--- title: "DNS Server Not Responding: Causes and How to Fix It" description: "The message “the device or resource (DNS server) is not responding” means your computer could not reach its DNS server. Fixes for you and for site owners." url: https://uptrack.app/errors/dns-server-not-responding --- DNS server not responding

# DNS server not responding: causes and how to fix it

The Windows network troubleshooter says “Your computer appears to be correctly configured, but the device or resource (DNS server) is not responding” when your computer sent a DNS question and got no answer. Your connection may work, but names do not resolve. You may also see - DNS\_PROBE\_FINISHED\_BAD\_CONFIG (Chrome) - DNS\_PROBE\_FINISHED\_NO\_INTERNET (Chrome) - DNS server isn’t responding (Windows Network Diagnostics) ## Common causes 1. 1 The router, the modem or the provider’s DNS server is down or slow. 2. 2 The DNS server set on your device or router is wrong, or it is blocked. 3. 3 A firewall, a VPN or a security program blocks DNS traffic. 4. 4 The network adapter or its driver has a fault, or the DNS cache is damaged. 5. 5 For a domain you run: its authoritative name servers are down, or a DNSSEC error makes validating resolvers refuse to answer. ## If you are visiting the site: how to fix it 1. 1 Restart the router and the modem, and wait for them to connect again. 2. 2 Test on another device or network. If it works there, the fault is in the first device or network. 3. 3 Change the DNS servers to a public resolver such as 1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8 or 9.9.9.9. Set them on the device, or on the router to fix every device at once. 4. 4 Clear the DNS cache and renew the address. On Windows run ipconfig /flushdns, then ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew. 5. 5 Turn off the VPN and the firewall for a moment to test, and update the network adapter driver. ## If you run the site: what to check 1. 1 Look up your domain on three public resolvers. If none of them answers, or they return SERVFAIL, the problem is in your DNS host or your name servers. 2. 2 Check the status page of your DNS provider, and check that the name servers at the registrar are correct. 3. 3 If you use DNSSEC, check that the DS record at the registrar matches the key of your DNS host. A wrong DS record makes validating resolvers fail the whole domain. 4. 4 Use a DNS host with more than one name server, so that one outage does not take the domain down. ## Check it with free tools - [DNS lookupSee what three public resolvers return for your domain.](https://uptrack.app/tools/dns-lookup) - [DNS propagation checkerFind a resolver that fails while the others answer.](https://uptrack.app/tools/dns-propagation-checker) - [WHOIS lookupCheck the name servers set at the registrar.](https://uptrack.app/tools/whois-lookup) ## Frequently asked questions What does “DNS server not responding” mean? Your computer sent a question to its DNS server and got no answer. The internet connection itself may be fine, but without DNS your browser cannot find the address of any site. How do I fix “DNS server not responding”? Restart the router, test on another device, switch to a public DNS server such as 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8, clear the DNS cache, and turn off a VPN or firewall to test. Start with the router, because it is the most common cause. Is it my router or my provider? Set a public DNS server on one device. If the sites load, the DNS server of your provider or router was the problem. If nothing loads at all, the connection itself is down. Can a website’s own DNS cause this message for visitors? Yes. If the name servers of a domain are down, visitors cannot resolve that domain, and some see a similar error. Look up the domain on several resolvers to check. ## Know about it before your visitors do Uptrack checks a DNS record on a schedule and alerts you when it changes or stops resolving, so you learn about a broken record before your visitors report it. [See plans](https://uptrack.app/pricing) from $3/mo · 30-day money-back guarantee ## Other browser and DNS errors - [DNS\_PROBE\_FINISHED\_NXDOMAIN](https://uptrack.app/errors/dns-probe-finished-nxdomain) - [ERR\_NAME\_NOT\_RESOLVED](https://uptrack.app/errors/err-name-not-resolved) - [ERR\_CONNECTION\_REFUSED](https://uptrack.app/errors/err-connection-refused) - [ERR\_CONNECTION\_RESET](https://uptrack.app/errors/err-connection-reset) - [ERR\_CONNECTION\_CLOSED](https://uptrack.app/errors/err-connection-closed) - [ERR\_SSL\_PROTOCOL\_ERROR](https://uptrack.app/errors/err-ssl-protocol-error) - [NET::ERR\_CERT\_AUTHORITY\_INVALID](https://uptrack.app/errors/your-connection-is-not-private)