Suddenly you cannot access any websites through the Internet. Then you try to troubleshoot the network problems on your Windows. It tells you the DNS server not responding error. You may see one of these:
The DNS server isn’t responding.
Your computer appears to be correctly configured, but the device or resource (DNS server) is not responding.
Don’t worry if this problem occurs. You can fix this problem with our following guide.
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Why can’t I access websites when DNS server not responding?
First, let’s firgure out what a DNS server is. DNS(Domain Name System) server helps to translate the website address into the IP address for your browser to connect to.
For example, when you want to access our website: www.drivereasy.com on Chrome, the DNS server translate it into our public IP address: 144.217.68.24 for Chrome to connect to.
So you may know if there’s any wrong with your DNS server, you cannot access any website on your browser. No exception that if your DNS server stops responding, you cannot access the websites through the Internet.
How do I fix the DNS server not responding error?
Here are 3 solutions according to different reasons. You may not have to try them all; just work your way down the list until you find the one that works.
Solution 1: Correct your DNS server address
Solution 2: Clear your DNS cache and reset your IP
Solution 3: Update your network adapter driver
Solution 4: Restart your modem and router
Note: The screens shown below are from Windows 10, but all the methods also apply to Windows 7/8.
Solution 1: Correct your DNS server address
This problem could be probably caused by your incorrect DNS server address. So you can follow these to correct your DNS server address:
1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time to invoke the Run box.
2) Type control and press Enter.
3) Click Network and Sharing Center in Large icons.
4) Click Change adapter settings.
5) Right-click on Local Area Connection, Ethernet or Wi-Fi according to your Windows. Then click Properties.
6) Click Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IPv4), then Properties.
7) Tick on Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically. Then click OK.
8) Click Internet Protocol Version 6(TCP/IPv6), then Properties.
9) Tick on Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS server address automatically. Then click OK.
10) Try to access the website you want to go again and see if it succeeds.
Solution 2: Clear your DNS cache and reset your IP
1) Type cmd in the search box from the Start menu. Then right-click on Command Prompt to select Run as administrator.
Click Yes when prompted by the User Account Control.
2) On the open black window, type the following commands and press Enter after each.
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /registerdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
3) Try to access the website you want to go again and see if it succeeds.
Solution 3: Update your network adapter driver
This problem could be also caused by an old or incorrect network adapter driver. You can update your network adapter driver manually or, if you’re not confident playing around with drivers, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.
Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.
You can update your drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 clicks (and you get full support and a 30-day money back guarantee):
1) Download and install Driver Easy.
2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
3) Click the Update button next to a flagged network adapter driver to automatically download and install the correct version of this driver (you can do this with the FREE version).
Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (this requires the Pro version – you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All).
Note: Driver Easy requires network connection to update driver. If your windows can’t access the Internet, please use the Offline Scan feature of Driver Easy to help you.
4) After updating your network adapter driver, please restart your computer.
5) Try to access the website you want to go again and see if it succeeds.
Solution 4: Restart your modem and router
If your modem or router doesn’t work properly, the DNS server could stop responding, either. You can restart your modem and router if you have one to solve the problem.
1) Press the power button of your modem or router to power off, then wait for a while and press the power button again to start it again.
2) Try to access the website you want to go again and see if it succeeds.
With these solutions, the DNS server not responding error should be fixed. If you have any extra problems, please don’t hesitate to tell us via comment below.
My name is PaRa Mu Dita, a web Master, web Developer and Adventurer. Doing work for last 2 years and Running A lot of Techno Sites.