dnscrypt-proxy Setup Guide

This guide will help you configure dnscrypt-proxy** to use the UK DNS Privacy Project’s secure public DNS resolvers, enhancing your privacy and security by encrypting DNS queries.

Prerequisites

• A working dnscrypt-proxy installation.
• Access to the system terminal.
• Basic knowledge of editing configuration files.

Step 1: Locate and Edit the Configuration File

1. Open a terminal and locate the dnscrypt-proxy configuration file, usually found at:

   /etc/dnscrypt-proxy/dnscrypt-proxy.toml
   

2. Open the file in a text editor:

   sudo nano /etc/dnscrypt-proxy/dnscrypt-proxy.toml
   

Step 2: Enable DNS over HTTPS (DoH) or DNS over TLS (DoT)

For encrypted DNS, use either DoH or DoT by modifying the server_names and stamp fields.

Using DNS over HTTPS (DoH)

1. Locate the [dnscrypt_servers] section and ensure dnscrypt_servers is set to false.

2. Under [doh_servers], set doh_servers = true.

3. Update the server_names list:

   server_names = ['uk-dns-privacy-project']
   

4. Set the stamp field to:

   stamp = 'sdns://AgcAAAAAAAAAAAAacmVzb2x2ZXIuZG5zcHJpdmFjeS5vcmcudWsKL2Rucy1xdWVyeQ'
   

Using DNS over TLS (DoT)

1. Locate the [tls_servers] section and set tls_servers = true.

2. Update the server_names list:

   server_names = ['uk-dns-privacy-project']
   

3. Set the stamp field to:

   stamp = 'sdns://AwcAAAAAAAAAAAAacmVzb2x2ZXIuZG5zcHJpdmFjeS5vcmcudWs'
   

Step 3: Apply Changes and Restart dnscrypt-proxy

1. Save and close the configuration file.

2. Restart the dnscrypt-proxy service to apply the changes:

   sudo systemctl restart dnscrypt-proxy
   

3. Verify that dnscrypt-proxy is running correctly:

   systemctl status dnscrypt-proxy
   

Step 4: Test DNS Resolution

Visit the UK DNS Project homepage to verify that your system is using the configured DNS.

Troubleshooting

• Ensure there are no syntax errors in dnscrypt-proxy.toml.

• Restart the service if changes are not taking effect.

• Check logs using:

  sudo journalctl -u dnscrypt-proxy --no-pager | tail -n 20
  

For more assistance, visit our Getting Help page.