Parental controls on T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T 5G home internet

Wireless home internet is cheap and fast, but the gateways it comes with often lock the DNS setting. Here's how to filter the house anyway.

Updated November 12, 2026·2 min read

Short answer

Many 5G home internet gateways (especially T-Mobile's) don't let you change DNS, so router filtering won't work on the gateway itself. Set Sheepdog Filter on each child's device instead, and to cover TVs and consoles, plug your own Wi‑Fi router into the gateway and set Sheepdog Filter as that router's DNS.

Why 5G gateways are different

Wireless home internet boxes from T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T are built to be simple, and many hide or lock the DNS setting. The carrier's own app may offer basic controls like pausing a device, but not content filtering.

Step 1: Set it on your kids' devices

This works on any internet, at home and away:

Step 2 (optional): Your own router for the whole house

  1. Plug your own Wi‑Fi router into the gateway's Ethernet port.
  2. Set your Sheepdog Filter address as your router's DNS. See home Wi‑Fi parental controls.
  3. Turn off the gateway's own Wi‑Fi if it lets you (or give it a password nobody else knows), so everyone uses your router.

If your gateway does have a DNS setting

Some Verizon and AT&T gateways have one in their web admin page, usually under Advanced or Network settings. Paste your Sheepdog Filter address as the primary DNS, leave the secondary empty, and turn IPv6 off if offered.

Sheepdog Filter

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Questions parents ask

Can I change DNS on a T-Mobile 5G gateway?

Most T-Mobile Home Internet gateways don't offer a DNS setting. Set the filter on each device, or connect your own router to the gateway.

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