Securing Your VyOS Network with DNS over HTTPS (DoH): A Comprehensive Guide

DNS over HTTPS (DoH) offers a significant enhancement to your network's security by encrypting DNS queries, preventing eavesdropping and manipulation by third parties. This guide details how to configure DoH on your VyOS router, enhancing privacy and security for all devices connected to your network.

Understanding DNS over HTTPS

Traditional DNS queries are sent in plain text, making them vulnerable to interception and manipulation. DoH solves this by encapsulating DNS queries within HTTPS requests, leveraging the security of TLS encryption. This prevents your ISP, or any other entity monitoring your network traffic, from seeing the websites you're accessing.

Why Use DoH with VyOS?

VyOS is a powerful and versatile open-source router operating system. Implementing DoH on your VyOS router provides several key advantages:

• Enhanced Privacy: Prevents your ISP and other potential observers from knowing which websites your devices are accessing.
• Improved Security: Protects against DNS spoofing and cache poisoning attacks.
• Centralized Management: Manage DoH settings for all devices on your network from a single point.
• Flexibility: Choose from a variety of DoH providers to suit your needs and preferences.

Configuring DoH on VyOS

VyOS offers flexible options for implementing DoH. The most common method involves configuring a custom DNS forwarder that uses DoH. Here's how you can do it:

1. Choosing a DoH Provider

Several reputable providers offer DoH services, including Cloudflare (1.1.1.1), Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8), and Quad9 (9.9.9.9). Each provider has its own privacy policy, so it's important to choose one that aligns with your requirements. For this example, we'll use Cloudflare's DoH service.

2. Configuring the DNS Forwarder

You'll need to add a new DNS forwarder using the VyOS configuration interface. The exact steps might vary slightly depending on your VyOS version, but the general approach is as follows:

set service dns forwarders add address=1.1.1.1 override-name-servers=yes
set service dns forwarders add address=1.1.1.2 override-name-servers=yes
set service dns forwarders protocol=https
commit

This configuration adds Cloudflare's DoH servers (1.1.1.1 and 1.1.1.2) as forwarders and specifies the HTTPS protocol. The override-name-servers=yes ensures that the DoH settings are prioritized over any other DNS servers you might have configured.

3. Verifying the Configuration

After committing the changes, verify the configuration by checking the status of the DNS service and the forwarders. You can use the command-line interface or the web interface of VyOS to do this.

You can use tools like dig or nslookup to test if your DNS queries are being handled by the new DoH forwarders.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues, check the following:

• Connectivity: Ensure your VyOS router has internet access.
• Firewall Rules: Verify that your firewall rules allow traffic on port 443 (HTTPS).
• Configuration Errors: Double-check your configuration for typos and inconsistencies.
• VyOS Version: Ensure your VyOS version supports DoH. Check the release notes or documentation for compatibility information.

Alternative Approaches

While the above method is the most common, other methods exist. You could explore using a DNS client that supports DoH directly on your client devices, but configuring this centrally on your VyOS router ensures consistent security for all devices on your network.

Conclusion

Implementing DoH on your VyOS router is a crucial step towards enhancing the security and privacy of your network. By encrypting DNS traffic, you protect your users from various network threats. This comprehensive guide provides a detailed roadmap to successfully configure DoH on your VyOS setup, ensuring a more secure and private internet experience for everyone on your network.