DNS Server Not Responding: How to Fix It on Windows, Mac, and Router

You run the Windows troubleshooter, and it reports DNS server not responding. Pages will not load, but the Wi-Fi icon looks fine. The message sounds technical, yet the cause is usually simple.

DNS is the system that turns a name like example.com into an IP address. When your device cannot reach a DNS server, names stop resolving. The web goes dark even on a live connection.

This guide shows how to confirm the problem is DNS, then fix it on Windows, macOS, and your router. Each fix ends with a quick way to verify it actually worked.

What “DNS server not responding” means

DNS server not responding means your device could not reach the DNS server that turns website names into IP addresses. The message comes from the Windows troubleshooter. The fault is usually your device, your router, or your DNS provider, not the website you tried to open.

Every time you open a site, your device asks a DNS server to translate the name into an address. Our guide on how DNS works walks through that lookup in plain terms.

When the server does not answer, the request fails and the page cannot load. Windows reports this as the DNS server not responding. The connection is alive, but name resolution is broken.

This is the Windows wording for the problem. Chrome shows its own version, DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET, which points to the same kind of failure. The fixes below apply to both.

Quick test: is it DNS or your connection?

Before changing settings, prove that DNS is the problem. Ping a website by its IP address, then by its name. If the IP works but the name fails, DNS is the cause. If both fail, the problem is your connection, not DNS.

This test takes ten seconds and saves you from fixing the wrong thing. Open Command Prompt and run both commands below.

ping 8.8.8.8
ping google.com

Fix it on Windows

On Windows, start with the safe commands and work up. Flush the DNS cache, renew your address, and set a reliable DNS server. If the error holds, restart the DNS Client service and reset the network stack. Run every command in an administrator prompt.

Flush the cache and renew your address

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run these three commands. They clear stale records and request a fresh address.

ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Set a public DNS server

Press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl, and press Enter. Right-click your connection, open Properties, select Internet Protocol Version 4, and enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.

Restart the DNS Client and reset the stack

Open services.msc and restart the DNS Client service. If the error still holds, reset the network stack with the two commands below, then restart the computer.

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset

Fix it on macOS

On macOS, the fix is to flush the cache and set a new DNS server. Clear the resolver cache with a Terminal command, then add a public DNS server in Network settings. macOS applies the change at once, so you can reload the page right away.

Flush the DNS cache

Open Terminal and run the command below. It clears the resolver cache on current macOS versions.

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

Set a public DNS server

Open System Settings → Network, pick your connection, then open Details → DNS. Add 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1, remove the old entries, and save.

Fix it at the router

If every device shows the error, fix the router, not one machine. Reboot it so its DNS forwarder restarts, and check that its own DNS settings are valid. Setting a public DNS server on the router applies the fix to every device at once.

Most home routers act as a DNS forwarder, passing requests to your provider. When that forwarder hangs, every device sees the error at the same time.

Reboot the router

Unplug the router for 30 seconds, then power it back on. This restarts the DNS forwarder and clears a hung connection to your provider.

Set DNS on the router

Open the router admin page, usually at 192.168.1.1, and find the DNS settings. Enter 8.8.8.8 and 1.1.1.1 so every device uses a reliable resolver.

Switch to a public DNS server and verify

Your provider’s DNS server may be the weak link. Switching to Google or Cloudflare often clears the error on its own. Set the resolver, then confirm a name resolves with a lookup tool. Testing before and after shows whether the change actually fixed it.

The two most reliable free resolvers are Google Public DNS and Cloudflare. Either works for home use.

• Google: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
• Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1

After you switch, confirm it worked with our DNS lookup tool. It shows whether a domain now resolves to an IP. If you recently changed a domain’s records, our DNS propagation checker shows whether resolvers have caught up.

Still failing? VPN, firewall, and driver checks

If the basics fail, check the quieter causes. A VPN, a strict firewall, or an outdated network driver can each block DNS while the connection looks fine. Disable them one at a time and retest. If every device still fails, the fault is likely your provider.

• VPN: A VPN changes your DNS. Disconnect it fully, then reload the page to test.
• Firewall or antivirus: A third-party suite can block DNS requests. Disable it briefly to check, then turn it back on.
• Network driver: An outdated driver can break DNS. Update it in Device Manager, or roll it back if trouble started after an update.
• APIPA address: If your IP starts with 169.254, DHCP failed first. Our 169.254.x.x guide covers that case.

Related Tools & Resources

NetworkCheckr hosts the free tools that confirm a DNS fix. After changing your resolver, test it here instead of guessing. Use the tools below to check name resolution and propagation. The guides explain the system behind the error.

Frequently Asked Questions

Short answers to the questions people ask most about the DNS server not responding error. Each one builds on the fixes above. They cover what the error means, whose fault it is, and how it differs from the Chrome version.