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Easy HNS
FAQ / Troubleshooting

The common questions, answered plainly.

This page covers what Easy HNS is, what Handshake is trying to do, what stays browser-only, what the Global Status App adds, and the issues people usually hit first when a DNS change does not behave as expected.

What does Easy HNS actually do?

Easy HNS gives your device or browser a DNS path that understands Handshake domains. Once that setting is active, Handshake names can resolve much more like normal web addresses.

Do I need to know crypto or run a wallet?

No. Easy HNS is for people who only want to open Handshake domains more easily. You do not need to learn blockchain tooling just to use the resolver.

Is this system-wide or browser-only?

It depends on the guide. Apple, Android, Windows, and many router methods are system-wide. Browser guides only affect that browser.

Is Easy HNS encrypted?

It supports encrypted DNS through DoH and DoT. Some setups, especially on basic home routers, may still need plain DNS because the router UI does not support encrypted DNS.

How many Easy HNS resolvers exist today?

Right now the public Easy HNS service is one resolver in London. The site is explicit about that so people understand the current footprint.

Is Easy HNS the same thing as HNS DoH?

No. Easy HNS is its own public resolver and setup experience. It is also part of the wider HNS DoH community ecosystem, which is a useful trust and ecosystem signal, but it is not the whole Easy HNS story. The HNS DoH global pool is operated by the separate HNS DoH project, not by Easy HNS. Easy HNS terms, operational responsibility, support scope, and service commitments apply only to Easy HNS-operated services and do not extend to that external global pool.

What is Handshake, really?

Handshake is a decentralized naming protocol recorded on its own blockchain. In plain terms, it is another way internet names can be owned and resolved without depending on one central naming authority.

Why was Handshake created?

A core part of the motivation is censorship resistance and a more open naming system. Handshake was designed to reduce dependence on single registries and make top-level names work in a more decentralized way.

What is HNS?

HNS is the native Handshake token used inside the Handshake network for things like name auctions, transfers, and fees. You do not need to buy or hold HNS just to use the Easy HNS resolver.

Why am I seeing a browser warning on a Handshake website?

Some Handshake websites may trigger browser warnings in standard browsers because most mainstream browsers do not natively validate Handshake’s decentralized trust model the same way they validate the conventional HTTPS web. This does not automatically mean the website is malicious, but it does mean the browser is not giving you the same built-in trust experience users expect on the standard web.

Does Easy HNS provide full DANE/TLSA browser security?

Easy HNS is designed for easy access to Handshake domains. It is not the same thing as giving ordinary browsers full native DANE/TLSA trust validation for Handshake websites.

What should I use if I want the strongest Handshake-native browsing experience?

For desktop users, Fingertip is the recommended option on Easy HNS for a stronger Handshake-native browsing experience with DANE/TLSA support.

Can I use Easy HNS with a VPN?

Yes. Easy HNS can work well inside a VPN tunnel, but the result depends on where DNS is actually configured. If the VPN app supports custom DNS by IP, use 51.24.7.1 there. If you only need one browser, use the Easy HNS DoH URL in that browser's Secure DNS setting.

Why did Handshake stop working after I turned the VPN on?

Many VPN apps replace system DNS with the provider's own resolver. That can silently override router DNS, Apple profiles, or manual system DNS. Browser DoH can also override everything below it for that browser.

Should I use 51.24.7.1 or https://dns.easyhns.com/dns-query with a VPN?

Use 51.24.7.1 only in raw IP fields such as router DNS or VPN app custom DNS. Use https://dns.easyhns.com/dns-query only in Secure DNS or DoH URL fields. If you want the practical scenarios laid out side by side, read the VPN guide.

How do I know whether the VPN, the browser, or the router is actually choosing DNS?

Compare one browser with Secure DNS on against another browser or terminal tools that follow system DNS. If only one browser resolves Handshake, that browser is probably using its own DoH path. If the whole device changes the moment the VPN connects, the VPN app is probably winning.

What is the Easy HNS Global Status App?

status.easyhns.com is the Easy HNS Global Status App. It keeps the broader Handshake resolver picture visible by monitoring the HNS DoH global pool and other independent Handshake DNS providers while also keeping quick setup values close.

Can I install the Global Status App and get alerts?

Yes. On supported devices and browsers, the Global Status App can be installed like a PWA and used for push notifications about uptime and outages.

Can antivirus or filtering apps interfere with Easy HNS?

Sometimes. Security products such as ESET, Avast, Kaspersky, McAfee, and similar suites may include web protection, HTTPS scanning, secure DNS controls, or filtering features that override, inspect, or block custom DNS settings. Behavior varies by product version, active modules, and policy.

Why does setup fail on work, school, corporate, or university networks?

Managed networks may force proxies, disable custom DNS, block DoH or DoT, or lock browser and system settings through policy. In those cases a browser-only guide may be the only path you can still edit, and sometimes even that is restricted.

Handshake domain still does not open

Restart the browser or reconnect the network once. DNS settings often stick in old sessions or old DHCP leases for a little longer than expected.

The setting is greyed out

That usually means a managed work or school device policy is controlling DNS. In that case, try a browser guide if the browser settings are still editable.

It works on one device but not another

Router changes do not override everything. Some devices, VPN apps, or browsers still use their own DNS settings.

Still stuck?

Jump back to the setup hub or send a message with your device, browser, and the exact step that stops working.

Setup hubOpen Global Status App