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IPFire (Encrypted)

Overview

IPFire is an open-source firewall and router, used in both consumer and commercial environments.

IPFire utilizes Unbound, which has built-in DNS over TLS support, with the configuration being accessible in the GUI.

This setup guide was tested using IPFire 2.27

Backup Time!

Before making changes to a production environment, we recommend backing up the existing configuration

Instructions

  • Navigate to System -> Domain Name System

    • Under DNS Servers, click Add
      • Go through this process twice, one for each Quad9 IP address, where the TLS Hostname will always be dns.quad9.net
        • IP address: 9.9.9.9
        • IP address: 149.112.112.112

  • Use ISP-assigned DNS Servers: Disabled

  • Protocol for DNS Queries: TLS
  • Enable Safe Search: Disabled
  • QNAME Minimisation: Disabled
  • Click Save

Verify Configuratiom

GUI

Navigate to Status -> Net-Traffic in the top menu, and search for an active connect to either 9.9.9.9 or 149.112.112.112 via port 853 TCP

CLI

  • Connect to your IPFire device via SSH
  • Install the tshark package
pakfire -y install tshark
  • Start a packet capture with tshark to filter for DNS over TLS traffic:
tshark -i any 'port 853'

If the IPFire device is using DNS over HTTPS for DNS queries, you will see output like this: 

1 0.000000000 192.168.1.150 → 9.9.9.9 TCP 76 37226 → 853 [SYN] Seq=0 Win=64240 Len=0 MSS=1460 SACK_PERM=1 TSval=3103990808 TSecr=0 WS=512
2 0.006914259 9.9.9.9 → 192.168.1.150 TCP 76 853 → 37226 [SYN, ACK] Seq=0 Ack=1 Win=28960 Len=0 MSS=1460 TSval=2447463919 TSecr=3103990808 WS=256
3 0.006948874 192.168.1.150 → 9.9.9.9 TCP 68 37226 → 853 [ACK] Seq=1 Ack=1 Win=64512 Len=0 TSval=3103990815 TSecr=2447463919
4 0.007110658 192.168.1.150 → 9.9.9.9 TLSv1 387 Client Hello
5 0.013306457 9.9.9.9 → 192.168.1.150 TCP 68 853 → 37226 [ACK] Seq=1 Ack=320 Win=30208 Len=0 TSval=2447463926 TSecr=3103990815
6 0.013926633 9.9.9.9 → 192.168.1.150 TLSv1.3 2964 Server Hello, Change Cipher Spec, Application Data
7 0.013945067 192.168.1.150 → 9.9.9.9 TCP 68 37226 → 853 [ACK] Seq=320 Ack=2897 Win=62464 Len=0 TSval=3103990822 TSecr=2447463926

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