Configure Microsoft Edge for Secure DNSaaS

📋 Overview

Microsoft Edge includes built-in support for DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) with custom providers. This guide will help you configure Edge to use our secure DNSaaS service with token-based authentication.

Service	Endpoint	Authentication
Primary DNS	`https://dns1.oss.co.za/xxxxx?dns`	Token in URL path
Protocol	DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) • Port 443 • TLS 1.3
Edge Version	Version 80+ (all recent versions)

✅ Verified Working This configuration has been tested and confirmed working with Microsoft Edge. The correct format uses ?dns with the token directly in the path.

🌐 Configure Microsoft Edge Step-by-Step

1 Open Edge Settings

Click the Edge menu (three horizontal dots in the top-right corner) → select Settings.

Alternatively, type edge://settings/ in the address bar and press Enter.

2 Navigate to Privacy, Search, and Services

In the left sidebar, click Privacy, search, and services.

Scroll down to the Security section.

3 Find "Use secure DNS"

In the Security section, look for "Use secure DNS".

This controls how Edge looks up network addresses for websites.

4 Enable Secure DNS

Select "Choose a service provider".

Then select "Enter custom provider" from the dropdown.

💡 Important Select "Choose a service provider" then "Enter custom provider" - this allows you to enter your token-gated endpoint.

5 Enter the Custom DoH Endpoint

Enter the following URL (replace token_testclient123 with your token):

https://dns1.oss.co.za/testclient123?dns

⚠️ Common Mistake

Wrong: https://dns1.oss.co.za/testclient123{?dns} ← Chrome format

Wrong: https://dns1.oss.co.za/testclient123/dns-query ← Firefox format

Correct: https://dns1.oss.co.za/testclient123?dns ← Edge format

✅ Edge Format

The token is in the URL path: /token_testclient123
Edge requires the ?dns query parameter
No {?dns} or /dns-query needed
This format has been tested and verified with Edge

6 Save and Verify

The setting saves automatically. Edge will validate the endpoint and should accept it without errors.

✅ Success Indicator The custom provider should be accepted. Blocked domains like adult.filterdns.net should show DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN.

🧪 Test Your Configuration

Use these test sites to verify your Edge configuration is working correctly.

Blocked Domains (Should NOT Load)

Test Domain	Expected Result	What You Should See
`http://zycdjz.com`	BLOCKED	DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN
`http://malware.testcategory.com`	BLOCKED	DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN
`http://phishing.testcategory.com`	BLOCKED	DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN
`http://adult.filterdns.net`	BLOCKED	DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

Clean Domains (Should Load Normally)

Test Domain	Expected Result	What You Should See
`https://example.com`	LOAD	Normal page loads
`https://google.com`	LOAD	Normal page loads

DNS Leak Test

Test Domain	Expected Result	What You Should See
`https://dnsleaktest.com`	Your DNS Server	Should show `dns1.oss.co.za` or `102.220.218.218`

🔍 Browser Endpoint Formats Comparison

Different browsers require different endpoint formats:

🌐 Edge ?dns ✅ Working

🦊 Firefox /dns-query ✅ Working

🦁 Brave ?dsn ✅ Working

🌐 Chrome {?dns} ✅ Working

Browser	Endpoint Format	Example	Status
🌐 Edge	`?dns` parameter	`https://dns1.oss.co.za/xxxxx?dns`	✅ Verified
🌐 Chrome	`{?dns}` template	`https://dns1.oss.co.za/xxxxx{?dns}`	✅ Verified
🦊 Firefox	`/dns-query` suffix	`https://dns1.oss.co.za/xxxxx/dns-query`	✅ Verified
🦁 Brave	`?dsn` parameter	`https://dns1.oss.co.za/xxxxx?dsn`	✅ Verified

⚠️ Important

Edge requires ?dns at the end of the URL
Chrome requires {?dns} at the end
Firefox requires /dns-query at the end
Brave requires ?dsn at the end
They are NOT interchangeable - use the correct format for each browser

🔧 Troubleshooting

❌ "Enter a valid URL" or provider not accepted

Make sure you're using the correct format: https://dns1.oss.co.za/xxxxx?dns
Use ?dns (not {?dns} or /dns-query)
Check that your token is valid and active
Verify network connectivity to dns1.oss.co.za

❌ Domains still loading when they should be blocked

Clear the DNS cache: edge://net-internals/#dns → Clear host cache
Check that the token is correct and active
Verify the custom blocklist is loaded: /etc/powerdns/siteslist.rpz
Restart Edge after making changes

✅ Verify It's Working

Visit edge://net-internals/#dns and check for DNS-over-HTTPS queries
Visit http://adult.filterdns.net - should show DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN
Visit https://dnsleaktest.com - should show dns1.oss.co.za

↩️ How to Roll Back

To revert to your previous DNS settings:

Step 1: Go to Privacy, Search, and Services

edge://settings/privacy

Step 2: Turn Off Secure DNS

Select "Use current service provider" instead of "Choose a service provider".

Step 3: Clear DNS Cache

Visit edge://net-internals/#dns and click "Clear host cache".

🎯 Summary

🌐 Microsoft Edge supports DoH natively in Settings
✅ Working URL: https://dns1.oss.co.za/xxxxx?dns
🔒 All DNS queries are encrypted via DoH (port 443) with TLS 1.3
⚡ Edge requires the ?dns query parameter
🔄 Easily toggle on/off as needed

🚀 Quick Reference:

https://dns1.oss.co.za/testclient123?dns

🌐 Browser Format Comparison:

Edge:   https://dns1.oss.co.za/xxxxx?dns
Chrome: https://dns1.oss.co.za/xxxxx{?dns}
Firefox: https://dns1.oss.co.za/xxxxx/dns-query
Brave:  https://dns1.oss.co.za/xxxxx?dsn