Every so often, you may come across an odd error when browsing the internet that claims your DNS server is not responding. Unfortunately, it’s not immediately obvious from this vague error message as to what a DNS server is, let alone why it’s not cooperating with you.
As such, let’s explore what a DNS server is, and how to fix this problem.
What Even Is a DNS Server, Anyway?
First of all, before we can explore why your DNS server isn’t working, we need to understand what a DNS server even is!
The “DNS” part of the name stands for “Domain Name System.”A DNS server helps a computer break down a domain name into an IP address, which it can then use to take you to your destination.
Domain names were designed for humans to understand and remember, not computers. To your computer, “www.google.com” means nothing, even though we as humans know what Google is.
To take you to Google, your device needs the IP address of the website. To do this, your computer needs to convert Google’s URL into an IP address, which it knows how to use.
This is where the DNS server comes in. A DNS server acts as a huge phonebook for the internet. Every time a computer needs the IP address of a website, it can give the DNS server the URL and receive an IP address in return.
When you go to Google, the DNS server looks up its huge database of domain names and finds the IP address linked to Google. It then tells your PC to visit that address, and your computer uses the address to fetch Google’s website.
We covered more about how DNS servers work and why one might become unavailable.
How to Fix a “DNS Server Not Responding” Error
Now that we know what a DNS server is, we can understand why it’s such a big problem when it’s not responding.
When you enter a URL into your browser, your computer tries to get an IP address from it, but your DNS server isn’t responding. As such, your PC can’t take you to the website you want to go to and gives you a DNS error.
So, how do you fix a DNS server not responding error?
1. Try a Different Browser
Sometimes browsers have a rough moment. If you’re experiencing DNS issues when using one browser, try a different one. Browsing the web to download another browser may be difficult, but if you’re not using your device’s default browser, you can always use that instead.
If changing the browser fixes the issue, try updating or reinstalling the misbehaving browser. If that doesn’t work, or you’re using a default browser on your device, try clearing the browsing data and uninstalling any addons.
2. Clear the DNS Cache
If you’re on a PC or laptop and see this message, there may be a problem with your DNS cache.
The DNS cache is a file on your PC that stores the directory of addresses and IPs you visit. It saves time from having to constantly ask your DNS server for information that you’ve received in the past.
When this cache messes up, it causes DNS problems. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to clear the DNS cache on Windows and macOS:
- For Windows, click on the Start button, then type “Command Prompt.” Select the search result that appears, then enter “ipconfig /flushdns.”
- For macOS, open a terminal and enter “sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder” if you’re using El Capitan or later.
We use both of these methods in our guide to what a DNS server is, and why it’s unavailable. Be sure to give it a read if you’d like to learn more.
3. Change Your DNS Server
If your current DNS server is unavailable, why not try a different one? You don’t have to be stuck with the server you use by default, and it’s straightforward to tell your device to use a different one for the time being.
To do this, you need to access your computer’s DNS settings and tell it to connect somewhere else. If you’re unsure of how to do this, we went through the steps in our guide on how to change your DNS settings.
As for what to enter as your new DNS server, there are a few options for your primary and secondary address:
- Google has a memorable 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 address for their servers.
- Cloudflare is also easy to remember, with 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1.
- OpenDNS has 208.67.222.222 and 28.67.220.220.
While these are useful, free DNS services, it’s not recommended to use them for extended periods of time. Free DNS servers typically don’t have a lot of security installed on them, and they may see a ton of use by other people using the free service.
As such, it’s best to use a free DNS server until your normal one comes back online. You can check your normal DNS server by undoing the steps above.
4. Restart Your Router
You may notice that the problem goes beyond your device. If every device and computer on your local network can’t connect to the DNS server, there may be something wrong with your router.
Like a computer, some routers will have a DNS cache that can become corrupted. You can do a quick test by turning off the Wi-Fi connection on a mobile device and using data. If this clears up the issue, your router’s DNS cache may be at fault.
To fix this, unplug your router from the mains and leave it for 30 seconds. Plug it back in and retry the connection. If the router was the problem, this should fix it.
5. Temporarily Disable Your Antivirus and Firewall
If none of the above seems to work, try temporarily disabling any antivirus programs and firewalls you have set up. These programs monitor your internet connection to ensure nothing nasty sneaks onto your system, but sometimes things go wrong with it.
If disabling your antivirus or firewall does the trick, you may need to reinstall it to get it back on track. It may also be time to try out another antivirus program.
6. Try Going Into Safe Mode
Your antivirus isn’t the only program that has control over your connections. Other apps, software, and drivers may interfere with your connection.
To test if something else is the culprit, try booting your device into Safe Mode. You can boot into safe mode in Windows 10, and the macOS boot modes also have their own safe mode.
If you boot into safe mode and the problem resolves itself, it means that software is getting in the way. When you boot into safe mode, your PC deliberately doesn’t load non-essential drivers and software.
As such, if safe mode fixes your problem, that means that whatever didn’t get loaded in is the culprit. However, there’s plenty of issues that could be the reason, so try reinstalling network-based drivers and software until it’s fixed.
Getting to Know Your DNS Settings
If you’re having DNS problems, there are a lot of potential causes behind it. Unfortunately, identifying the problem requires going through each part of your device that could cause the error and double-checking that it’s working correctly.
Now that you’re a master of tweaking your DNS, you can do more things with it. For instance, did you know that a few adjustments can speed up your internet?
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