How to setup DNS on a USG

When confronted with slow performance, this is sometimes provoked by insufficient DNS setup,
especially when this error only occurs with domain names and not with IPs!
This tutorial (with a USG40W) will give you a basic idea on how to set up DNS correctly on our firewalls.

Step by step guides

1. Custom defined (under DHCP Setting)

2. Object reference (for all interfaces)

1. Custom defined (under DHCP Setting)

Open the web interface of the firewall and log into it.

Go to Configuration > Network > Interface > Ethernet

Select the interface (has to be a DHCP Server) you want to set the DNS server on.

On “First DNS Server”, select Custom Defined and enter 8.8.8.8 (for Google DNS).
Click “OK” to apply and save the settings.

Clients connected on this interface will now use the custom defined DNS server.

2. Object reference (for all interfaces)

Open the web interface of the firewall and log into it.

Go to Configuration > System > DNS

Click on “Add” under the “Domain Name Forwarder”

Enter the Domain Zone or for a wildcard (all domains): *

Click the "Public DNS Server" option and enter a public DNS server, here 8.8.8.8 (Google DNS server)
and select the correct query port, in this case “wan1” (interface with the internet access) and click “OK” to apply and save the settings.

Any interface with "ZyWALL" as DNS server will use the here configured DNS servers.

Video - How to Setup DNS