How to fix DNS server not responding

 

A Domain Name System (DNS) is a directory that translates domain names or host names into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Users can easily access websites on the internet through web browsers due to this process.

 Sometimes you may encounter DNS error messages while visiting a website, one of which is "DNS server not responding". This means that the web browser cannot connect to the website because the DNS server fails to correctly map hostnames to IP addresses.

There are various reasons for these types of DNS errors. , in some cases solving this problem can be as simple as restarting your computer or changing web browsers.

This post explains what the “DNS server is not responding” message means and some common causes. Then some solutions on how to fix it on Windows computers are given below.

Switch to a different web browser

To do this, try accessing the web from a different browser. If your default browser is Google Chrome, visit the website from Mozilla Firefox instead.

If switching browsers resolves the error, try updating your default browser to the latest version or uninstalling and reinstalling it.

 

Temporarily disable your antivirus software and firewall

Antivirus and firewall programs work to protect your device from malware. However, this may block your internet connection

Temporarily disable anti-virus and firewall programs to check the cause of “DNS server not responding” error.

To access the antivirus and firewall settings in Windows, select the Start menu and click Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection

Disable other connections

Another solution that can be applied to solve the "DNS server not responding" problem is to disable unused connections on your device.

Follow these steps to disconnect additional network connections

1. Go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing  Center.

2. Click Change adapter settings in the left column.

3. The Network Connections page will appear. Right-click Local Area Connection and other connections you don't use, and select Disable.

Disable the Windows Peer-to-Peer feature

If the "DNS server is not responding" error message is not resolved after disabling the firewall or secondary connections, there is another option you can try.

2. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) feature. This is something you can only find in Windows 10.

3. Click on the Windows icon, then Settings (gear icon) > Update & Security:

4. In the window that opens along the left side, select Delivery Optimization:

5. Next to the 'Allow downloads from other computers' option, toggle the switch to disable it:

6. When you are done, restart your computer and try to access the website again.

 

Restart your router

A malfunctioning modem or router can also cause a DNS server to become unresponsive and the connection to fail.

So, try restarting your modem or router to clear the cache.

Press the power button on your router or modem and unplug its power cable from the power outlet. Wait at least 30 seconds before pressing the power button again to restart it.

If restarting your modem or router doesn't work, try resetting it to its default settings. Follow the steps in the device's instruction manual to reset your modem or router

 

Disable IPv6 (IP Version 6)

  To disable IPv6 do the following:

1. Go to Network Connections, right-click on the active connection, and select Properties.

2. Under the Networking tab, find Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and uncheck the box.

3. Click OK.

 

Update the network adapter driver

Another reason to get the "DNS Server Not Responding" message is because your network adapter driver is out of date. Updating the driver can fix the problem.

There are several ways to update your network adapter driver. One is to do it manually. Or it can be done by other software.

How to do it manually

In the search box on the taskbar, enter the device manager, then select Device Manager.

Select a category to see the names of devices, then right-click (or press and hold) the one you’d like to update.

Select Search automatically for updated driver software.

Select Update Driver.

If Windows doesn't find a new driver, you can try looking for one on the device manufacturer's website and follow their instructions.

 

Flush your DNS cache and reset your IP

1. Type cmd in Windows Search and press Enter to access the Windows Command Prompt console.

2. At the command prompt, type ipconfig/flushdns and press Enter.

3. If the process is successful, a confirmation message will appear in the

Repeat this process for the following commands

ipconfig /registerdns

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

Change the DNS server address

To set up other DNS servers on Windows, follow these steps:

1. Access the Network Connections page by typing ncpa.cpl into the Windows search box. Press Enter.

2. Right-click on the connection you are currently using and click Properties.

3. In the Properties window, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) > Properties.

4. Check to Obtain an IP address automatically and Use the following DNS server address options on the Internet Protocol 4 (TCP/IPv4) properties page.

5. Type the DNS server addresses you want in the Preferred DNS Server and Optional DNS Server fields.

6. Check the valid settings in the exit box and select OK.

7. Restart your computer.

Start your computer in safe mode

If your operating system is not working properly, it may cause "DNS server not responding" error message. So, you can try booting your Windows device in safe mode to see if this solves the problem. Because Safe Mode limits the files and resources used when running Windows, it can be an effective way to fix the problem.

1.    Go to the Start menu, select the Power button, press the Shift key, and select restart.

2.  On the Choose an option window, click on Troubleshoot > Advanced options.

3.  Select the Startup Settings option under the Advanced options, and click Restart.

4.  Press F5 on the keyboard to select the Safe Mode with Networking option.