Huawei B525 4G router - Fix for missing DNS setting

[_Hamish_]

Hi all,

I'm posting this to help others who may face the same issue I did.

The Huawei B525 router delivered from optus for the 4g wireless broadband has no apparent DNS settings in the web user interface (UI).

The DNS settings are available, and will work, they are just hidden in the Web UI.

Important: This requires you use Chrome as the browser.

The following steps will enable these and allow you to set them.

Step 1. Go to the DHCP settings screen of the router using Chrome

Step 2.  Press F12 to enter developer mode, and enter the following in the Console.

$('#dhcp_dns_statistic').show();
$('#dhcp_primary_dns').show();
$('#dhcp_secondary_dns').show();

As below:

Step 3. Press F12 again to close the developer options

The DHCP settings screen should now look similiar to the following.

The 192.168.1.11 address below is my internal DNS server.

Step 5. You can now enter your own DNS settings and click the [Apply] button

That's it!, DNS settings should now be applied.

For example to setup OpenDNS you would enter:

208.67.222.222 in the Primary DNS Server, and

208.67.220.220 in the Secondary DNS Server.

Google Luck!

For more information and a Python based API I'm working on for the router you can look at the information on my blog here.

https://adventuresinadigitalland.blogspot.com

[Davelew]

Hi

That's interesting @_Hamish_but I also need to add static routes to force my Chromecast to use the DNS setting.

I got round the problem by attaching an old Netgear N600 to the modem and amending the DNS settings and adding the static routes.

Dave

[_Hamish_]

Hi @Davelew.

That makes sense, there is no sign of static routing settings on the B525 that I can see. I expect the only way to do this on the B525 would require being able to get root access to it.

Cheers,

Hamish

[arose62]

Thank you SO MUCH, Hamish.

I have the Huawei E5577 modem, and have been annoyed since purchase by the dumbed-down interface.

You gave me the clue I needed:

For my E5577, I just used the following in the developer console to display the DNS section.

$('#dhcp_dns').show();

 Thanks again!

[SDU005]

Thanks! The menu isn't persistent when I follow this TUT. I'm logged in as admin and the menu do show. But at next logging, it's gone. I suspect the DNS setting will be gone too.... Anyone know a solution - or know if the DNS will stay, eventhough the menu disappear??

Thanks 🙂

[arose62]

On my E5577, I checked, and even though the fields for the DNS settings disappeared when I refreshed the page, the actual DNS settings were persistent. 

[Leuven]

Hi, any idea if a similar set of console commands can reveal the manual DNS settings in the dial-up profile section?  I have them on my B525, which seems to have custom firmware, but not on the new B618 I just got.  Your tip helped me with the DHCP DNS settings, but setting the DNS at WAN level seems more reliable to me.

[grouchyflat]

Hey Dave, wondering if you had any suggestions.. I’m using a b525 for wireless broadband, google wifi and chromecast, hoping to use nordvpn. I’ve changed the dns settings on my google wifi, should I be disabling dhcp oh my modem? And what static routes should I add?

[warwickjames]

$('#dhcp_dns').show();

^^ worked on my B818 like a dream - so thanks for that!

I was wondering if there is a way to get rid of the branding in the modem? I actually bought the modem outright and have a Telstra data sim in it - works well so far!

[_Hamish_]

Hi @warwickjames - I expect to do that you'd need to change the firmware. If it's doing everything you need it may not be worth the risk depending on the process required.

I found steps online for the B525 I'm not if any are available for the B818.