Setting a DNS address manually breaks hostByName().

[iabdalkader]

Please see the attached sketch which reproduces the issue. This is the output with and without a manual DNS address:

// With default/GW DNS address.
00:37:09.929 -> Attempting to connect to SSID: ***
00:37:22.549 -> Connected to WiFi
00:37:22.615 -> IP Address: 142.251.37.196

// With manual DNS address.
00:36:10.968 -> Attempting to connect to SSID: ***
00:36:23.673 -> Connected to WiFi
00:36:23.673 -> Setting DNS address
00:36:30.672 -> IP Address: 0.0.0.0

Sketch:

#include <SPI.h>
#include <WiFiNINA.h>
#include "arduino_secrets.h" 
char ssid[] = SECRET_SSID;     // your network SSID (name)
char pass[] = SECRET_PASS;    // your network password (use for WPA, or use as key for WEP)

WiFiClient client;
int status = WL_IDLE_STATUS;
char server[] = "www.google.com";    // name address for Google (using DNS)

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  while (!Serial) {
    ; // wait for serial port to connect. Needed for native USB port only
  }

  // check for the WiFi module:
  if (WiFi.status() == WL_NO_MODULE) {
    Serial.println("Communication with WiFi module failed!");
    // don't continue
    while (true);
  }

  String fv = WiFi.firmwareVersion();
  if (fv < WIFI_FIRMWARE_LATEST_VERSION) {
    Serial.println("Please upgrade the firmware");
  }

  // attempt to connect to WiFi network:
  while (status != WL_CONNECTED) {
    Serial.print("Attempting to connect to SSID: ");
    Serial.println(ssid);
    // Connect to WPA/WPA2 network. Change this line if using open or WEP network:
    status = WiFi.begin(ssid, pass);

    // wait 10 seconds for connection:
    delay(10000);
  }
  
  Serial.println("Connected to WiFi");
  
  Serial.println("Setting DNS address");
  WiFi.config(IPAddress(192, 168, 1, 200), IPAddress(8, 8, 8, 8));
    
  IPAddress host_ip;
  WiFi.hostByName("www.google.com", host_ip);
  Serial.print("IP Address: ");
  Serial.println(host_ip);
}

void loop() {
  // do nothing forevermore:
  while (true);
}

[iabdalkader]

So it seems the issue is that the validParams is ignored in the firmware, which means in my sketch above gateway and and subnet mask are set to 0.