic encryption and data leak protection become an added bonus when choosing the right domain name service provider.
Preparing for changes in network parameters
Before making changes to the network configuration, you need to make sure that the device is ready to work with the new parameters. First of all, check that your Redmi 5A is connected to a Wi-Fi network, since standard Android tools can not change the DNS for mobile Internet (3G/4G) without root rights. Make sure you know the password from your wireless network, as during the setup process the phone may require reconnection.
It is recommended to write down or keep notes about the addresses of the servers you plan to use. If you enter the wrong numbers, the device will lose access to the Internet and you will have to return the settings back. For beginners, the best addresses are from Google (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), as they are highly stable and fast around the world.
It is also worth turning off any VPN-Services or proxy applications that may conflict with manual network configuration. An active tunnel can redirect traffic through its nodes, ignoring system settings DNS, Make sure the date and time on the device are set correctly, as synchronization errors can block the secure connection.
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Write down your current IP and DNS settings before changing to be able to quickly return to the original state in the event of a crash.
Method 1: Manually configure via the Wi-Fi menu
The simplest and most affordable method, which doesn't require any additional software, is to change the settings directly in the wireless network settings, which works on all versions of the MIUI firmware installed on Redmi 5A, and allows you to set static parameters for a particular access point. You need to go to Settings, then select the Wi-Fi option and find your current network in the list of available ones.
Press and hold your finger on your network name (or click on the arrow to the right of the name, depending on the Android version) to call the context menu. In the list that appears, select the option to Change the Network or Set up the Network. Next, you need to deploy additional options by clicking on the drop-down list Additional or Show additional options where you will find the IP settings.
In the IP settings bar, change the value from DHCP to Static. Then the fields for manual address entry will open. In the DNS 1 and DNS 2 fields, enter the values you choose. Remember to save the changes by clicking Save or the tick in the upper right corner of the screen. The phone will reconnect to the network with the new settings.
☑️ Checklist manual adjustment
Method 2: Using Third-Party Applications
If you need to change DNS For mobile Internet, or you don't want to reconfigure Wi-Fi every time, you can use specialized applications from Google Play. DNS Changer or Intra create a local VPN-tunnel through which everyone passes DNS-requests by redirecting them to selected servers, which allows you to bypass the restrictions of the provider without root rights.
It takes only a few minutes to install this application, and when it starts, it will ask you to choose your preferred server from a list of popular or entered addresses, and the advantage of this method is that the settings are applied globally to the entire device, including the mobile network and Wi-Fi simultaneously. However, it is important to note that the work through VPN-The tunnel may slightly increase battery consumption.
Some apps also offer additional features like DNS-level ad blocking or malicious site protection, making them a great choice for users who want to not only speed up the internet, but also improve the security of browsing sessions on their Xiaomi.
Impact on the battery
The Best Public DNS Servers to Use
Choosing the right server is half the success. Not all addresses work equally fast in your region, so it’s worth testing a few options. Below is a table with the most popular and reliable services that have proven themselves great when working with Android mobile devices.
| Provider | Preferred DNS (DNS 1) | Alternative DNS (DNS 2) | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Public DNS | 8.8.8.8 | 8.8.4.4 | High speed, stability |
| Cloudflare | 1.1.1.1 | 1.0.0.1 | Priority of confidentiality |
| OpenDNS | 208.67.222.222 | 208.67.220.220 | Phishing protection |
| Quad9 | 9.9.9.9 | 149.112.112.112 | Blocking malicious sites |
Cloudflare’s service often performs better on ping speed tests, making it ideal for online gaming on a phone. Google is famous for its fault tolerance – their servers almost never lie down. If your goal is maximum security, look for Quad9, which automatically blocks access to known malicious domains.
It's worth experimenting and choosing the one that will give the best response in your location. Sometimes providers can artificially slow down traffic to certain foreign servers, so local alternatives can work faster.
Diagnostics and solution
After making the changes, you may find yourself in a situation where the Internet has stopped working or sites have stopped opening, often when you enter erroneous numbers or if the server you select is temporarily unavailable, in which case, the first thing you do is to return your IP settings to DHCP (Automatically) mode to restore access to the network.
⚠️ Attention: If after the shift DNS Only certain Wi-Fi has stopped working, the problem may be in the lock. MAC-Addresses on the router or security protocol incompatibility. Try forgetting the network and connecting again.
Another common problem is the so-called DNS leak, where the system ignores manual settings and continues to use ISP servers. To avoid this, after changing the settings, it is recommended to turn on the flight mode for 10 seconds, and then turn it off, which will force the communication module to reconnect and apply new configurations.
If you use a third-party application, make sure it is given all the necessary permissions. MIUI often requires manually allowing auto-start and work in the background, otherwise the system will "kill" the process in a few minutes, and the Internet will start working again through standard channels. Check the battery settings for a particular application.
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Return to Automatic Settings (DHCP) is the fastest way to restore the internet if the manual configuration has caused connection errors.
Impact of settings on data security
Transition to public DNS-The servers change the path your requests take, but they don't encrypt the traffic itself, which means that the provider still sees what you're looking for. IP-address you visit, but you do not see the content of the pages if the protocol is used HTTPS. For complete anonymity of the settings alone DNS Not enough, full use is required. VPN-service.
However, using DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) or DNS-over-TLS (DoT) support significantly improves privacy. Modern browsers like Chrome or Firefox on Android allow this feature to be enabled in their settings regardless of the phone’s system settings, which protects requests from listening even within the local network.
Some public servers, such as the family-friendly versions of OpenDNS or Cloudflare for Families, allow you to block adult content at the network level, a useful feature if children are using the phone and you want to limit their access to unwanted resources without installing complex parental controls.
⚠️ Attention: Free public services DNS-servers from unknown companies can collect statistics of your visits. Use only trusted services with a transparent privacy policy, such as Google, Cloudflare or Quad9.