- Understanding the DNS server not responding error
- Common reasons the DNS server is not responding
- Fast checks to pinpoint where the problem is coming from
- Restart steps that solve many DNS server not responding cases
- How to fix dns server not responding by clearing caches and resetting TCP IP
- Change DNS server addresses when ISP DNS is failing
- Advanced fixes for driver protocol and security conflicts
- How 1Byte supports customers with domains hosting and cloud services
- Conclusion and prevention checklist
At 1Byte, we think about DNS the way electricians think about breakers: most days it’s silent, dependable infrastructure, and then one odd failure makes everything feel “down” at once. The error message DNS server not responding is especially frustrating because it sits at the boundary between your device, your local network, your ISP, and the broader internet, which means the culprit can be anywhere along that chain.
Market overview: Gartner forecast worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services at $675.4 billion, and we’ve watched that gravity pull more daily work into browser tabs, APIs, and hosted apps where a DNS hiccup instantly becomes a business interruption.
On the reliability side, we also take a sobering lesson from incidents where a configuration artifact in the critical path cascaded into widespread request failures across a major edge network, because it illustrates a truth we repeat internally: small name-resolution and routing dependencies can carry outsized blast radius.
In this guide, we’ll troubleshoot like operators—not guessers. The goal is to isolate whether the break is on your device, inside your LAN, in your DNS settings, or upstream at the resolver/authoritative layer, and then apply fixes in an order that preserves stability.
Understanding the DNS server not responding error
1. How the Domain Name System translates domain names into IP addresses
DNS is the internet’s lookup system: humans type names, networks move packets to addresses. When your browser requests a site, your operating system’s “stub resolver” asks a recursive DNS resolver (often provided by your ISP, your router, or a public DNS service) to find the address that corresponds to the domain name.
From our perspective as a hosting and cloud provider, the important nuance is that resolution is rarely a single hop. Caches exist at multiple levels—inside the browser, inside the OS, inside the router, and inside recursive resolvers—so “DNS issues” can be stale data, blocked queries, broken connectivity, or an upstream server that’s simply unreachable.
Recursive vs authoritative, in plain language
Authoritative DNS servers hold the source-of-truth records for a domain. Recursive resolvers are the intermediaries that go fetch those records (and cache them) on behalf of your device. When users say “DNS is down,” they often mean the recursive side can’t be reached, even though the authoritative records are perfectly fine.
2. What breaks when the device cannot connect to DNS to resolve a website
When DNS fails, your network may still be “up” in a narrow sense: Wi‑Fi connected, signal strong, router lights happy. Yet the practical outcome is brutal—apps that rely on names can’t find their destination, so connections never begin.
Operationally, we separate failures into two buckets. In the first bucket, name resolution fails entirely (no answer, timeout, or blocked request). In the second bucket, name resolution succeeds but returns the wrong destination (stale cache, hijacked DNS, or a misconfigured domain record), which can look like random redirects, certificate warnings, or “site can’t be reached” loops.
3. Common signs like web pages not loading and DNS probe finished no internet
Browsers surface DNS problems with slightly different phrasing, but the symptoms rhyme. Chrome-family browsers often show errors that mention “DNS probe,” while Safari and Firefox may emphasize that the server can’t be found, or that the connection can’t be established.
From our support desk, the most diagnostic clue is inconsistency: if messaging apps work but the browser doesn’t, the failure could be browser-specific DNS settings, DNS-over-HTTPS behavior, an extension, or security software filtering. On the other hand, if everything that needs a hostname fails, the issue is more likely at the OS resolver, router DNS forwarding, or upstream resolver reachability.
Common reasons the DNS server is not responding
1. Network connectivity issues like poor signal or incorrect network or server settings
Weak connectivity can masquerade as DNS failure because DNS queries are small and latency-sensitive. A flaky link may drop just enough packets that the resolver never responds in time, and your browser concludes “DNS server not responding” even though the real fault is radio interference, congestion, or a captive portal flow.
Configuration mistakes are equally common. A manual DNS entry with a typo, a router set to use a non-existent upstream resolver, or a VPN profile that forces DNS through a dead tunnel can all result in the same user-facing error, even though the device is otherwise online.
2. Hardware issues involving modem router network adapter or cabling
Hardware failures are boring, which is exactly why they fool people. A router that’s overheating, a modem that’s stuck in a partial state, a marginal Ethernet cable, or a USB network adapter that browns out under load can all create intermittent DNS timeouts.
In practice, DNS failures triggered by hardware tend to be “bursty”: everything works, then suddenly nothing resolves, then it recovers without any meaningful configuration change. When we see that pattern, we treat hardware as guilty until proven otherwise, because unstable physical layers produce chaotic symptoms across layers above them.
3. Security software interference from antivirus firewall or VPN tools
Security tooling often inserts itself into the DNS path. Some products intercept DNS requests to block known-bad domains, enforce content controls, or prevent “DNS leaks” while a VPN is active. That interception can fail after an update, after a sleep/wake event, or after a network switch, leaving name resolution stuck.
In our experience, the sharpest clue is scope. If the DNS error appears only when a VPN is enabled, treat the VPN as part of your DNS infrastructure—not just an add-on. Likewise, if the error appears only in one browser, suspect browser-level secure DNS features or extensions rather than the underlying network.
4. DHCP and TCP IP service issues and why a reboot may be required
DHCP is how most devices learn “who am I, what network am I on, and what DNS servers should I use?” If DHCP negotiation fails or the lease state becomes inconsistent, your device might keep an IP address that no longer routes correctly, or it might keep DNS servers that are no longer reachable.
TCP/IP service components can also get wedged. When that happens, you can flush caches and reset stacks (we’ll cover that), but sometimes the cleanest fix is a restart that forces services to rebind interfaces, rebuild routing tables, and reinitialize resolver state.
5. Incorrect DNS records and temporary DNS server outages
Not all DNS problems live on your device. A domain’s records can be misconfigured, a nameserver can have an outage, or a DNSSEC validation issue can cause resolvers to reject otherwise “present” answers. Users often interpret that as “my internet is broken” even though only one domain is affected.
As a hosting provider, we see a classic trap during migrations: a domain resolves fine from some networks but not others because caches are holding old data, or because not all authoritative nameservers were updated consistently. That’s why we always test from multiple networks and multiple resolvers before declaring victory.
Fast checks to pinpoint where the problem is coming from
1. Try a different web browser and update the browser if needed
Browser switching is not superstition; it’s isolation. If Firefox works and Chrome fails, the network is probably fine and the issue is likely within Chrome’s configuration, extensions, secure DNS behavior, or an internal host cache.
Updates matter because browsers change network behavior over time. A browser update can introduce stricter DNSSEC handling, different HTTPS-first behavior, or new security prompts that look like DNS failures from a user’s standpoint, so keeping the browser current reduces the number of “phantom DNS” cases.
2. Test another device on the same Wi Fi and compare results with mobile data
Cross-device testing answers a crucial question: is this local to one machine or shared by the network? If every device on the same Wi‑Fi fails to resolve names, the router, modem, or upstream DNS is suspect.
Mobile data testing gives you a fast “different ISP” baseline. When a domain fails on home Wi‑Fi but loads on cellular, we start looking at the home DNS resolver path, router filtering, or ISP resolver availability rather than blaming the website or the device.
3. Run the Windows network troubleshooter from Settings or Control Panel
Windows troubleshooting tools won’t solve every DNS issue, but they can surface misconfigurations quickly. Microsoft documents that Windows troubleshooters can run network diagnostics and guide remediation steps without contacting support, which makes them a reasonable first pass before you start editing adapter properties.
What we like about this step is the “cheap signal.” Even if the troubleshooter doesn’t fix the issue, it may reveal that the adapter has no gateway, that DNS servers aren’t reachable, or that a proxy setting is interfering with connectivity.
4. Use macOS Wireless Diagnostics to identify connection suggestions
macOS ships with a surprisingly capable diagnostics flow. Apple explains that Wireless Diagnostics can analyze a Wi‑Fi network’s connection to the internet and provide detected issues and possible solutions without changing settings, which is exactly what we want during early troubleshooting.
Beyond the suggestions, Wireless Diagnostics can generate a report bundle that’s useful if you’re escalating to IT. In small businesses, that bundle often saves time because it captures a snapshot of the environment before “fixes” mutate the state.
5. Disable extra network connections so Wi Fi is the only active connection
Multiple active interfaces can create routing ambiguity. A laptop connected to Wi‑Fi while also tethered to a phone, running a VPN, and maintaining a virtual adapter for a hypervisor can end up sending DNS queries out the “wrong” path.
During triage, we prefer ruthless simplification. Turn off (or disconnect) every non-essential adapter so the OS has a single obvious route, then retest. If DNS instantly recovers, you’ve learned that the failure is a policy/routing decision rather than a raw connectivity deficit.
6. Confirm DHCP is enabled on both the device and the network router
DHCP misalignment creates sneaky problems. If the router expects to hand out DNS servers but the device is hardcoded to custom DNS, you can get inconsistent behavior across devices and spend hours chasing ghosts.
On business networks, DHCP can also be split—router provides addresses while a different appliance provides DNS. When that split breaks, devices may still receive an IP but no longer learn valid DNS servers. Confirming DHCP behavior on both ends prevents you from “fixing” the wrong layer.
Restart steps that solve many DNS server not responding cases
1. Power cycle the router and wait about 30 seconds before turning it back on
Power cycling is the oldest fix in networking, and it’s still effective because it clears transient state: stuck processes, memory fragmentation, and broken upstream sessions. NETGEAR’s own guidance explicitly recommends waiting 30 seconds during a power cycle so the device fully resets before it boots again.
After the router returns, give it time to reestablish WAN connectivity and reinitialize DNS forwarding. If DNS immediately works afterward, the root cause was likely a temporary failure inside the router rather than a persistent misconfiguration.
2. Restart modem and router when the issue appears after sleep or wake
Sleep/wake is a classic trigger for DNS weirdness. Interfaces renegotiate link state, Wi‑Fi roams, VPNs reconnect, and some routers reassign leases aggressively, leaving the endpoint with stale resolver details or half-open sessions.
When we hear “it always happens after my laptop wakes,” we reset in a specific order: modem first, then router, then endpoint. That sequence reduces the chance that the router comes up and tries to talk to a modem that isn’t ready, which can otherwise prolong instability.
3. Restart the computer and retest before changing DNS settings
Changing DNS servers is tempting, but it can hide the original cause. A reboot is a clean checkpoint: it restarts the resolver service, clears certain transient caches, and forces network services to rebind without you permanently altering configuration.
In our internal playbooks, rebooting early is not “giving up.” Instead, it’s an attempt to separate a transient local glitch from a structural network problem, which prevents unnecessary changes that later become “mystery settings” no one remembers adding.
4. For wired connections try a different Ethernet port or replace the Ethernet cable
Cabling faults can look like DNS faults because the first packets you notice failing are often the small ones. A marginal cable may pass enough traffic for a chat app to limp along while DNS queries time out intermittently.
Switching ports is a quick test for a bad switch/router port. Replacing the cable is even better, because cables fail more often than people like to admit—especially in offices where chairs roll over them and under-desk bends stress the connectors.
How to fix dns server not responding by clearing caches and resetting TCP IP
1. Flush the DNS cache in Windows using ipconfig slash flushdns
A stale resolver cache can keep returning a wrong address long after the “real” DNS record has changed. Microsoft documents that /flushdns flushes and resets the contents of the DNS client resolver cache, which is precisely what we want when browsing breaks after a DNS change, a VPN toggle, or a network move.
Operationally, we run this after confirming the issue affects multiple domains or after observing that only one device is failing while others succeed. If the flush fixes the problem, the incident was local caching rather than upstream resolver failure.
ipconfig /flushdns2. Clear the DNS cache in macOS using Terminal commands based on macOS version
macOS also caches name-resolution results, and clearing them can immediately fix “why does this domain still go to the old place?” confusion. Because Apple has evolved resolver internals over time, the exact flush command varies depending on macOS version, so we recommend looking up the correct command for your system rather than relying on a single incantation copied from an old forum.
After clearing, quit and reopen the browser to ensure you’re not stuck in a browser-local cache. If you’re testing a domain migration, also consider that upstream recursive resolvers can cache answers independently of your Mac.
sudo dscacheutil -flushcachesudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder3. Release and renew the IP address lease using ipconfig slash release and ipconfig slash renew
Releasing and renewing your lease forces your machine to ask DHCP for fresh network parameters, which can repair broken gateway routes, incorrect subnet details, or outdated DNS server assignments delivered by the network. In the field, this step is especially useful after moving between networks (office to home, home to café) when the OS clings to old assumptions.
From a troubleshooting standpoint, we treat this as “refresh my identity.” If renewal results in a different gateway or DNS server, you’ve learned that the network is dynamically assigning critical parameters and that the previous lease state may have been invalid.
ipconfig /releaseipconfig /renew4. Reset the Windows network stack using netsh winsock reset and netsh int ip reset
When connectivity is broadly broken—multiple apps failing, DNS failing, odd socket behavior—resetting the network stack can be the turning point. Microsoft explains that netsh winsock reset resets the Winsock catalog to a clean state, which helps when Layered Service Providers or other interceptors have corrupted the path between applications and network services.
Separately, resetting IP settings (often invoked via netsh int ip reset) clears user-configured network parameters that may be causing conflicts. After these resets, a restart is usually required, and we recommend retesting before reintroducing VPNs or security agents.
netsh winsock resetnetsh int ip resetChange DNS server addresses when ISP DNS is failing
1. Set a custom DNS server in Windows IPv4 settings and validate settings upon exit
When ISP resolvers are slow or intermittently unreachable, setting a custom DNS server can be an effective workaround. In Windows adapter properties, you can manually define preferred and alternate DNS servers, and the “validate settings upon exit” option can catch obvious issues like missing gateways or invalid IP configuration.
From our viewpoint, the key is reversibility. Before changing anything, write down what was there. After changing, test a few unrelated domains, then test the specific domain that failed, because an upstream outage might affect only a subset of lookups.
2. Add an alternate DNS server in macOS Network DNS settings and apply changes
macOS makes DNS server order explicit, which is helpful when you want predictable behavior. Apple documents how to enter DNS servers in macOS Network DNS settings and manage the DNS Servers list, including adding and removing entries.
In business environments, we often use this to set an internal DNS server first (for private zones) and a public resolver second (for general internet). After applying changes, flush caches if you suspect stale answers are persisting.
3. Use public DNS resolvers like Google DNS and OpenDNS as temporary alternatives
Public resolvers can bypass ISP-specific issues, and they’re also a good diagnostic tool: if switching resolvers immediately fixes DNS timeouts, your ISP resolver path is a strong suspect. Google documents configuring DNS to use 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 as resolver addresses, while OpenDNS provides setup guidance for 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220 as nameservers.
As operators, we treat this as a “known-good baseline” rather than a permanent prescription. Some organizations require content filtering, split-horizon internal DNS, or specific compliance logging, so a public resolver may be unsuitable long-term even if it’s excellent for troubleshooting.
4. Reconfigure DNS server settings back to automatic when custom entries are wrong
Manual DNS settings can outlive the moment they were needed. A laptop configured with custom resolvers for a hotel captive portal, a temporary VPN, or a past troubleshooting session can later fail on a different network where those resolvers are unreachable.
When we diagnose “DNS server not responding” on otherwise healthy networks, reverting to automatic DNS is often the fix. After you revert, restart the browser and retest, because cached failures can linger longer than you’d expect.
Advanced fixes for driver protocol and security conflicts
1. Update reset or re enable the network adapter driver in Windows Device Manager
Drivers sit below DNS, but they can still be the root cause. A buggy Wi‑Fi driver can drop multicast, mishandle power states, or fail under roaming transitions, all of which can look like “DNS isn’t responding” from the application layer.
In Device Manager, disabling and re-enabling the adapter is a controlled “mini reset.” Updating the driver is the longer-term play, especially if the problem began after a system update, a new VPN install, or a move to a newer access point.
2. Reinstall the network adapter driver and restart to reload clean driver software
Sometimes an update doesn’t cleanly overwrite prior components. Reinstalling the adapter driver can remove corrupted settings and return the adapter to a known baseline, which is helpful when the adapter behaves inconsistently across reboots.
From a reliability standpoint, we like this step when DNS failures are paired with other oddities: frequent disconnects, inability to see networks, or a device that connects but never seems to get stable throughput.
3. Reset the macOS network adapter by turning Wi Fi off waiting then turning it on
macOS can get stuck in a bad association state—connected, but not truly functional. Toggling Wi‑Fi off and on forces a reassociation and can renew DHCP details, refresh routing, and nudge the resolver path back to health.
In café and hotel environments, this also helps with captive portals. If DNS appears broken right after joining a new network, the real issue may be that you haven’t completed the portal sign-in step, and the network is intentionally intercepting or blocking traffic until you authenticate.
4. Temporarily deactivate antivirus firewall or VPN software to rule out interference
Security software is valuable, but it can also be invasive. Temporarily disabling it is not a recommendation to run unprotected; it’s a controlled experiment to determine whether interception or filtering is breaking name resolution.
When DNS works immediately after a VPN is disabled, the next question is “why.” The answer can be split tunneling, DNS leak protection, a blocked resolver, or a policy that routes DNS into a tunnel that isn’t actually reachable from your current network.
5. Disable IPv6 on Windows or macOS when IPv6 compatibility issues trigger DNS errors
IPv6 itself is not “bad,” and we generally prefer networks that support it correctly. Still, some environments have partial IPv6 deployments where routing is broken, router advertisements are inconsistent, or DNS returns IPv6 records that your network can’t actually reach.
In those cases, temporarily disabling IPv6 can be a diagnostic move. If disabling IPv6 makes DNS failures disappear, you’ve learned that the environment likely has IPv6 reachability or preference issues, and the real fix belongs on the router/ISP side rather than inside your laptop.
6. Boot into safe mode with networking to isolate apps and services causing DNS failures
Safe Mode with Networking reduces the number of third-party drivers, startup apps, and filtering layers that load. That reduction is extremely useful when you suspect a conflict between endpoint security tooling, VPN clients, proxy agents, or “web protection” modules.
If DNS works in Safe Mode but fails in normal mode, we’ve narrowed the problem to software—not hardware and not the ISP. At that point, the fix becomes an exercise in subtraction: re-enable tools one by one until the failure returns, then repair or replace the offending component.
How 1Byte supports customers with domains hosting and cloud services
1. Domain registration and support for DNS configuration and name resolution
At 1Byte, we don’t treat DNS as a static form you fill once. DNS is living configuration, and when businesses change hosting, add email security, adopt SaaS, or move workloads to cloud servers, name resolution becomes the integration layer that either makes the change invisible—or makes it painful.
Practically, our support teams spend a lot of time helping customers avoid the traps that produce “DNS server not responding” symptoms: incorrect nameserver delegation, conflicting records, and changes made in the wrong DNS zone. Clear ownership matters, so we encourage customers to document where DNS is authoritative and who is allowed to edit it.
2. SSL certificates and WordPress hosting to keep sites secure and accessible
DNS troubleshooting often collides with security warnings. A user changes a record, hits an old IP, and suddenly sees certificate mismatches that look like a DNS issue but are really a “you reached the wrong server” issue.
From a hosting standpoint, SSL and DNS are coupled in the real world: modern browsers assume HTTPS, and many applications validate certificates aggressively. By pairing properly managed certificates with stable hosting and disciplined DNS practices, we reduce the chance that a simple record change becomes downtime, support tickets, and lost conversions.
3. Shared hosting cloud hosting and cloud servers from an AWS Partner provider
We support customers across the spectrum: shared hosting for straightforward sites, cloud hosting for flexible scaling, and cloud servers for workloads that need predictable compute and network behavior. Because DNS is often the “front door” to these services, we design our guidance around safe migrations, rollback capability, and testing from multiple vantage points.
On the ecosystem side, we align with programs to build, market, sell, and grow offerings with AWS Partner Programs so customers can combine reliable infrastructure patterns with operational rigor. In our experience, the best DNS troubleshooting outcome is not merely “it works again,” but “it works again and we understand why.”
Conclusion and prevention checklist
1. Use an order of operations for how to fix dns server not responding and test after each change
DNS troubleshooting rewards discipline. Start with isolation (different browser, different device, different network), move to reversibles (reboots, interface toggles), then proceed to state resets (flush caches, renew leases), and only then change DNS servers or reinstall drivers.
Just as importantly, test after each change. If you stack multiple changes at once, you may “fix” the symptom while learning nothing about the cause, which makes the next outage harder. A calm, methodical sequence turns a frustrating error into a repeatable playbook.
2. Keep router firmware browsers and network drivers updated and document DNS changes
Updates are not glamorous, but they are stability work. Router firmware updates fix memory leaks and protocol handling bugs; browser updates fix networking edge cases; driver updates fix power-state and roaming failures that masquerade as DNS issues.
Documentation is the other half. When DNS settings are changed—whether on a laptop, router, or domain zone—write down what changed and why. In our experience, “mystery DNS entries” are one of the most common long-term causes of recurring resolution failures.
Leverage 1Byte’s strong cloud computing expertise to boost your business in a big way
1Byte provides complete domain registration services that include dedicated support staff, educated customer care, reasonable costs, as well as a domain price search tool.
Elevate your online security with 1Byte's SSL Service. Unparalleled protection, seamless integration, and peace of mind for your digital journey.
No matter the cloud server package you pick, you can rely on 1Byte for dependability, privacy, security, and a stress-free experience that is essential for successful businesses.
Choosing us as your shared hosting provider allows you to get excellent value for your money while enjoying the same level of quality and functionality as more expensive options.
Through highly flexible programs, 1Byte's cutting-edge cloud hosting gives great solutions to small and medium-sized businesses faster, more securely, and at reduced costs.
Stay ahead of the competition with 1Byte's innovative WordPress hosting services. Our feature-rich plans and unmatched reliability ensure your website stands out and delivers an unforgettable user experience.
As an official AWS Partner, one of our primary responsibilities is to assist businesses in modernizing their operations and make the most of their journeys to the cloud with AWS.
3. Contact your ISP when DNS provider outages or persistent DNS failures are outside your control
Sometimes the problem isn’t you. If multiple devices fail, multiple resolvers time out, and public resolvers work while ISP DNS doesn’t, the ISP should investigate upstream resolver health, routing, or filtering behavior.
At 1Byte, we’ll happily help you validate whether the issue is domain-side (authoritative records and delegation) or client-side (local resolver reachability). Once you’ve isolated the layer that’s failing, the next step becomes straightforward: will you fix a local configuration, adopt a different resolver strategy, or escalate to the ISP with clear evidence—and what will you do next time to catch it faster?