Fix "DNS Server Not Responding" Error: Quick Solutions

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Edgar Nicov

How-To

6 min. read

Published on October 7, 2025

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“`markdown Encountering the “DNS Server Not Responding” error can be frustrating, interrupting your internet access. This error indicates that your computer is unable to communicate with the DNS server, which translates domain names (like google.com) into IP addresses that computers use to locate each other. Fortunately, this issue is often easily resolved with a few troubleshooting steps.

This guide provides practical solutions to fix the DNS server not responding error, allowing you to quickly restore your internet connection. We’ll cover various methods, from simple fixes to more advanced techniques, ensuring you can find the right solution for your specific situation.

How Do I Fix the “DNS Server Not Responding” Error?

Restart Your Router and Computer

This is the first, and often easiest, step. Restarting both your router and computer can resolve temporary glitches that might be causing the error.

Turn off your computer.
Unplug your router from the power outlet.
Wait 30 seconds.
Plug your router back into the power outlet.
Wait for your router to fully power on.
Turn on your computer and check your internet connection.

Check Your Network Connection

Ensure that your computer is properly connected to the network, either via Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi.

Ethernet: Make sure the Ethernet cable is securely plugged into both your computer and the router. Try a different cable to rule out a faulty cable.
Wi-Fi: Verify that you are connected to the correct Wi-Fi network and that the signal strength is good. Try disconnecting and reconnecting to the Wi-Fi network.

Disable and Re-enable Your Network Adapter

Disabling and re-enabling your network adapter can sometimes refresh the connection and resolve DNS issues.

Open the Control Panel.
Click on Network and Internet.
Click on Network and Sharing Center.
Click on Change adapter settings.
Right-click on your network adapter (Ethernet or Wi-Fi).
Select Disable.
Wait a few seconds.
Right-click on the network adapter again.
Select Enable.

Flush DNS Cache

Flushing your DNS cache clears out old or corrupted DNS entries that might be causing the error.

Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.

Type cmd in the Windows search bar.
Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Type the following command and press Enter: ipconfig /flushdns
You should see a message confirming that the DNS Resolver Cache was successfully flushed.

Change Your DNS Server Address

Using a public DNS server, such as Google DNS or Cloudflare DNS, can sometimes provide a more reliable and faster connection.

Open the Control Panel.
Click on Network and Internet.
Click on Network and Sharing Center.
Click on Change adapter settings.
Right-click on your network adapter (Ethernet or Wi-Fi) and select Properties.
Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
Select Use the following DNS server addresses.
Enter the following DNS server addresses:

Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8 (Google DNS) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare DNS)
Alternate DNS server: 8.8.4.4 (Google DNS) or 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare DNS)

Click OK on both windows.

Temporarily Disable Firewall or Antivirus

Sometimes, your firewall or antivirus software might be blocking DNS requests. Temporarily disabling them can help determine if they are the cause of the problem.

Firewall: Access your firewall settings through the Control Panel or system settings and temporarily disable it.
Antivirus: Right-click on the antivirus icon in the system tray and look for an option to disable it temporarily.

Important: Re-enable your firewall and antivirus software immediately after testing to protect your computer.

Reset TCP/IP

Resetting TCP/IP can resolve network configuration issues that might be causing DNS errors.

Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
Type the following command and press Enter: netsh int ip reset
Restart your computer.

Check Your Hosts File

The hosts file maps hostnames to IP addresses. Incorrect entries in the hosts file can cause DNS resolution problems.

Open Notepad as administrator.
Click File > Open.
Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc.
Select All Files from the dropdown menu in the bottom right corner.
Open the hosts file.
Look for any unusual entries that might be redirecting domain names to incorrect IP addresses. Remove or comment out these entries by adding a # at the beginning of the line.
Save the file.

Update Network Adapter Drivers

Outdated or corrupted network adapter drivers can cause various network problems, including DNS errors.

Open Device Manager.

Type device manager in the Windows search bar.

Expand Network adapters.
Right-click on your network adapter and select Update driver.
Select Search automatically for drivers.
If Windows doesn’t find a new driver, visit the manufacturer’s website to download and install the latest driver for your network adapter.

Contact Your ISP

If none of the above solutions work, the problem might be with your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Contact your ISP to report the issue and see if they can assist you.

Tips

Document changes: Keep track of any changes you make to your network settings so you can easily revert them if necessary.
Test after each step: After each troubleshooting step, test your internet connection to see if the problem has been resolved.
Be patient: Some solutions, such as flushing the DNS cache, might take a few minutes to take effect.

Restoring Internet Connectivity

Resolving the “DNS Server Not Responding” error is crucial for maintaining seamless internet access. By systematically applying the troubleshooting steps outlined above, you can often identify and fix the underlying cause, restoring your connection and getting you back online quickly.

FAQ

What does it mean when a DNS server is not responding? It means your computer can’t communicate with the server that translates website names into IP addresses.

How do I fix DNS server not responding on my phone? The steps are similar to a computer: restart your phone and router, check Wi-Fi settings, and try using a different DNS server in your Wi-Fi settings (if your phone allows it).

Can a bad Ethernet cable cause DNS issues? Yes, a faulty Ethernet cable can disrupt your network connection and lead to DNS errors.

What are some alternative DNS servers I can use? Besides Google DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) and Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1), you can also use OpenDNS (208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220).