How to Fix 'DNS Server Not Responding'

A practical, ordered checklist to fix the "DNS server not responding" error — from flushing the cache and switching DNS providers to restarting your hardware.

Few errors are as frustrating as "DNS server not responding": your Wi-Fi looks connected, yet no website will open. The good news is that the cause is almost always something small and fixable, and you rarely need to call anyone. This guide works through the fixes in order — start at the top and stop as soon as pages load again. Most people are back online within the first three steps.

What "DNS server not responding" means

When you type a web address, your device asks a DNS server to translate that name into a numeric IP address before it can connect. The "DNS server not responding" message means that translation step failed — either your device could not reach the DNS server, or the server did not reply in time. Crucially, your underlying connection may be perfectly fine; only the name-lookup layer is broken. That is why a quick test like loading a numeric address can still work while named sites fail.

Step 1: Restart your router and modem

The classic fix exists because it works. Power-cycling clears the router's own DNS cache and re-establishes its connection to your provider.

1. Unplug both your modem and router from power.
2. Wait 30 seconds so they fully reset.
3. Plug the modem back in first, wait for its lights to settle, then power the router back on.
4. Reconnect and try loading a site.

Step 2: Flush your DNS cache

A stale or corrupted cache entry can produce this error. Clearing it forces fresh lookups. Open the appropriate tool and run the command for your platform:

Windows

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Run:

   ipconfig /flushdns

macOS

1. Open Terminal.
2. Run:

   sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

Linux

1. Open a terminal.
2. Run:

   sudo resolvectl flush-caches

   or on older systems

   sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches

Our full guide to flushing the DNS cache covers the browser-level caches too, which are worth clearing if a single site is affected.

Step 3: Change your DNS server

If your provider's DNS server is overloaded or down, the fastest cure is to switch to a reliable public resolver. This alone fixes a large share of cases.

Windows

1. Open Settings → Network & Internet, click your connection, and edit the DNS server assignment.
2. Set it to Manual and enter 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1.

macOS

1. Open System Settings → Network, select your connection, click Details → DNS.
2. Add 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1, then remove the old entries and click OK.

Router (applies to every device)

1. Open your router's admin page (use its default gateway address).
2. Find the DNS settings, usually under Internet or WAN, and enter the public DNS addresses.

Our dedicated walkthrough on changing your DNS server has step-by-step instructions for every platform. Once changed, use our DNS Lookup tool to confirm names now resolve.

Step 4: Release and renew your IP address

If DHCP handed your device faulty settings — including a bad DNS server — releasing and renewing your lease fixes it.

Windows

1. In an admin Command Prompt, run:

   ipconfig /release

2. Then run:

   ipconfig /renew

macOS

Run sudo ipconfig set en0 DHCP in Terminal (use en0 for Wi-Fi), or click Renew DHCP Lease in the network Details panel.

Linux

Run sudo dhclient -r to release, then sudo dhclient to renew.

The full process is covered in how to release and renew your IP address.

Step 5: Rule out software on your device

1. Disable your VPN temporarily. A dropped VPN tunnel can leave broken DNS settings behind.
2. Pause antivirus or firewall software briefly, as some products intercept DNS traffic. Re-enable it after testing.
3. Restart your device or its network adapter — on Windows, disable and re-enable the adapter in Settings.
4. Try safe mode with networking to see whether a background app is the culprit.

Step 6: When it's your provider

If every device still fails after all of the above, and switching to public DNS did not help, the outage may be upstream with your internet provider. Check their status page or app for reported outages, and contact support if one is not listed. There is nothing more to fix on your end — the name servers you rely on are simply unavailable, and the connection will return when they do. For a friendly primer on how the whole naming system works, our explainer on DNS puts these steps in context.