How to fix “DNS server is not responding”
Suddenly you cannot access any websites on the internet. Then you try to troubleshoot the network problems on your Windows portal. It tells you that the ‘DNS Server’ is not responding and so the culprit maybe one of these:
“The DNS server isn’t responding.
Your computer appears to be configured, but the DNS server is not responding.”
Don’t worry if this problem occurs. You can fix this problem with our following guide.
How to fix “DNS server is not responding”
Sometimes you might try to reach a website only to get the error ‘DNS Server Not Responding’. Easy to fix right? Just change the DNS server and that’s it ?!
Well, unfortunately, it’s not exactly that simple. Before going that route though, we’ve compiled a list of troubleshooting steps you can take to fix the ‘DNS Server Not Responding’ error message.
What does “DNS server not responding”
The DNS, Domain Name Server, is a server that has the task of translating the IP address , formed by a series of numbers, into the domain name, and therefore it is necessary to connect us correctly to a website.
If something does not work in the connection between our browser and the DNS, the message “The DNS server is not responding” will appear.
This type of malfunction can be caused by connection or cache problems, so let’s see how to solve them by going by exclusion.
If “DNS server is not responding”, try using another browser
It seems like a trivial advice, but it is important to carry out this very simple test.
Open the site you can’t reach using another browser. Try different ones, Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Edge …
If the problem only affects a browser, it means that its configuration is not correct.
The solution may be to simply uninstall and reinstall the program.
However, I recommend that you download the updated version of the browser directly from the official website, so as not to risk installing old versions that may not work correctly.
If “DNS server is not responding”, please try another device
If all browsers on your device have the same problem, try using a different device. Use another computer or smartphone connected to the same network.
If you can reach the site this way, then the problem is with the computer.
If you still have the same problem, try connecting via ethernet cable instead of WiFi, to make sure the problem is not related to the wireless connection.
Solve the problem “The DNS server is not responding”: configure the network connection correctly
The dns server is not responding: what to do
If you have done the previous tests, but the error remains, the problem may then be:
- An incorrect network connection configuration
- An incorrect website configuration
Let’s start with the first.
Restart modem and router
Turn off the modem and router and unplug them from the power cord. Wait 30 seconds and then plug them back in and restart them both.
As soon as they are realigned, check if the “DNS server is not responding” error is still present. If you still have problems, continue with the next tests.
Disable firewall or antivirus
It is possible that a firewall is blocking access to a site, or your antivirus is set too restrictively, or you have more than one antivirus installed on your PC and now they are conflicting, preventing you from viewing certain web pages .
Start your PC in “Safe Mode with Networking”.
You will need to repeatedly press the F8 key on your keyboard right after the power button, until the startup settings screen appears.
Select “Enable Safe Mode with Networking” .
When your computer is ready, open your browser and navigate to the site that had the problem.
If you can see it now, you will need to reconfigure your firewall or antivirus.
Restart the computer, so as to return to normal mode, and disable the firewall first, then the antivirus, to see if either of them is causing the problem of the DNS server not responding.
DNS – Internet domain name resolution
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchically ordered system responsible for converting alphanumeric domain names into numeric IP addresses. Name resolution takes place decentralized on DNS servers around the world. Each Internet address, which you enter in the browser’s address bar, is forwarded by your router to a DNS server, which resolves the domain name into a series of numbers and returns it as an IP address . If there is no response from the DNS server, the page cannot be opened, and the error message “DNS server is not responding” appears in its place.
Determine the DNS error
The cause for the grueling error message can be a failure in the network and in this case the DNS server is temporarily unreachable. But often the problem can be solved by changing browsers or making changes to the firewall settings. Restarting the router can also unblock the situation.
Change the browser
To rule out that the connection problem is not caused by your browser, try opening the desired page with alternative applications . The most common browsers are Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Apple Safari. If changing browsers solve the problem, check the configuration of the application you generally use to browse and make sure you are using the latest version . In some circumstances it is useful to uninstall the program and reopen it again.
Disable the firewall
If changing browsers do not get the desired result, the source of the error could be the Windows firewall. So go to the control panel and temporarily disable the firewall . If you can now open the pages as you wish, without a DNS error appearing, you’ve narrowed the problem down to the firewall . Check the configuration in the next step . If the error persists even after disabling the firewall, the cause may be the DNS server.
Restart the router
When there are problems establishing a connection, the situation is often solved by simply restarting the router via the switch on and off button. If your modem does not have one, you must force restart by disconnecting the network cable from the socket. Wait 30 seconds, so that all the electronic components are permanently disconnected, and turn on the router again. If even after rebooting, you get the error message “DNS server is not responding” and even the first two suggestions did not lead to resolution, you should opt for another DNS server.
Choose another DNS server
If you have excluded problems with the router or conflicts with the Windows firewall from the list of possible causes of error, the problem can be solved by changing the DNS server .
Generally the address of the DNS server in use is automatically detected by the provider. But this server, under some circumstances, can become slow or overloaded. It only takes a few clicks to change the default DNS server from your provider and replace it with any other: valid alternatives are public DNS servers , which are found in specific DNS server lists , and among these there is also one managed by Google, free and very reliable.
In the following guide we explain how to configure the DNS server through the router settings or directly from the Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10 operating system.
Change the DNS server from the router
First step: log in to the router
To change the DNS server from your router settings, open your browser and gain access to the router as follows:
- Open the command line on Windows (keyboard shortcut: Windows key + R), type cmd and hit enter
- In the opened window enter the command ipconfig and copy the number in “Default gateway” to the clipboard
- Paste the number in the address bar of your browser, press enter and log in with your access data
Second step: configure another DNS server
- Select the sub-item “Access data” under the menu item “Internet”
- Now click on the “DNS Server” tab
- Enable the option “Use other DNSv4 servers”
- For example, if you want to use Google’s DNS servers, enter 8.8.8.8 on “Favorite DNSv4 server” and
8.8.4.4 on “Alternative DNSv4 server”. Entering an alternate DNS server serves only as a backup, in case the preferred DNS server is unreachable.
Tip: If IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) is used instead of IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 6), the IP addresses of the DNS server must be replaced. The IPv6 addresses of Google’s public DNS are:
- 2001: 4860: 4860 :: 8888
- 2001: 4860: 4860 :: 8844
Hopefully, this article has helped you to find solutions to the problem. Feel free to comment below with your own experiences and share with your friends or colleagues if they’re experiencing the same kind of problem.
