October 12, 2026 · Blog
Whole-home ad blocking in 10 minutes
One router change blocks known ad, tracker, malware, and phishing domains on devices using the router DNS setting, including phones, TVs, and guest devices. Changing a device's DNS setting or using a VPN that routes DNS through its own servers bypasses filtering. Devices without the Koru Shield setting are not filtered. Here is the whole process.
Why the router is the best place to do this
Per-device setup works, but it does not scale: every new phone, TV, and guest device starts unprotected. Change the DNS on your router once to block known ad, tracker, malware, and phishing domains on devices using the router DNS setting. Changing a device's DNS setting or using a VPN that routes DNS through its own servers bypasses filtering. Devices without the Koru Shield setting are not filtered. Devices away from home need their own active Koru Shield profiles.
What you need
- Your Koru Shield account (free) and your personal DNS-over-HTTPS endpoint from the dashboard.
- Router admin access (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in a browser).
- About ten minutes.
The steps
1. Get your endpoint. Sign in at my.korushield.com and copy your personal DNS-over-HTTPS endpoint. It looks like a URL with a unique path.
2. Open your router settings. Find the WAN or Internet setup page and look for DNS settings. (Menu names vary: ASUS calls it WAN > Internet Connection, TP-Link puts it under Network > WAN, Netgear under Internet Setup.)
3. Enter the Koru Shield DNS addresses. If your router supports DNS-over-HTTPS with a custom endpoint, paste your endpoint. Otherwise enter the resolver IPs for us-east1 or us-west1, whichever is closer.
4. Save and reconnect. Save, then disconnect and reconnect one device (or reboot the router) so devices pick up the new DNS.
5. Verify. Visit our test page from any device on the network. Blocked test domains confirm the filtering is active.
What this does and does not do
It blocks known ad, tracker, malware, and phishing domains on devices using the router DNS setting, including devices where you cannot install anything. Changing a device's DNS setting or using a VPN that routes DNS through its own servers bypasses filtering. Devices without the Koru Shield setting are not filtered. It does not inspect encrypted page content, and per-device profiles (like kids' schedules) still need the device-level setup.
Try it on your own network
Koru Shield blocks ads, trackers, malware, and scams at the DNS level. Free plan, no credit card, about a minute per device.
Protect my devices for free