How to filter your church's Wi‑Fi

Before you start

You'll need to be at the church, on its Wi‑Fi, with the login for the router (often printed on a sticker on the router, or held by whoever set up your internet). Allow about ten minutes.

Create your church's account, then on the dashboard tap Set up next to Church Wi‑Fi. That links your church's internet connection to your account and shows the DNS address to paste, with a Copy button.

Step 1: Find the DNS setting on your router

Open the router's app, or the web address on its sticker, and sign in. Look for DNS or DNS Server, usually under Internet, WAN or Advanced. Switch it from "Automatic" to Manual or Custom. We have step-by-step guides for eero, TP-Link Deco, Netgear, ASUS and the boxes from internet companies.

Step 2: Paste your address

• Primary DNS: paste your Sheepdog Filter address.
• Secondary DNS: leave it empty, or paste the same address again. Never put Google (8.8.8.8) there, or devices will slip around the filter.

Save. No restart is needed.

Step 3: Turn IPv6 off

Find IPv6 under the advanced settings and switch it off, then save. The internet works the same without it, and it stops phones quietly going around the filter.

Step 4: Check it worked

Your dashboard turns green by itself within a minute or two. To see it for yourself, open an adult or gambling site on a phone connected to the church Wi‑Fi: it won't load.

Separate guest and staff networks

Many churches have a staff network and a guest network on the same internet connection. Both go through the same router, so both are filtered. If the pastor's or office computers need fewer restrictions, mark them as grown-up devices in the dashboard and they get scam and malware protection only.

More than one building

Each building with its own internet connection is set up on its own router. In the dashboard, tap Add a building, then do the steps above while you're in that building.

Then: put up your sign

In the dashboard, tap Open sign to print a "This Wi‑Fi is filtered" sign with a QR code. Families who scan it can set up the same protection at home, free. See how churches can help families with internet safety.