Internet & Network / DNS
How to Fix DNS Server Not Responding
Quick answer
DNS is how your PC looks up website names. If the server that answers those lookups is unreachable, pages fail even when Wi-Fi looks connected. Check whether a phone on the same network works, flush the DNS cache, restart the router, then inspect which DNS servers Windows is using. Changing DNS by hand is a later test you should be able to undo. Do not install a DNS repair utility from an ad.
Quick diagnosis
If several of these match what you see, you are in the right guide.
- A message that the DNS server is not responding
- Websites will not load by name, or take a very long time to start
- Windows shows connected, but browsing fails
- Some apps that use names fail while a phone on the same Wi-Fi still works, or also does not
Possible causes
- The DNS cache on the PC is stale (try a flush first)
- The router's DNS forwarding is stuck
- The DNS servers assigned to this PC are unreachable
- A VPN is intercepting DNS and that service is down
- The internet path itself is down, and DNS is only the first error you see
What you need
- A second device on the same network, if you have one
- Command Prompt or Windows Terminal
- The Wi-Fi password, only if you later reset the network
What this problem usually means
When you type a website name, Windows asks a DNS server for the matching address. "DNS server not responding" means that question got no usable answer in time. The server might be your router, your internet provider's DNS, or a server a VPN forced you to use. The message is a category, not a single broken part.
It is easy to confuse this with a totally dead connection. If nothing has internet, including phones, treat it as Wi-Fi connected but no internet or an outage. If only names fail, or the error names DNS specifically, stay with this article after a DNS flush.
Before you start
- If you use a VPN, disconnect it once for a fair test. Reconnect afterward if you need it.
- Do not turn off Windows Security to "test DNS." That is unrelated and unsafe as a habit.
- On a work PC, stop before changing DNS servers. Filtering may be required. Ask IT.
If you switch from automatic DNS to typed-in addresses, note the original choice so you can go back. Guessing later is how people leave a laptop on a friend's DNS forever.
Quick fixes
1. Flush the DNS cache
This is the smallest Windows-side try. Follow the full walkthrough if you want every caveat; the command itself is:
ipconfig /flushdns- What this does
- Clears Windows' temporary list of website names.
- Why run it
- A bad cache entry can look like a DNS server failure for one or two sites.
- What you should see
- A success message that the DNS resolver cache was flushed.
- If it fails
- Use Command Prompt or Terminal. If elevation is required, run as administrator once. The dedicated flush-DNS guide on this site has the full command notes.
2. Restart the PC and the router
Restart Windows (not Sleep). If a phone also fails DNS or browsing, power-cycle the router and modem: unplug, wait a minute, modem first if separate, then router. Wait two minutes. Many "DNS not responding" reports on a whole home network are a stuck router, not a Windows feature you forgot to enable.
3. Try another browser or device
If Edge fails and a phone works, the PC is in play. If every device fails, do not spend the evening inside Windows DNS settings.
Step-by-step troubleshooting
See which DNS servers Windows is using
ipconfig /all- What this does
- Prints adapter details, including DNS server addresses.
- Why run it
- You cannot judge a "not responding" error without knowing whom Windows is asking.
- What you should see
- Under the adapter you actually use (Wi-Fi or Ethernet), DNS Servers should list one or more addresses. Home routers often show the router itself, such as 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.
- If it fails
- If the active adapter has no DNS servers, reconnect the network. If you cannot tell which adapter is active, disconnect Wi-Fi to force Ethernet or the reverse, then run the command again.
Return Wi-Fi or Ethernet DNS to automatic (if someone set it by hand)
- Open Settings → Network & internet.
- Select Wi-Fi or Ethernet, then the network you are using (on Wi-Fi, you may need Hardware properties or the properties for that connection, depending on the Windows 11 build).
- Find DNS server assignment and set it to Automatic (or Edit → Automatic), unless IT told you to keep manual values.
- Save, wait a few seconds, and try a website.
Windows 11 wording shifts slightly between versions. You are looking for DNS under the connection's properties, not for a third-party dashboard. If you cannot find it, search Settings for "DNS."
Optional later test: well-known public DNS, then revert
If automatic DNS still fails, other devices work, and you own the PC, you can try public DNS as a test, for example Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8). This is not magic speed. It only asks whether your previous DNS servers were the blockage. Set Preferred to 1.1.1.1 and Alternate to 1.0.0.1, or 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4, then test two websites. If nothing improves, put DNS back to automatic. If it does improve, you can leave it or call the provider; do not assume you must pay for a DNS product.
Some regions and workplaces block or monitor public DNS. If pages behave oddly after the change, revert. This is not advice to hide traffic or bypass filtering.
If only this PC still fails
After a flush, automatic DNS, and a router restart, a Windows 11 network reset is a reasonable later step. Have the Wi-Fi password ready. If Ethernet is the adapter that fails DNS, confirm the cable still has a link: Ethernet not working.
Whose DNS is failing?
Choose an answer. The next question appears below, no account or download required.
Disconnect the VPN and retry. If DNS returns, the VPN's DNS path is the problem, use the official VPN app's help, not a random DNS tool. If DNS still fails with the VPN off, flush the cache and check automatic DNS.
Flush DNS, confirm DNS servers with ipconfig /all, set assignment to automatic, then test. Public DNS is an optional later experiment you must be able to undo.
Restart the router and modem. Check the provider. Do not change Windows DNS until the house is online. The error on the PC is a symptom of a wider outage or a stuck router.
How to know the problem is fixed
- Two different website names open (not only one that might be in a cache).
- The DNS error message is gone in the browser and in Windows.
- If you changed DNS by hand, you either confirmed it helps or you returned the setting to automatic.
If the problem continues
If other devices work and this PC still reports DNS errors after network reset, update the network driver from the PC maker's site. If no device can resolve names, the provider's DNS or the line may be down, they can see that from their side. Avoid "DNS repair" executables from search ads.
When this may be hardware failure
DNS messages are usually software, router, or provider issues. Hardware shows up when the adapter drops (no Wi-Fi list, no Ethernet link). Fix the adapter path first; a new DNS number will not seat a cable.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Installing a free DNS optimizer from an advertisement.
- Leaving manual DNS on after a test that did not help.
- Disabling the firewall to "make DNS work."
- Changing DNS on a work laptop to dodge filtering.
- Repeating flushdns for an hour while the modem's internet light is off.
Frequently asked questions
Does "DNS server not responding" mean my Wi-Fi password is wrong?
Usually no. A wrong password typically prevents you from joining the network. This error happens after Windows thinks it is connected, when name lookup fails.
Will public DNS make the internet faster?
Sometimes pages start a bit sooner if your old DNS was slow or down. It does not increase the speed in your contract. If you were chasing speed, use the slow-internet guide instead of staying in DNS settings.
Should I change DNS in the router or on the PC?
For a home-wide problem, the router is the better conversation with your provider. For a single PC, change Windows only as a test, and keep a way back to automatic. Do not flash router firmware from an unofficial file.
Why do some sites work and others do not?
Some apps cache addresses, some use IP addresses directly, and some names may be blocked by a filter. A flush plus a second device comparison tells you whether the pattern is this PC or the network.
Written by Practical PC editorial team. We write practical Windows and PC troubleshooting guides for home users, students, and office workers. Guides are researched from official documentation and widely observed support patterns, then reviewed for safety and plain language. We do not invent lab tests, certifications, or first-hand repair experience we do not have.