What is “DNS Server Not Responding” error and how to fix it?

Millions of people surf the internet daily. However, not all of them think about what makes the World Wide Web possible.  Domain Name System (DNS) is among the key component of the internet which associates the information to the Domain name. Before visiting a website, you need to first access DNS. However, sometimes you may encounter a message “DNS server not responding”. It means that the system which turns hostnames into IP address is not responding.

There are several reasons for this error. Fortunately, this error could be fixed in simple steps. Sometimes the solution could be just restarting your computer or changing the browser.

In this article, we’ll explain what this error is and how to fix it and what the basic causes of this error are.

What is the meaning of the error “DNS Server Not Responding”?

A DNS is a system that takes hostnames and turns them into IP addresses. In simple words, the DNS server act as a translator for turning hostnames into IP addresses.

When a person puts a website address into their browser, the DNS server takes it and turns it into an IP address to open the webpage. However, when the Domain Name System is unable to complete the action it shows a message “Domain Name System server is not responding” or “Your computer appears to be correctly configured, but the device or resource (Domain Name System server) is not responding.”

This error occurs at the end of a user. It might be due to the poor internet connection or due to an outdated browser. Some simple solutions to this problem can be switching your browser, changing the internet connection, or changing the DNS server.

How to fix the DNS Server Error?

Now that you have understood what is this error. Let’s discuss how can we fix this in a few simple steps. Various methods can help resolve this error. Let’s discuss them one by one.

1. Change Web Browser

The first step towards resolving this problem is to try the other browser. If you are getting this error in any browser, try to access that webpage with another browser. There are several web browsers available such as safari, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge, etc. These are among the most convenient browsers. If that helps to resolve the issue then you need to check the settings of your default browser and make sure that you are using the latest version. If not then you just need to update your browser. Moreover, if the browser is up to date the issue can be resolved just by uninstalling and re-installing the browser.

2. Start the computer in Safe Mode

This error may occur if your computer system is not working properly. To check this you need to restart your computer while enabling safe mode. In the safe mode, most of the files will be restricted and this will help in troubleshooting the problem.

If you are using Windows 10, you can restart your computer in safe mode using the following steps.

• Click on the Windows button and click the Power icon
• Hold down the shift key and click on restart
• A window will appear, click on the Troubleshoot button and then Advance settings
• Under the Advance setting select Start-up setting and then Restart
• You need to select option 4 or 5 for restarting your computer in safe mode. Those options are Enable Safe Mode with Networking or Enable Safe Mode

Your computer will restart in a few seconds. Now you need to open your desired web page with your default browser. If the error is still there the reason could be other software installed on your computer such as antivirus.

3. Disable Antivirus or Firewall

If changing the browser or restarting the computer in safe mode does not help, the reason could be third-party software installed on your computer. Such software is antivirus or Firewall.

Antivirus and Firewall are pretty important for the security of a computer. However, sometimes the presence of this software can cause network issues. Therefore, disabling them temporarily can help to resolve the problem.

For Windows 10 you can disable them by following these steps.

• Open control panel
• Go to Update & Security then Windows Security then Virus & Threat Protection, and then Manage Settings.

When you are done with disabling the antivirus, go and check your browser. If the browser works, you need to check the settings of your antivirus. Moreover, you can also shift the antivirus. However, do not forget to enable the antivirus when you are done with your option.

4. Reboot your router

Another possible solution for this problem is to restart the router. When we restart a router it will flush all the cache that could help in solving the issue.

There will be a power button on your modem. Just turn it off and wait for a minute then turn it on back. The modem will take a few seconds to create a connection with the network. Once the connection is established go and check your browser if the issue has been solved or not.

However, sometimes only turning the router off won’t help. You may need to unplug the router and plug it again after a few seconds to solve the issue.

5. Disable other Network Connections

Sometimes the other network connection connected to your computer may cause the problem of “Domain Name System server not responding. For this, you need to disconnect or disable all the secondary connections. You should be connected to that one connection that is active at the moment.

For Windows, you can follow the below-mentioned steps to disable other connections.

• Type Network Connections in the search bar of desktop
• Click View Network Connections
• This will show all the connections available. Click right on the connection you want to disable and click disable.
• Do this to all the connection you need to disable

You need to repeat this step for the inactive connections. Once you are done, restart your computer and check your browser if it works or not.

6. Install the latest Drivers

To work properly, our network adapter relies upon drivers. Therefore some time seeing the message “Domain Name System server not responding” could be due to an issue with drivers.

To fix this issue you need to visit the website of your network adapter manufacturer. Then you need to download the latest driver and install it on your computer. If you cannot access any network connection on your computer, then you should download the drivers on some other device and then install them on your device.

7. Check and disable third-party application

Sometimes this error occurs due to the existence of some third-party applications on your operating system. After uninstalling those third-party applications, the problem can be solved.

Therefore, you need to keep a close eye on all the applications downloaded on your system.

8. Reset the Router

Sometimes the configuration of the router all causes the problem of “Domain Name System Server Not Responding”. For this issue, all you need to do is to reset the settings of the router. To reset the router you need to open the routers’ configuration page and click the reset option.

The second method is to press and hold the reset button on the router for a few seconds. Both of these methods work the same. You can choose one method according to your preference.

9. Disable the Peer-to-Peer update Feature

If turning off your firewall and antivirus and other above-mentioned solutions are not working to resolve the problem of DNS. Another option is P2P. The Peer-to-Peer (P2P) technology is a great feature that comes with Windows. It allows you to download the updates of Windows directly from the other users around you.

However, sometimes P2P feature also interrupts the DNS to process. This is why turning it off can also help to resolve the problem.

To do this, you can follow the below-mentioned steps.

• Click the Windows icon and open Settings
• Click on Update & Security
• A new window will appear, click Delivery Optimization from the option available at the left-hand side
• Turn off the option “Allow Download from other PCs”

Once you are done, restart your computer and check if the problem has been resolved or not.

10. Wait for the Internet Service Provider (ISP) to fix the problem

Sometimes the Server not Responding error occurs due to some problem at your Internet Service problem. For this, you have to wait for a few hours unless your ISP fixes the problem.

Summary

Getting a “DNS Not Responding” Message can be frustrating. There are several reasons for this problem. However, most of them have simple solutions.

In this article, we have discussed the top ten solutions to resolve the problem of “DNS Server Error”

Those solutions are:

• Change Web Browser
• Start the computer in Safe Mode
• Disable Antivirus or Firewall
• Reboot your router
• Disable other Network Connections
• Install the latest Drivers
• Check and disable third-party application
• Reset the Router
• Wait for the Internet Service Provider (ISP) to fix the problem
• Disable the Peer-to-Peer update Feature

Author Bio: I am Faraz Ahmad, a qualified blogger and web developer. Here on SNOWTICA, you can have an idea of my expertise. You can also visit services for more information. I love to write a blog on various topics, like health, Technology, Business, Travel, Lifestyle, sports, Food, Finance, etc. For more information contact here.

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