The Domain Name System (DNS) server is where all the domain names for the sites you visit are stored. When you look up a domain name in a web browser, it is redirected by your router to a DNS server. If the domain name of a particular site has been saved, it returns the corresponding IP address. This makes the loading process for these sites especially fast.
As wonderful as this process is, it is not uncommon for the DNS server to be unable to establish a connection from time to time. Trying to troubleshoot your web browser in this case can often result in a “DNS server not responding” error.
Many factors can cause this particular error to appear on your screen. The most notable of these is the possibility that the server itself is currently offline. Fortunately, this problem is often accompanied by a few simple solutions.
How to Fix “The DNS Server Unavailable” Error
Did you get the error that the DNS server is not available? For a quick fix, these problems can sometimes be fixed with something as simple as changing your browser, changing some firewall settings, or rebooting your router. You have to find out the cause of the problem and fix it.
Start by using a different browser for the web pages you are trying to open. This means that if you are currently getting an error while using the Mozilla Firefox browser, switch it to Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome. If the problem persists, we can move on to testing other devices.
Try to open the webpage with a mobile device on the same network to make sure the issue is not a hardware failure. It would also be helpful to try to connect to the same web pages using your data plan to determine if the DNS server is really the cause.
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When you complete these steps, restart your router. If the “DNS Server Unavailable” error is still present, we will need to use a few more efficient methods.
DNS flush (Windows)
The most effective method for solving the problem of unavailable DNS server is to clear it using the command line.
- Open the Run dialog box by simultaneously pressing the Windows and R keys.
- Type cmd in the box and press Enter.
- In the Command Prompt window, type ipconfig / flushdns and press Enter.
- Then type ipconfig / release and press Enter.
- Finally, type ipconfig / Renew and press Enter.
- Close the command prompt window and reboot the system.
DNS flush (MacOS)
You can also flush DNS on Mac. How you do this will differ slightly depending on the version of Mac your computer is running on. This is often only due to a change in the syntax used in the process.
- Open a Finder window, then go to Applications, then to Utilities and exit in Terminal.
- Enter the following syntax for the current MacOS version:
- MacOS High Sierra – sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder; sleep 2; echo Resetting the DNS cache on macOS | say
- MacOS Sierra – sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder; let’s say the DNS cache has been cleared
- MacOS Mojave – sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder; sleep 2;
- MacOS X El Capitan / Yosemite – sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder; let’s say the cache is cleared
- Press the return key, enter your password, and then press the return key again.
- Before exiting the Terminal, wait for the sound notification indicating successful DNS flush.
It will take a few extra steps to clear your macOS X cache to clear it completely. You will need to clear your MDNS and UDNS caches in addition to the steps previously taken.
Before exiting Terminal, run the following commands:
- For MDNS cache, enter sudo discoveryutil mdnsflushcache
- For UDNS cache, enter sudo discoveryutil udnsflushcaches
Remove multiple antiviruses
“You never have too much protection.” This may be true to some extent in the real world, but in the tech world, having multiple antivirus programs installed on the same computer can actually interfere with the protection provided.
Check if two or more antivirus programs are currently running as this could be causing the DNS problem. After disabling all additional programs, restart the system and the problem should go away by itself.
Make sure you only run one program in the future to protect yourself from unwanted malware attacks. This will not only improve security, but also help avoid more DNS server errors.
Change DNS Servers
If you have already tried all the fixes described here but still get the same “DNS Server Unavailable” error, it may be in your best interest to change DNS servers. There are many public DNS to choose from, Google’s free DNS is one of the more popular options.
The process for this is very simple and can be done in a few clicks, depending on where you decide to change it. In each of our examples, we will be using the Windows operating system.
DNS Changes via Router
- Access your router by launching a web browser and entering the default gateway address in the address bar.
- The default gateway can be found by opening a Command Prompt window, typing ipconfig and pressing Enter. Copy the numbers next to the default gateway in the information that appears.
- Log in to the router using the correct credentials.
- Find your online account information, which can often be found under the tab of the same name.
- Go to a DNS server and select the option that best reflects the Internet protocol you are using (IPv4 or IPv6).
- Enter the address of the DNS server you want to use instead of the current one.
- DNS Google server will be 8.8.8.8 in preferred DNSv4 and 8.8.4.4 in alternate DNS server For IPv6, you will want to use 2001: 4860: 4860 :: 8888 and 2001: 4860: 4860 :: 8844 respectively.
- Save the edited information and exit the router interface.
DNS changes via Windows OS
- To access the properties of a network connection, start Run (Windows Key + R) and type ncpa.cpl. Hit Enter.
- Windows 10 users can right-click on the Windows icon in the lower-left corner of the desktop screen and choose Network Connections from the menu.
- Select the currently used network adapter. WLAN for Wi-Fi and LAN connections for direct connection, usually via an Ethernet cable.
- Windows 10 will have your options in the left sidebar. Select one of them and select “Change adapter settings” in the main window.
- Right-click your selection and select Properties.
- On the Networking tab, highlight your IP version (v4 or v6) in the menu and click the Properties button.
- Click the radial switch for Use the following DNS server addresses: to enable editing capabilities.
- Enter the addresses of the DNS servers that you plan to use.
- If you used a previous DNS server that was not automatically obtained, remember to annotate the addresses in case you want to return using them. later.
- Complete the changes by clicking OK.
Check new DNS server
After changing the DNS servers, open a browser and try to launch a well-known site such as www.google.com If the site is immediately available, then the new DNS is working fine. If not, enter one of the Google IP addresses, 172.217.16.195, directly into your browser and press Enter.
Wait until the familiar Google logo and search bar appears. If that also fails, the problem might be with the Internet and not the DNS server itself. If so, contact your ISP for further assistance.
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