Question/problem having a VLAN with its own DNS servers

[Michael234]

This item

Can you use different DNS Servers for clients on different VLANs?

Sorry if I’ve missed this in the documentation but is it possible to choose different DNS Servers for clients on different VLANs please? Can you also have content filtering rules apply to one VLAN/network and not the other? Reason I ask is I’d like at least 2 different networks. One locked down and content filtered network for kids, the other for grown ups. Hope someone can help!

says that different VLANs can use different DNS servers. The Firmware v7 manual does not address the issue at all. I tried to have a VLAN with unique DNS servers and it only half worked.

A windows 10 machine connected to the VLAN with DHCP shows the configured DNS servers (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1) are in play (see above). But assorted online DNS server testers

Test Your Router - RouterSecurity.org

all indicate they are not being used.

My guess is this a documentation oversight rather than a bug. DNS forwarding is enabled, so the two features are in conflict. DNS forwarding wants to use the router as a DNS server and the VLAN wants to use 1.1.1.1 as its DNS server.

Running firmware 7.0.3 on a Surf SOHO HW2.

If this is is working as intended, then pleeeeeeeeeeze update the manual and the router web interface.

[TK_Liew]

Do you mean assign DNS server manually in Vlan will not work since Pepwave router will intercept the DNS request if DNS Forwarding below was enabled?

[Michael234]

Yes, as you showed, in Advanced tab → Service forwarding → the checbox for “Forward Outgoing DNS Requests to Local DNS Proxy” in on.

Below is the VLAN configuration.

A Windows 10 DHCP client is assigned the 1.1.1.1 DNS server as expected (first screen shot above), but assorted online tests show it is not actually being used. It appears the DNS forwarding over-rides the DNS servers in the VLAN. If this is what is supposed to happen, fine, but it needs to be documented as such.

[TK_Liew]

This is the expected result since DNS Forwarding was enabled. So, if you want to use the internal DNS (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1), just disable the DNS Forwarding. Peplink will not intercept the DNS request. Fyi, the DNS Forwarding is disabled by default.

[MartinLangmaid]

@TK_Liew

This is the expected

TK, Michael is pointing out that the UI should reflect that that the DNS server settings on a VLAN would not be used if DNS forwarding is enabled. Perhaps when DNS forwarding is enabled the UI could show a info notice to reflect this?

[Michael234]

Yes, yes, yes.
The DNS forwarding UI (and manual) should note that it over-rides DNS servers in a VLAN
-and-
there needs to be a warning when setting DNS servers for a VLAN that they will be ignored when DNS forwarding is enabled.
Should this be moved to the Feature Request forum?

[TK_Liew]

@MartinLangmaid thanks for your explanation.

@Michael234, let me relay your message to engineering and marketing team.

Thanks.

[Michael234]

Thank you, as always for listening.