Override DNS for KitKat v2.0.0-0-g0de84cc-dirty
First of all some considerations before going on:
• the app needs a rooted device
• if you find something which seems broken, please contact us (overridedns@mx17.net) before posting a negative feedback. We can fix things!
• if you are in Indonesia, the app could not work for mobile connections (Wi-Fi and the carrier 3 Hutchinson Indonesia seems Ok). I'm trying to bypass the DNS hijacking the carriers perform. You could try the app and, within 15 minutes, asks for a reimbursement directly in the Play Store. Send me an e-mail to overridedns@mx17.net to be notified when I find a solution.
Then, here's a brief description of the app: it's a DNS changer which works in Android 4.4 KitKat (finally!).
From version 1.3.0 the app has been backported to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean MR2!
I've tried many apps to change the DNS when a mobile network is in use, but since my last upgrade to Android 4.4, all of them simply doesn't work anymore.
After digging a bit around xda forum and having a deep look to the source code (as deep as I can) I think I found the right way to deal with this issue.
Apparently the DNS management in the latest release of Android is changed to optimize and cache DNS queries, but this new way of doing things broke all the Play Store existing apps.
With this software you can
• Bypass internet censorship when based upon DNS blocking.
• Overcome an Android limitation: there's no system setting to change mobile DNS.
• Speed up internet connection. You can find many articles on the web which show various benchmarks of Domain Name Servers performances and how they affect your navigation (your mileage may vary).
• Keep in sync mobile and Wi-Fi DNS in fact from v1.2.0 the app can handle Wi-Fi connections, too.
Features
• Automatic DNS change when a mobile connection gets activated (can be disabled).
• Automatic DNS change when a Wi-Fi connection gets activated (can be disabled).
• Custom DNS values.
• Root checker on start.
• Almost zero memory and CPU usage, because it's not a service. The DNS update commands are called only when a new connection is completed.
• Notifications let you know that the app is working (can be disabled).
• Automatic DNS flush without need to restart the device.
• DashClock integration, to keep an eye on the DNS in use.
• The app can be completely disabled in the settings menu.
• It comes prepacked with the most common DNS services.
• Simple and clean interface, Holo styled.
• Ad free.
• Works on KitKat and Jelly Bean (maybe the only DNS changer that works on JB 4.3).
More to come (in the next versions)
• change DNS for Ethernet connections, too.
Known issues
• does not fully support multiple active connections (i.e. tethering or Wi-Fi AP): you have to exclude one network device from the advanced settings
• horizontal layout is still awful.
Some references
• http://blog.mx17.net/tag/overridedns/
• inspired by setDNS