{"id":8122,"date":"2025-11-13T10:00:03","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T16:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dnsfilter.com\/blog\/stability-dnsfilter-roaming-client-upgrades"},"modified":"2025-11-13T10:00:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T16:00:03","slug":"built-for-stability-new-era-of-dnsfilter-roaming-clients-dnsfilter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/11\/13\/built-for-stability-new-era-of-dnsfilter-roaming-clients-dnsfilter\/","title":{"rendered":"Built for Stability: New Era of DNSFilter Roaming Clients | DNSFilter"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/built-for-stability-new-era-of-dnsfilter-roaming-clients-dnsfilter.webp?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"><\/div>\n<p>We\u2019ve listened. We triaged tickets about Roaming Client failures. We evaluated the lack of graceful failover options. We saw users struggling with DNS breakages, VPN conflicts, and deployment surprises.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Those reports didn\u2019t fall on deaf ears. They exposed a deeper truth: Our client architecture needed to evolve.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s exactly what set this modernization in motion: Leaning hard into your feedback. Where clients failed, we reverse-engineered. Where gaps formed, we rebuilt. The result is a new foundation built for stability.<\/p>\n<p>This is the most significant evolution of our Roaming Client technology to date, delivering reliable protection, simplified management, and confidence at scale.<\/p>\n<p>And it wouldn\u2019t have been possible without a change: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dnsfilter.com\/newsroom\/zorus-acquisition\" rel=\"noopener\">DNSFilter\u2019s acquisition of Zorus<\/a>. The teams you trusted are now together, a powerhouse of innovation, merging Zorus\u2019 edge filtering and analytics capabilities with DNSFilter\u2019s AI, backbone, and scale.<\/p>\n<p>From here, you\u2019ll see how each platform (Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS) were retooled, hardened, and aligned with your expectations. What follows is proof that we didn\u2019t just talk. We acted.<\/p>\n<h2>The Solution: One Strategy, Three Modern Clients<\/h2>\n<p>We didn\u2019t just facelift old code. We rebuilt the entire Roaming Client core around four guiding principles: Vendor alignment, privacy and security, manageability, and reducing legacy friction. Those pillars now live in a unified strategy that supports Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS clients through shared core ideals that adapt to each platform\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n<p>Under that architecture, we layered robust foundations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Core libraries and build systems<\/strong> have been modernized and consolidated. The result is fewer divergent code paths, easier maintenance, and faster per-platform feature development.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Diagnostics and visibility<\/strong> got a major boost. Logs are clearer, better structured, and more informative. Error paths show context. Across platforms, support teams have more insight into failure states rather than chasing ghosts.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Update reliability<\/strong> is baked in. Because every client now utilizes a modern code base, releases are far more predictable across operating systems.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Privacy-first protocols and intelligent fallback<\/strong> are foundational, not optional. All Roaming Clients will have encrypted DNS available and eventually, full IPv6 support.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Because these improvements are simultaneous, the next step becomes possible!<\/p>\n<h2>DNS PreCheck: Coming Soon to Windows<\/h2>\n<p>One of the most anticipated updates in this modernization effort is DNS PreCheck, a flagship feature from Zorus that\u2019s now being integrated into DNSFilter\u2019s Roaming Clients, starting with Windows.<\/p>\n<p>DNS PreCheck evaluates DNS queries before they\u2019re resolved. That may sound subtle, but the impact is enormous. By analyzing traffic at this earlier stage, PreCheck prevents the most common sources of disruption that plague traditional filtering agents like VPN conflicts, captive portal breakdowns, and DNS reconfiguration headaches.<\/p>\n<p>When users connect through a hotel or airport Wi-Fi, PreCheck ensures protection stays on without blocking access to the captive portal. When VPNs connect or disconnect, there\u2019s no need to reconfigure DNS or restart the client. Same when switching networks. It simply works.<\/p>\n<p>This feature eliminates entire classes of your support tickets while keeping users protected and connected.<\/p>\n<h3>Use Cases &amp; Benefits<\/h3>\n<p><strong>No IT Setup Hassles<\/strong><br \/>Changing DNS is no longer required, simplifying setup across organizations. With DNS PreCheck, the Roaming Client connects seamlessly without the need to configure local domains or traditional VPNs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conflict-Free<\/strong><br \/>When users hit captive portals (airports, hotels, work \u21d4 home, or coworking spaces) they\u2019ll remain protected while connecting, without network interruptions or lockouts.<\/p>\n<p><span>Resilient Protection<\/span><br \/>DNS queries to malicious domains are blocked locally, never touching the network. Apps and malware attempting to bypass filtering get stopped at the source.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cPreCheck brings the intelligence of Zorus\u2019 endpoint filtering into DNSFilter\u2019s global network. It\u2019s a leap forward in stability and user experience.\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Brett Cheloff, Chief Product Officer<\/p>\n<h2>Windows Roaming Client 3.x<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Reinventing Windows Filtering<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We rebuilt the Windows client on modern frameworks (including .NET Core) to deliver better consistency, faster updates, and stronger runtime behavior.<\/p>\n<p>Users remain protected transparently. Admins have one less \u201cmystery machine\u201d to troubleshoot.<\/p>\n<p>We added ARM64 builds (for devices like Surface Pro X and Snapdragon laptops), and full IPv6 support. No more clients that \u201cjust don\u2019t work\u201d on new hardware or next-gen networks.<\/p>\n<p>We also introduced a <span>Service Manager c<\/span>omponent. It gives admins centralized install, update, and feature control letting them manage logging, diagnostics, and filtering behavior directly from the dashboard. These updates will be available at a later date, releasing through the end of 2025.<\/p>\n<p>The result: Fewer remote support sessions, faster deployments, and more predictable client behavior at scale.<\/p>\n<h2>macOS Roaming Client 2.x<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Future-Ready for Apple<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/developer.apple.com\/documentation\/systemextensions\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Apple\u2019s move away from kernel extensions<\/a> required a full architectural shift. Our macOS client now runs entirely within Apple\u2019s approved System and Network Extension frameworks\u2014the same technologies used by leading endpoint and VPN providers. <a href=\"https:\/\/developer.apple.com\/documentation\/systemextensions?utm_source=chatgpt.com\"><span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This modernization improves stability, security, and OS compatibility. It eliminates the fragile kernel hooks that often broke after macOS updates and enables seamless deployment and management through MDM tools.<\/p>\n<p>The result: Fewer regressions, smoother upgrades, and a client that\u2019s aligned with Apple\u2019s long-term direction for secure networking\u2014built to adapt as their ecosystem continues to evolve.<\/p>\n<h2>ChromeOS Roaming Client 3.x<\/h2>\n<p>Private, Compliant, and Modern<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/developer.chrome.com\/docs\/extensions\/reference\/api\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ChromeOS clients must align with<span> <\/span><span>Manifest V3 rules<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span>which limit how extensions intercept and block traffic.<\/p>\n<p>We built the ChromeOS client to <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.chromium.org\/2020\/05\/a-safer-and-more-private-browsing-DoH.html\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">supp<span>ort DNS over HTTPS (DoH)<\/span><\/a><span>,<\/span> letting us encrypt DNS queries inside Chrome\u2019s native infrastructure. Encrypted DNS (DoH) helps block eavesdropping, tampering, and bypass attempts.<\/p>\n<p>That means DNSFilter filtering works seamlessly, even on unmanaged or untrusted networks, and stays compatible with Google\u2019s roadmap.<\/p>\n<p>For education, hybrid work, and enterprise fleets, that\u2019s a lifeline: Protection without breaking Chrome extensions or user environments.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Modernization Wins<\/h2>\n<p>For IT teams: Fewer surprise breakages when vendors shift. Deploy once, update confidently. Know that your security client won\u2019t collapse when Windows, macOS, or Chrome change.<\/p>\n<p>For users: Protection that runs silently in the background. No popups, no weird network failures, no \u201cwhy is my internet broken\u201d confusion.<\/p>\n<p>For organizations: Security that endures. Your investment in DNSFilter\u2019s platform continues to pay off as the OS and browser world evolves.<\/p>\n<h2>Confidence at Scale<\/h2>\n<p>DNSFilter\u2019s new Roaming Clients are better but more importantly they\u2019re built for the next decade of OS, browser, and network change.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Modern Clients for modern enterprises<\/strong><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Future-proof protective DNS across Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS<\/strong><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Aligned with Apple, Google, and Microsoft, ready for what comes next<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Next Steps: What to Do Right Now<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">If you\u2019re a customer, <a href=\"https:\/\/app.dnsfilter.com\/login\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span>login to DNSFilter to join the Windows Roaming Client beta<\/span><\/a> today and start testing on devices. <a href=\"https:\/\/help.dnsfilter.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/21251927591571-Roaming-Client-Release-Channels\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span>Here is how to ensure you get DNSFilter beta updates<\/span><\/a>.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">If not a customer yet, <a href=\"https:\/\/app.dnsfilter.com\/signup\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><span>start your free trial<\/span><\/strong><\/a>. DNSFilter customers get end-to-end protective DNS (and more!).<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Watch for new Roaming Client releases<\/strong>. The latest builds embody this modernization.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Modernization is the foundation for faster fixes, deeper integrations, and true scale.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dnsfilter.com\/blog\/stability-dnsfilter-roaming-client-upgrades\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019ve listened. We triaged tickets about Roaming Client failures. We<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4656],"tags":[4657],"class_list":["post-8122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-productfeatures","tag-productfeatures"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","chromenews-featured":"","chromenews-large":"","chromenews-medium":""},"author_info":{"display_name":"DNSFilter","author_link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/author\/dnsfilter\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/category\/productfeatures\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Product&amp;Features<\/a>","tag_info":"Product&amp;Features","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8122"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8122\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}