Recommendation for Device for Custom DNS Entries?

by devp0ll

Hello. I am a cord-cutter of 5 years now and I subscribe to NHL Game center ( NHL.TV ) and I currently use an old Apple TV 2nd gen (2011) to watch NHL games via the Apple TV app. I use it because I can use my custom DNS entries for my Unlocator subscription service (as I am a fan of the NJ Devils who are local to me but due to blackout rules from cable/satellite providers I had to find another way).

I';ve tried replacing my old Apple TV device with an Android/Google based device, as I have since 2011 migrated to all Google based devices. I've tried the Xiaomi MiBox but the Google cast functionality on my 55" 4K Vizio is a disaster. Since I cannot use Chromecast (hard coded Google DNS) I would like to pick up an Android TV based device and install the NHL app on it, while using custom DNS entries.

My expensive alternative is to just buy a new Apple TV, possibly the 4K model. It's expensive, and it's Apple (ugh) but it works for my setup. Anyone know of a cheaper, Android based solution i can leverage?

Cheers

zfa

On an Android TV box (inc. Mi Box) you can redirect all DNS traffic by installing Blokada and using that to route it's DNS traffic to wherever you want. But really blocking 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 from getting out of your network should have caused the Chromecast (hardware or built-in) to fallback to the DNS servers allocated by DHCP. Always worked for me.

The best network-wide solution, if you have a decent router, is to define a DNAT rule to redirect all DNS lookups (TCP/UDP 53) to whatever alternative DNS server you want.

aybesea

Can't you just set up a static DNS of your choice in your router?

Jashyk

I don't understand why MiBox didn't work for you? Didn't you just install the NHL.tv app and set your DNS addresses right in the Wifi settings? Why are you casting to the MiBox when it has the app natively?

Nattfluga

What if you block Google DNS in your firewall? Then it would have to use your assigned DNS, wouldn't it?