Can't change DNS on KDL-40RD453

[KDL40RD453BU]

Doesn't work on my KDL40RD453BU. Why would I have to use static IP to be able to set the DNS manually? It doesn't make sense.

My working theory is that my router won't accept static IPs*, and I can see that, on DHCP, the TV is setting itself to use the router as a DNS server. I don't believe that the router provides that service. Hence, Catch 22. So, how do I test this by using DHCP with a manually-configured DNS server, which is a fairly basic thing to do?

* On a previous router, I had to reserve a range for static IPs. I can't do that with the current one.

[Anonymous]

Hi @KDL40RD453BU

Unfortunately Sony locks out using proxy/dns settings using the 'easy' setup mode and also locks out DHCP using 'expert' mode (where you can set DNS/Proxy settings). 

I was just about to suggest changing the DHCP IP Adress range whilst reserving a range for static, but you mention you cannot do that on your router. 

Is it possible or feasible to change the DNS on the router instead?

Other than that, I cannot really suggest anything else - New router?

Cheers

[KDL40RD453BU]

Changing DNS on the router isn't the problem - I can do that. The problem is that the TV ignores the router and sets the router itself as the DNS server, rather than picking up the DNS settings from the router. In my view, the approach that you have described from Sony is inadequate. Having to get a new router is a bit extreme just because they missed out a basic feature.

As I mentioned, I may try daisy-chaining an old router to create another subnet, and connect the TV to that. It may be that it will play nicely with the second router.

[Anonymous]

Hi there

I know a new router was extreme.  Let us know on the forums how you get on when you connect that second router anyhow.  Curious to know how that goes to be honest

Cheers

[xx4L0Mxx]

This is not Sony's fault. It's how default Android works. 

[royabrown]

---

@KDL40RD453BU wrote:

Changing DNS on the router isn't the problem - I can do that. The problem is that the TV ignores the router and sets the router itself as the DNS server, rather than picking up the DNS settings from the router. In my view, the approach that you have described from Sony is inadequate. Having to get a new router is a bit extreme just because they missed out a basic feature.

As I mentioned, I may try daisy-chaining an old router to create another subnet, and connect the TV to that. It may be that it will play nicely with the second router.

---

Non-Android TV alert. Anything anyone says here about Android TVs may well not apply to your set.:smileytongue:

But for any well-managed DHCP handshake, the router may well say 'come to me for DNS', which is recorded as the router IP address on the TV, and when the TV goes for DNS to the router, the request is handed off to the 'real' external DNS server(s) configured in the router.

Which means you can change the DNS server centrally, for your whole internal network, just by charging the value in the router. Or for an individual device, just by changing that device away from the router IP address DNS to some other external DNS server

My last router, for ADSL, worked like this.

But my new fibre-to-the-router device instead passes out the value you set on the router to all the individual devices, Maybe it does not want to be a bottleneck by doing all the DNS itself?

And if you change the values on an individual device under this regime, then the new DNS will work for a bit, until the next DHCP handshake with the router changes it back to what the router says.

Which you can avoid by taking the device out of the realm of DHCP, by setting a static IP address for it.

So if the current default DNS address on the device is a real DNS server, you need to set a static IP address.

But if it is the IP address of the router, you can just change it; the next DHCP handshake may give the device a new IP address, but it will leave your DNS settings alone. You might still prefer to set a static IP address, though, just to be sure.

[KDL40RD453BU]

Adding another (Netgear) router didn't help. Much the same behaviour. The basic set-up was working - I'd done it before with that router, and I checked it by turning off wireless on a laptop and connecting that with a cable via the second router.

I'm a bit at a loss what to try. My son's friends (oh the shame ) said add a Roku stick; that worked flawlessly, but as far as I can see it uses its own Internet connection and doesn't provide one to the TV - so we've got streaming but the TV still can't see the Internet.

[Anonymous]

Hi @KDL40RD453BU

Ok, so you cannot change the DNS.  Lets go back to basics here - Why do you need to set a DNS on the TV?  Is the TV not connecting to the internet (via your home network) ?

Cheers

[KDL40RD453BU]

No, that's right. I get a local connection, but no Internet. That's often indicative of DNS problems, so I immediately suspected that the TV wasn't getting DNS from the router, and wanted to direct it to external DNS servers that I know to be working.

In practice, I normally set up external DNS anyway, though I'm aware of arguments that it's better not to do that.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi there @KDL40RD453BU

I have moved your post to a dedicated thread and out of the Android TV section - as this can confuse things a little.  I have also changed the title of the thread to reflect your TV, however nothing else has been edited.

Right, taking this from the top.  The KDL-40RD453 TV is NOT a smart TV.  Therefore there are NO internet services.  However it is mandatory for Freeview HD to have at least a LAN connection.  The purpose of this is for the IPTV/MHEG channels in the 225 range in the EPG.

This therefore means that your TV does not support DLNA network services or Smart TV apps like YouTube.  If you go to channel 226 (i think its CCTV) it should therefore connect to that TV channel as it is an IPTV streaming channel.

Cheers