Technology Explained
DOH is Not a Deer, a Female Deer
When you first hear DOH, you might think of the famous song from a very well-known film, or maybe that Simpsons exclamation, but in tech DOH stands for DNS over HTTPS. And while it may sound like something complicated, it’s really important for your online privacy and security and easier to understand than you might think.
What is DNS?
Before we dive into DOH, let’s quickly cover DNS (Domain Name System). DNS is essentially the phone book of the internet. Every website has a name, like www.sdn46.com, but computers communicate using numbers called IP addresses. DNS translates the names we type into browsers into the numerical addresses that computers can understand.
Normally, this translation happens in plain text. That means anyone on the network, your internet service provider (ISP), a hacker on public Wi-Fi or even certain app could see which websites you’re visiting. Think of it like writing down the name of every website you visit on a notepad that anyone can read.
So What is (DOH) DNS over HTTPS?
DOH or DNS over HTTPS solves this privacy problem by encrypting your DNS requests. Instead of writing down the web addresses on your notepad for everyone to see, DOH wraps it in the same encryption used by HTTPS websites, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to see which sites you are visiting.
In simpler terms, DOH hides your browsing activity from prying eyes while still letting your computer know how to connect to the websites you want to visit.
Why DOH Matters
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Privacy: Your ISP or anyone intercepting your internet traffic can’t easily see which websites you’re looking up. This is especially important if you use public Wi-Fi networks.
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Security: DOH reduces the risk of “DNS hijacking,” where someone redirects you from a legitimate site to a fake one designed to steal your information.
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Integrity: By encrypting DNS requests, DOH helps ensure that the website addresses your device receives are genuine and haven’t been tampered with.
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Peace of Mind: Knowing your “Web Address” lookups are encrypted can make browsing feel safer, especially for sensitive activities like online banking or shopping.
How to Use DOH
Many modern browsers and operating systems now support DOH. For example:
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Firefox: Go to Settings → Network Settings → Enable “Use DNS over HTTPS.” You can choose a provider like Cloudflare or NextDNS.
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Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Security → Enable “Use secure DNS.”
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Operating Systems: Some systems, like Windows 11 and certain versions of Android, allow DOH at the system level, which protects all apps, not just your browser.
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Self Hosted Options: DOH can be setup on applications such as Adguard Home, which is free to use, and can be installed on something as small as a Raspberry Pi
- Hosted Options: NextDNS is very simple to use, the free plan has a cap of 300,000 DNS queries a month,
Once enabled, DOH works quietly in the background. You won’t notice a difference in how you browse, but your DNS lookups are now encrypted and secure.
Final Thoughts
So next time you hear DOH, remember it’s not a deer, it’s protecting your privacy. By encrypting DNS requests, DOH keeps your browsing safer and more private, without changing how you use the web. It’s a small tweak with a big impact, giving you more control over your digital footprint and helping protect against hackers, ISPs, and other snoopers.
Even if the name sounds a bit funny, DOH is a serious tool in the ongoing fight for privacy online. Enabling it is quick, easy, and well worth the effort.
