Passwall Integration Guide

Complete guide for integrating DNS-MNS with Passwall/Passwall2 on OpenWrt

DNS-MNS Passwall Integration Guide

This guide covers the seamless integration between DNS-MNS and Passwall/Passwall2 proxy on OpenWrt routers, available in DNS-MNS v6.5.0.

Overview

Passwall is a popular OpenWrt package that provides transparent proxy/VPN functionality with support for Shadowsocks, V2Ray, XRay, Trojan, and other protocols. DNS-MNS integrates with Passwall to provide optimized DNS resolution while Passwall handles proxy traffic.

Key Features

• Auto-Detection - Automatically detects Passwall/Passwall2 installation
• Three Integration Modes - Cooperative, Integrated, and Override
• Smart DNS Sync - Synchronizes DNS-MNS optimized servers with Passwall
• Gaming Optimization - DNS recommendations based on Passwall’s proxy mode
• Backup & Restore - Safely backup and restore configurations
• UCI Integration - Native OpenWrt UCI configuration management

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    OpenWrt Router                           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                             │
│  ┌─────────────┐         ┌─────────────┐                   │
│  │   DNS-MNS   │◄───────►│  Passwall   │                   │
│  │             │  Sync   │  (Proxy)    │                   │
│  └──────┬──────┘         └──────┬──────┘                   │
│         │                        │                          │
│         │    ┌─────────────┐     │                          │
│         └───►│   dnsmasq   │◄────┘                          │
│              │   (DNS)     │                                │
│              └──────┬──────┘                                │
│                     │                                       │
│              ┌──────┴──────┐                                │
│              │   Clients   │                                │
│              └─────────────┘                                │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Integration Modes

Cooperative Mode (Recommended)

In cooperative mode, DNS-MNS and Passwall work independently:

• DNS-MNS handles DNS resolution with optimized servers
• Passwall handles proxy/VPN traffic routing
• Best for most users who want optimal performance

# Configure cooperative mode
dns-mns passwall configure --mode cooperative

How it works:

1. DNS-MNS runs on port 5353 (or custom port)
2. dnsmasq uses DNS-MNS as upstream DNS
3. Passwall routes proxy traffic through its configured servers
4. DNS queries and proxy traffic are handled separately

Integrated Mode

In integrated mode, DNS-MNS routes upstream queries through Passwall’s proxy:

• Use case when DNS is blocked and needs to go through proxy tunnel
• Benefit bypasses DNS blocking in heavily restricted networks
• Trade-off may add slight latency

# Configure integrated mode
dns-mns passwall configure --mode integrated

How it works:

1. DNS-MNS routes DNS queries through Passwall’s SOCKS proxy
2. DNS queries go through the proxy tunnel
3. Helps bypass DNS blocking and poisoning

Override Mode

In override mode, DNS-MNS takes over Passwall’s DNS configuration:

• Use case when you want complete DNS control
• Benefit unified DNS management
• Trade-off Passwall’s built-in DNS is disabled

# Configure override mode
dns-mns passwall configure --mode override

How it works:

1. Passwall’s DNS configuration is disabled
2. DNS-MNS becomes the primary DNS handler
3. All DNS queries go through DNS-MNS

Prerequisites

• OpenWrt 19.07+ with Passwall or Passwall2 installed
• DNS-MNS v6.5.0+ installed on router
• Passwall configured with at least one working proxy node

Installation

Step 1: Install DNS-MNS

Follow the OpenWrt Installation Guide to install DNS-MNS on your router.

Step 2: Verify Passwall Installation

# Check if Passwall is installed
dns-mns passwall status

If Passwall is not installed:

# Install Passwall (using opkg)
opkg update
opkg install luci-app-passwall

# Or install Passwall2
opkg install luci-app-passwall2

Step 3: Configure Integration

# Recommended: Configure cooperative mode
dns-mns passwall configure --mode cooperative

# Verify configuration
dns-mns passwall status

CLI Commands

Check Status

dns-mns passwall status

Shows:

• Passwall variant (Passwall/Passwall2)
• Installation and running status
• DNS mode and filter mode
• Integration mode
• Recommendations

Configure Integration

# Configure with specific mode
dns-mns passwall configure --mode <cooperative|integrated|override>

# Configure with custom port
dns-mns passwall configure --mode cooperative --port 5353

Sync DNS Settings

# Sync DNS-MNS optimized servers with Passwall
dns-mns passwall sync

This updates Passwall’s remote DNS with DNS-MNS’s best performing servers.

Gaming Optimization

# Optimize DNS for gaming with Passwall
dns-mns passwall gaming

Provides gaming-optimized DNS configuration based on:

• Passwall’s current proxy mode
• Network conditions
• Gaming requirements

Restore Configuration

# Restore original Passwall configuration
dns-mns passwall restore

Restores the original configuration from backup.

Interactive Menu

Access Passwall integration through the interactive menu:

dns-mns

Select Option 11: Passwall Integration

Menu options:

1. Check Status - Show detailed Passwall integration status
2. Configure Integration - Set up integration mode
3. Gaming Optimization - Optimize DNS for gaming
4. Sync DNS Settings - Sync with Passwall
5. Restore Configuration - Restore original settings

Gaming with Passwall

Optimal Setup for Gaming

1. Configure Passwall in Game Mode (if available)

   # In Passwall web UI, set DNS mode to "Game Mode"
   

2. Use DNS-MNS Cooperative Mode

   dns-mns passwall configure --mode cooperative
   

3. Apply Gaming DNS

   dns-mns passwall gaming
   

Recommended DNS for Gaming

Passwall Mode	Primary DNS	Secondary DNS	Notes
Game Mode	10.202.10.10	178.22.122.100	Direct DNS for low latency
Global Proxy	1.1.1.1	8.8.8.8	International DNS through proxy
GFW List	178.22.122.100	1.1.1.1	Mixed approach

Troubleshooting

Passwall Not Detected

# Check if Passwall UCI config exists
ls -la /etc/config/passwall*

# Check if init script exists
ls -la /etc/init.d/passwall*

DNS Not Working After Configuration

# Restart dnsmasq
/etc/init.d/dnsmasq restart

# Check dnsmasq configuration
uci show dhcp.@dnsmasq[0]

# Check if DNS-MNS is running
dns-mns openwrt status

Restore Original Configuration

# Restore from backup
dns-mns passwall restore

# Restart services
/etc/init.d/dnsmasq restart
/etc/init.d/passwall restart

Check Logs

# DNS-MNS logs
tail -f /var/log/dns-mns.log

# dnsmasq logs
logread | grep dnsmasq

# Passwall logs
logread | grep passwall

Advanced Configuration

Custom DNS Servers

# Set custom DNS for Passwall sync
dns-mns passwall sync --dns 1.1.1.1,8.8.8.8

JSON Output

All commands support JSON output for scripting:

dns-mns passwall status --json
dns-mns passwall configure --mode cooperative --json
dns-mns passwall gaming --json

Integration with Auto-Benchmarking

Enable auto-benchmarking to automatically update Passwall DNS:

# Enable scheduler
uci set dns-mns.@main[0].scheduler_enabled='1'
uci set dns-mns.@main[0].benchmark_interval='6h'
uci commit dns-mns

# Restart service
/etc/init.d/dns-mns restart

FAQ

Q: Which integration mode should I use?

A: For most users, Cooperative Mode is recommended:

• Best performance
• DNS and proxy handled separately
• Lowest latency for gaming

Use Integrated Mode only if:

• DNS is being blocked/poisoned
• You’re in a heavily restricted network
• You need DNS through proxy tunnel

Q: Will this affect my existing Passwall configuration?

A: DNS-MNS creates a backup before making changes. You can restore the original configuration with:

dns-mns passwall restore

Q: Can I use Passwall without DNS-MNS?

A: Yes, Passwall works independently. DNS-MNS integration is optional but provides optimized DNS performance.

Q: Does this work with Passwall2?

A: Yes, DNS-MNS supports both Passwall (legacy) and Passwall2 (modern).

Q: What happens if I uninstall DNS-MNS?

A: Before uninstalling, run:

dns-mns passwall restore

This restores the original Passwall configuration.

See Also

• OpenWrt Integration Guide
• OpenWrt Features
• CLI Reference