How to Fix “DNS Server Not Responding” and Get Back Online

“DNS Server Not Responding” means Windows cannot turn a website name such as `example.com` into the IP address needed to connect. First check whether the failure affects one computer or every device at home, then restart the modem and router and reconnect to Wi-Fi; on one Windows computer, flushing DNS, renewing the IP address, or restarting DNS Client often fixes the problem.

Is the DNS problem on your computer or the whole network?

Find out whether the failure belongs to Windows, your router, or your internet provider. Try opening the same website on a phone or another computer connected to the same home network.

DNS Server Not Responding

This error usually appears when Windows cannot resolve a website name while you are trying to browse. If only one Windows computer fails, focus on that device. If several devices cannot open websites by name, inspect the router, modem, cables, and provider connection instead. A phone using mobile data is not a useful comparison; it must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Look at the modem and router. Their internet, WAN, broadband, or status lights should normally indicate a connection. Exact light colors vary by model. A missing or red connection light points to the router, modem, cable, or provider rather than to Windows DNS settings.

You can also test whether name resolution is the specific failure. Open Command Prompt and run:

ping example.com
ping 1.1.1.1

If the first command cannot resolve the name but the second receives replies, DNS is likely failing. If both fail, the problem may be the internet connection, router, firewall, or provider. A successful ping does not prove that every website is available, because some networks or servers block ping traffic, but the comparison is useful.

If all devices are affected, check your provider’s service-status page using mobile data or contact the provider. Do not change DNS on every device first; that can hide a router or provider outage without fixing it.

What should you try before changing DNS settings?

These steps apply to current supported Windows versions, including Windows 10 and Windows 11. The checks and restarts are reversible. The command-line repairs later in this article require an Administrator Command Prompt if Windows asks for elevated access. Restarting the modem and router briefly disconnects every device, so wait until nobody needs the connection. A network reset later removes saved Wi-Fi networks, so have the Wi-Fi password available.

Before changing settings, try another website and compare another device on the same Wi-Fi network. If only one website fails, that site may be down. If another device also fails, treat the problem as a router, modem, cable, or provider problem rather than a Windows DNS problem.

1. Save any work that depends on the internet.
2. Disconnect and reconnect Wi-Fi. Select the network icon, disconnect from your home network, wait a moment, and connect again. Confirm that you are using the correct network rather than a guest network or a nearby hotspot.
3. Check the physical connections. Push the Ethernet cable firmly into the modem, router, and wall socket. If the router has separate Internet or WAN and LAN ports, the modem cable belongs in the Internet or WAN port. Check the modem’s power cable as well.
4. Restart the modem and router. Unplug both devices, wait briefly, plug the modem back in, and allow its connection lights to settle. Then plug in the router and wait for its Wi-Fi and internet indicators. The exact startup time depends on the equipment.
5. Temporarily disconnect a VPN. Exit the VPN application rather than deleting it. VPN software can supply its own DNS server or block traffic when its connection is unavailable. Reconnect it after testing.
6. Run Windows’ built-in network troubleshooter. Open the network icon or Windows Settings and follow the diagnostics for the active connection. Apply a suggested repair only if you understand what it changes.

If another device still cannot browse after the restart, stop changing Windows settings. Check the router’s administration page for an internet or WAN error, then contact the provider if the modem cannot establish service.

How do you fix DNS Server Not Responding on Windows?

Use these repairs on the affected Windows computer, in order. The command steps require an Administrator Command Prompt. They do not normally affect personal files, but a network reset removes saved Wi-Fi networks and may require you to reconnect with the Wi-Fi password.

1. Open Start, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as administrator. Clear Windows’ local DNS cache:

ipconfig /flushdns

You should see a message saying the DNS Resolver Cache was successfully flushed. This removes old or corrupted cached lookups; it does not repair a failed router or provider DNS server. If the command returns an error, continue with the connection and service checks rather than repeating it.

2. In the same Administrator Command Prompt, request a fresh network address:

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

The commands should complete without an error and display a renewed IPv4 address. If renew times out or reports that no operation can be performed, Windows may not be communicating with the router. Check Wi-Fi, the Ethernet cable, and the router’s DHCP service.

3. Restart Windows’ DNS Client service. Press Win + R, enter services.msc, and press Enter. Find DNS Client, right-click it, and choose Restart if that option is available.

Win + R > services.msc > DNS Client > Restart

If the service is missing, stopped without an available restart option, or immediately stops again, continue with Windows updates, security checks, or the network reset below rather than repeatedly changing DNS addresses. If the service restarts successfully but websites still fail, continue to the next step.

Network reset is more disruptive than the earlier repairs. Use it only after they fail, and make sure you have the Wi-Fi password and any required VPN or proxy details.

4. Reset the network settings only after the earlier steps fail. Open Windows Settings and use the network reset option:

Windows 11: Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset
Windows 10: Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network reset

Choose Reset now, then restart when Windows requests it. This reinstalls network adapters and returns their settings to defaults. Reconnect to Wi-Fi afterward and re-enter any VPN, proxy, or custom adapter settings. If the reset does not restore access, the cause may be outside Windows, including the router, provider, VPN, firewall, or malware.

5. Test an alternate DNS server only if other devices work and the original DNS service is the confirmed problem. In the active adapter’s IPv4 DNS settings, replace automatic DNS with one provider, not several unrelated addresses. Common public choices are Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1, or Google 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.

Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi or Ethernet > Hardware properties > DNS server assignment > Edit > Manual > IPv4

Enter the preferred and alternate addresses, save, then test again. If this works, your router or provider’s assigned DNS service may be failing. If it does not, restore Automatic (DHCP); changing DNS cannot fix a dead internet connection, a faulty router, a blocked VPN, or malware. Do not use random DNS addresses from an untrusted source. Changing DNS on one computer is a diagnostic test, not a repair for an outage affecting every device.

How can you tell whether the fix worked?

Test the connection by name, not just by opening one page that may already be cached. Open several unrelated websites, close and reopen the browser, and restart the computer. Then reconnect another device to the same network and confirm that it can browse as well.

From Command Prompt, compare name resolution with a direct connection test:

nslookup example.com
ping example.com
ping 1.1.1.1

A working nslookup normally displays the DNS server used and an address for example.com. The ping to the domain should show that Windows resolved the name, although the destination may not reply to ping. The direct IP test is only a comparison and may also be blocked; it is not a requirement for a website to work. If nslookup still fails, the selected DNS server is not answering or Windows is not reaching it.

If websites work after ipconfig /flushdns or renewing the address, the issue was probably local cache or DHCP state. If they work only after choosing Cloudflare or Google DNS, leave the alternate server in place only if you accept that choice and understand that it moves DNS handling away from your router or provider. If every device fails, or the modem cannot obtain service, contact the internet provider and report the router or modem status lights and the time the problem began.

Persistent failures on one computer can come from a VPN, proxy, firewall, security suite, incorrect adapter settings, or malware. Temporarily disable only one security component at a time for testing, then turn it back on. Run a reputable malware scan, install pending Windows and router updates, and check that no unfamiliar proxy or DNS address has been configured. If the problem returns after a network reset, keep the reset result and error messages available when contacting your provider or a technician.

Conclusion

If another device also fails, focus on the modem, router, cables, and provider before changing Windows DNS. If the fault is limited to one computer, work through the local repairs in order and use an alternate DNS provider only to test a confirmed DNS-service problem. Contact the provider when every device fails or the modem cannot establish service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will changing DNS to Cloudflare or Google always fix the error?

No. It helps only when the DNS server supplied by your router or provider is the part that is failing. It will not repair a disconnected modem, faulty router, blocked VPN, damaged network adapter, or provider outage. Restore **Automatic (DHCP)** if the test changes nothing.

Can I use the internet if DNS is not responding?

Sometimes. A direct IP address may work while website names fail, but most normal browsing depends on DNS. A successful direct-IP test points toward name resolution; it does not prove that the entire connection is healthy.

Why does the error keep returning after I flush DNS?

Flushing removes Windows’ cached lookups but does not correct an unreliable router, provider DNS service, DHCP problem, VPN, firewall, proxy, or malware. Compare another device on the same network, check the modem and router status, and identify whether the failure is local or affects the whole connection.