How to Fix DNS Server Not Responding Error

DNS or Domain Name Service is an important system that translates human-readable web addresses to machine-readable addresses called IP addresses. That’s right, the internet doesn’t directly understand your “Google.com” search but relies on DNS to first convert it into an IP address. However, the DNS server may not respond sometimes due to unknown reasons, so here are eight fixes you can try if your DNS server isn’t responding.

Method 1: Restart your Device

One of the easiest solutions you can try if your device’s DNS server isn’t responding is by restarting your device. While this isn’t a sure-shot way of solving the issue, the amount of high-severity issues a simple restart is capable of solving cannot be neglected.

Method 2: Try a Different Browser, DNS, or Device

Trying a different browser will help you determine if there’s an issue with the browser. Similarly, trying a different device will help find out if the device’s DNS server settings were changed and are the reason why your device’s DNS server fails to respond.

You could try resetting your Browser’s network settings by going toSettings>Reset Settings.

If the browser’s default DNS isn’t responding, you could try switching to adifferent DNSlike Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1, NextDNS, or OpenDNS. The option to switch the default DNS in Chrome is located in the advanced section under Privacy and Security.

Method 3: Flush DNS Cache

You can easily flush the DNS cache from the Windows terminal. Here’s how to do it.

On Windows

This will remove the remnant DNS cache from Windows and should hopefully help you freely browse the internet again.

On Mac

This will reset your DNS cache immediately.

Method 4: Restart Your Router

Your router holds the key to the gate that allows you to browse the internet without hiccups. Hence, if the DNS is unresponsive, it is possible that there might be something wrong with the traffic router or there might be congestion if lots of devices are connected to the same network. In that case, you might want to turn off your Wi-Fi router and give it a gap of at least a few minutes before turning it on.

Method 5: Reset DNS Settings

If your device’s DNS is not responding, you can try resetting the Host cache from the browser by going tochrome://net-internals/#dnsfrom the address bar and clicking on theClear host cachebutton. This works on all major platforms, including Linux. Once done, try searching for a domain name, and it should start functioning as usual.

Method 6: Allow an App Through Firewall

There are times when anAntivirusor Firewall can break DNS. This doesn’t happen often and commonly but it could as well be one of the reasons why your DNS server shows that it’s unresponsive. If you’re using third-party Antivirus software, we’d suggest disabling the protection. Try browsing and check if the DNS is functional again.

If you don’t have a third-party Antivirus but Windows Security, try disabling the firewall for your web browser app.

On Windows

On Mac

You can also allow an app through macOS’ Firewall using the steps below.

Method 7: Update Your Computer

Microsoft pushes the latest security updates quite frequently, and it is possible that your computer might not be running the latest version of the security. This could be a reason why DNS is not responding on your Windows or Mac computer.

Method 8: Check with Your Service Provider

Oftentimes, some of the common issues you face with your internet are due to the service provider. Perhaps a few of its services in some areas might be down, and your area might be impacted. A quick call or help ticket to your service provider should help you determine if the service provider is at fault and ask them to solve your DNS issues at the earliest.

These are some solutions you can try if your DNS server is not responding. If none of the solutions have worked for you, you may tryresetting Windows without losing your personal data. Doing so should reset your Windows installation and its settings to factory state, and your DNS woes may be solved thereafter.

Have you ever faced issues with the DNS server? Let us know in the comments below.

Abubakar Mohammed

Abubakar covers Tech on Beebom. Hailing from a Computer Science background, the start of his love for Tech dates back to 2011, when he was gifted a Dell Inspiron 5100. When he’s not covering Tech, you’ll find him binge-watching anime and Tech content on YouTube, hunting heads in competitive FPS games, or exploring Teyvat in Genshin Impact. He has previously worked for leading publications such as Fossbytes, How-To Geek, and Android Police.

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