How to access Handshake domains

For other ways of resolving Handshake names, visit the Namebase Learning Center here: https://learn.namebase.io/starting-from-zero/how-to-access-handshake-sites.

When you use Handshake DNS, you are changing your DNS "switchboard" operator from your ISP to Handshake's DNS network. 

In most cases, the IP addresses used by your ISP's domain name servers are automatically set by your ISP via the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). To use Handshake DNS, you need to explicitly change the DNS settings in your operating system or router to point to Handshake. There are multiple ways to do this — you can run a Handshake fullnode, use the Handshake light client, or use an existing DNS resolver that supports Handshake. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to use Handshake DNS using HNS.to, HDNS, and Fingertip.

The procedure for changing your DNS settings varies according to operating system and version or the device. We give general procedures here; if you have difficulty getting set up, ask the Namer Community for help.

Level 0: HNS.to

HNS.to is a gateway that enables you to access Handshake domains without any special setup in any browser.

Estimated setup time: 10 seconds

1. Add https://hns.to/ in front of any Handshake domain you want to visit.

2. Try visiting our welcome page at https://hns.to/welcome.nb/ or https://hns.to/namebase/.

Level 1: HDNS

HDNS.io is a privacy public resolver that enables you to access Handshake domains without any extra extensions like hns.to.

Esimated setup time: 1 minute

1. Replace your device's DNS server addresses with 103.196.38.38 and 103.196.38.39.

2. Try visiting our welcome page at: http://welcome.nb/ or http://namebase/.

For more detailed device-specific instructions, visit the HDNS.io landing page.

Level 2: Fingertip

Fingertip runs the HNSD lightclient for you, enabling you to access Handshake domains trustlessly directly through the blockchain. This is in contrast to going through a gateway like hns.to or a public DNS resolver that can still be censored like hdns.io.

Estimated setup time: 2-4 minutes

1. Download Fingertip

2. Try visiting our welcome page at: http://welcome.nb/ or http://namebase/.