How to Enable or Disable Discovery of Network-designated Resolvers (DNR) in Windows 11

Discovery of Network-designed Resolvers (DNR), as their names suggest, allows users to automatically discover encrypted DNS servers. This IETF standard eliminates the need to manually find out the IP address of a desired encrypted DNS server and configure it.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to enable or disable DNR in Windows using various methods, including the Registry Editor and Command Prompt. We’ll also include tips for enterprise deployment and key considerations.

💡 Important: DNR is supported starting with Windows 11 build 25982 (Canary) and is currently limited to Windows Insider Preview builds, as the feature is still being standardized and general availability has not yet been confirmed.

📌 Recommended deployment strategies:

Choose a Method	💻 Best for Individual Users	💻💻💻 Best for Enterprises
Method 1: Using Registry Editor	✓
Method 2: Using Command Prompt		✓
Method 3: Automation via scripts/RMM tools	✓	✓

Methods to enable or disable DNR in Windows 11

Method 1: Using Registry Editor

📌 Use Cases: Recommended for one-off configurations on personal or test machines.

📌 Prerequisites:

• Windows 11 build 25982+ (Insider Preview)
• This method requires only local administrator access.
• It is strongly recommended that you back up the Windows Registry before proceeding. Incorrect configurations can lead to system instability.

Steps:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and click Enter.
2. Go to:
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters
     Note: The Parameters key stores advanced DNS Client (Dnscache) settings. The EnableDnr value must be created here for Windows to recognize the configuration.
     
   • If you don’t see the Parameters key, you need to create it.
     1. Right-click on Dnscache
     2. Select New > Key
     3. Name it Parameters
3. In the right pane, right-click and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
   • A DWORD value is used in the registry to enable or disable features like DNR.
4. Name the new value EnableDnr
   • To enable DNR: Double-click EnableDnr and set the Value data to 1
   • To disable DNR: Set the Value data to 0.
5. Click Ok and close the Registry Editor.
6. Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Method 2: Using Command Prompt

📌 Use Cases: Suitable for IT admins managing multiple devices.

📌 Prerequisites: 

• You must have admin privileges to open an elevated Command Prompt.
• Windows 11 build 25982+ (Insider Preview)

Steps:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. To enable DNR, run:
   

   reg add “HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters” /v EnableDnr /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

3. To disable DNR, run:
   

   reg add “HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters” /v EnableDnr /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

4. Restart your PC to apply the changes.

To confirm the change

After restarting, you can verify whether DNR is enabled by running the following command in an elevated Command Prompt:

reg query “HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters” /v EnableDnr

• A value of 0x1 confirms DNR is enabled. 
• A value of 0x0 confirms it is disabled.

Optional (PowerShell check)

You can also confirm with PowerShell by running:

Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path “HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters” -Name EnableDnr

This will return 1 if enabled and 0 if disabled.

Method 3: Automation via scripts/RMM tools

📌 Use Cases: Useful for MSPs and IT teams that manage distributed fleets and need to automate the enforcement of consistent DNS encryption policies across all devices.

📌 Prerequisites:

• You need a centralized deployment infrastructure, such as NinjaOne.
• Access to the managed device registry
• Windows Insider builds on target machines

Steps:

1. Create a .reg file with the following content:
   

   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache\Parameters] “EnableDnr”=dword:00000001

   💡 Note: To disable DNR, change the value to 00000000. 

2. Push the .reg file using your chosen RMM platform, GPO script, or custom automation.
3. Schedule a restart via automation (or notify users) to finalize the change.

Additional considerations when modifying DNR in Windows

• No Group Policy: Since no Group Policy setting is available to manage DNR at the time of writing, configurations must be applied using the Registry or Command Prompt.
• Enterprise deployment: In enterprise environments, administrators can deploy the registry settings using scripts or configure management tools to enable or disable DNR across multiple devices.
• DHCP server requirements: For DNR to function, the network’s DHCP server must support server-side DNR options (OPTION_V4_DNR for DHCPv4 or OPTION_V6_DNR for DHCPv6).
• Security implications: Enabling DNR enhances security by allowing automatic configuration of encrypted DNS, reducing the risk of DNS spoofing and eavesdropping.

Simplify DNS management by modifying DNR in Windows

DNR is a significant step forward in simplifying and securing DNS configuration in Windows environments. This feature, currently in Windows 11 Insider builds, allows IT admins to test automatic encrypted DNS deployment without modifying client configurations.

Related topics: 

• What Is DNS? Definition & How It Works
• How to Configure a DNS Server: A Step-by-Step Guide
• What is DDI? DNS, DHCP, & IP Address Management
• How to Find DNS Servers Used in Windows 11