DNS client is not working. The DNS server does not respond: what to do in this situation
DNS is one of the most important services in any computer network on the Windows platform. It is required for Active Directory and a number of other network functions. Therefore, any problems related to DNS must be resolved as quickly as possible. Fortunately, finding the cause of problems is usually quite easy. Below are ten of my favorite diagnostic techniques.
1. Check your network connection
If you have problems with DNS, the first thing you need to do is make sure you are connected to the network. This will significantly save time if the problem is caused by a faulty network adapter.
The easiest way to check your connection is to log into the DNS server and ping several computers on the network, and vice versa - ping the DNS server from other machines (see?). It is worth considering that this method will only work if the firewall allows incoming messages.
2. Find out the scope of the problem
If the network connection is working properly, the next step is to determine the extent of the problem. Does the failure only occur when resolving names on the external network, or are problems occurring locally as well? This determines what to do next. If names are resolved on the local network without problems, but on the external network they are not resolved at all, the problem may be with the DNS server of the Internet provider.
3. Identify the users affected by the problem
It also doesn't hurt to find out whether all users on the local network are experiencing problems or whether problems are observed only in a certain subnet. If only some users are experiencing difficulties, it is worth checking to see if they all belong to the same network segment. In this case, the problem may be caused by a broken router or errors in the DHCP configuration.
4. Check if your network is load balancing
When web servers experience heavy load, some networks distribute the load among several identical web servers using the Round Robin DNS method. The disadvantage of the technology is that even if one of these machines fails, the DNS server still continues to forward incoming traffic to all servers using the round robin algorithm. As a result, the load-balanced resource periodically loses connectivity to the network.
5. Check the status of DNS forwarders
If name resolution works on the local network, but not on the external network, you need to check whether the DNS server is using forwarders. Most DNS servers resolve Internet names using root hints, but some configurations instead use forwarders that connect to the ISP's DNS server. And if the provider's server is down, name resolution on the external network ceases to function because the entries in the resolver cache become stale.
If your DNS server uses forwarders, you can ping the ISP's server to see if it's working. Or you can call the provider's technical support service and ask if there are any problems and whether the IP address specified in the forwarder settings has changed.
6. Try to ping the host
If name resolution does not work on the local network, you can try to ping one of the local servers, first by IP address. If pings pass without problems, then the network connection is fine. In this case, you should ping the server by computer name and fully qualified domain name.
If the server is pinged by IP address, but not by name, you need to check whether the DNS server has an A record for the host. If it is missing, the DNS server will not be able to resolve the name for that host.
7. Use the NSLookup command
One of the most convenient DNS diagnostic tools is the NSLOOKUP command, which can be run from the Windows command line. To check name resolution for a specific host, you need to run a command like NSLOOKUP hostname. The command output will include the name (not always) and IP address of the DNS server that resolved the request, as well as the fully qualified domain name and IP address of the specified host.
This allows you to firstly check if name resolution is working, and secondly, find out which DNS server is being used if name resolution does not work. However, it is worth considering that using NSLOOKUP you can only find out the data of the DNS server to which the utility itself connects. If the name resolution request is redirected to another DNS server, it is impossible to find out its address in this way.
8. Try using a different DNS server
Most organizations use at least two DNS servers. If one of them does not work, you can connect to the second one. If name resolution works properly on the second server, then the problem is really related to the main DNS server and is not caused by some external reasons.
9. Check your system for viruses
A user once contacted me with a complaint that when he tried to access a certain resource, he instead ended up on a fraudulent website. At first I suspected a DNS infection, but then abandoned this version because only one computer on the network was affected.
In the end, it turned out that a virus had entered the TCP/IP protocol stack on the user’s computer and was intercepting all name resolution requests. So the cause of the problem turned out to be not in the DNS server, but in the local system.
10. Reboot your DNS server
The advice is banal, but if none of the above methods help, you can simply try to restart the DNS server. More than once I have had to deal with inexplicable DNS failures that stopped on their own after rebooting the DNS server.
In addition, in my experience, there were at least two cases where consumer-grade routers refused to forward DNS requests, although they handled the rest of the traffic without problems. In one of these cases, resetting the router settings helped, in another I had to replace the router, which, apparently, was damaged as a result of a power surge in the network.
Other tips?
What methods do you use to diagnose DNS problems? Share your experience in the comments!
Today I have prepared an article for you that will help you solve one fairly common error that confuses even fairly advanced users: DNS server is not responding.
In this article, I will talk about the reasons for this error, as well as several ways to solve it. I will be waiting for confirmation from you in the comments what exactly helped you, as well as new options if anyone knows. Go!
1. What does “DNS server not responding” mean?
To proceed to troubleshooting, you need to understand what it means that the DNS server is not responding.
To understand the essence of the problem, you should know what a DNS server is. When accessing any virtual page on the network, the user gains access to a specific section of the remote server. This section contains and stores files that are converted by the browser used and presented to users in the form of a page with text, images and other information that is familiar to the visual perception of any user. Each server has an individual IP address, which is necessary to gain access. A DNS server is a functional means of conveniently and correctly redirecting requests to a domain from a specific IP address.
Often the DNS server does not respond in Windows 7/10 when connecting to the network via a modem and without using a network cable, as well as for users who use another wireless Internet connection method. In some cases an error may occur after installing an antivirus.
Important! Often, users take personal interest and make changes to the modem settings, which lead to a loss of connection and an unwanted error. Therefore, it is not recommended to edit working settings unnecessarily.
2. Dns server does not respond - how to fix it?
If the user observes an error, then there are four ways to eliminate it:
. Very often it is enough to reboot the modem to fix the error. During the reboot process, the device returns to its original settings and parameters, which helps to solve the problem quickly and effectively;To correct an error with a greater probability, it is necessary to consider specific situations in detail. This is what we will do below.
2.1. On Windows
There are several possible solutions to the problem listed in the table.
| Way | Procedure |
| It is recommended to disconnect the device from power or use the power off button, if provided in the configuration, and wait about 15 seconds. After the time has elapsed, you must turn on the device again. | |
| Using the Command Line | You should call the command line from the PC administrator. To do this, click on “Start”, then find and click on “Search programs and files” and write cmd. After these steps, a program shortcut will appear. You should right-click on it and select “Run as administrator”.Then you should type and execute certain commands, after entering each command you must press the enter key:
|
| Checking settings and options | You need to visit the control panel and find “Network and Sharing Center...”. This subsection contains information about the network. You should select the connection you are using, then right-click the computer mouse and select “Properties”. A new window will open for the user, in which you need to select in turn:
Then you need to click on “Properties”. You should check the boxes next to the items: obtain a DNS server and IP address automatically. When checking the settings, you must be very careful and take into account the information specified in the agreement with the provider, if any. This method only helps if there is no specific address specified by the provider. |
You can enter the addresses provided by Google, which, in the opinion of the search engine itself, help speed up the loading of web pages: 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4.
3. DNS server does not respond: TP-link router
Most modern users use TP-link routers and devices. Error DNS server is not responding can be eliminated in several ways:
Attention! Some, especially inexpensive TP-link models, have lost parameters. In this case, you should follow the setup instructions that come with the device and enter the data and DNS addresses specified in the contract and provided by the provider.
It is better to set the basic settings on the TP-link router, unless otherwise specified in the agreement with the provider.
4. DNS server does not respond (Beeline or Rostelecom)
All of the listed methods for eliminating the error are designed to assume that it is the user who has the problem. But practice shows that in most cases, problems arise with the provider for a number of reasons, such as technical faults.
For this reason, if an error occurs, you should not rush, but wait a while: during this period, you can reboot the computer and router without touching any settings. If the situation has not changed, it is recommended to contact representatives of the provider company and tell about the current problem, providing the specialist with the data he requires: contract number, last name, IP address or other information. If the problem arose with the Internet connection service provider, he will report this and tell you the approximate time frame for eliminating the problem. This is especially true for Internet owners from the Rostelecom company (I myself am one of them, so I know what I’m talking about). Very useful numbers:
- 8 800 302 08 00 - Rostelecom technical support for individuals;
- 8 800 302 08 10 - Rostelecom technical support for legal entities.
If the problem did not arise with the provider, then a company specialist can, in some cases, help the user solve it by giving competent advice or recommendations.
Very often people leave comments on the site, from which I take topics for new articles. Recently, a comment was left on an error post that said the error "The server's DNS address cannot be found." The Internet disappears, sites stop opening, and an error appears in the browser stating that the DNS address could not be found. After which the Internet stops working, not a single site opens.
There is such a problem, and the error itself about problems with DNS is very popular. The solutions for all versions of Windows will be the same. It doesn't matter whether you have Windows 7, 8, or ten. And it doesn’t matter in which browser the error appears, and for which site. I will show Windows 10 as an example. Let's try to resolve the error “This page could not be opened” or “Cannot access the site”. Typically, the main error message depends on the browser you are using.
Can't find the server's DNS address: what is it?
Before moving on to the solutions, I want to write a few words about the error itself. DNS is needed to resolve website addresses (which we indicate by letters) to digital addresses. Browsers only understand them. Accordingly, when DNS cannot resolve the address, the browser reports an error that the site cannot be opened and writes that it cannot find the DNS address of the server.
The error itself may look different. It all depends on the browser.
As you can see, in the screenshot above I have an error accessing the site youtube.com. It doesn't matter, the error can happen for any site. For example, for vk.com, facebook.com, google.com, yandex.ua, etc. It all depends on the site you wanted to open.
Determining the cause of the DNS error
There may be several reasons why you encountered this error: your Internet provider, problems with the site, an error on the router, or a failure on your computer. It is not difficult to identify them. Let's go in order:
- The problem is on the site side. If you see the error “The server's DNS address cannot be found” when you try to access only one site, but other sites open normally, then most likely the problem is on the side of a specific site. You can just wait a little, or try opening the site from another device (via another connection). If it opens, then try to solve the problem on your device.
- DNS error due to Internet provider or router. If you have many devices, and they all fail to open websites and get the same error, then the problem is most likely on the side of the Internet provider, or in the router. To get started, just turn off the router for a minute, turn it on, and check if the error disappears. If not, then connect the Internet directly to your computer (if possible), and try opening sites. If the error persists, contact the support of your Internet provider.
- The problem is in the computer (laptop). Most likely it is. In this case, on other devices (if any), everything works fine, the sites open. In this case, try following the tips in this article.
What to do and how to fix the error (using Windows 10 as an example)
Let me remind you that the tips are suitable regardless of what Windows you have installed. I advise you to follow the recommendations in the same order.
Checking the DNS Client service
We need to check if the DNS Client service is running and restart it. To do this, right-click on the "Computer" icon (This PC) and select "Manage". Or press the keyboard shortcut Win+R, and run the command compmgmt.msc.
In the new window, select "Services" and find "DNS Client" in the list. Right-click on the service and select "Properties".
Check if the startup status is set to Automatic and click Ok.
Then, right-click on the service again and select "Restart". Restart your computer.
Resetting the DNS cache
If after restarting the service the sites do not open, try resetting the DNS cache. It's very easy to do. Launch Command Prompt. In Windows 10, simply right-click on the Start menu and select “Command Prompt (Admin).” If Windows PowerShell (administrator) is there, launch it. Or we find and launch the command line through the search.
Execute the command ipconfig/flushdns.
Restart your computer and check the result.
Registering an alternative DNS from Google
This method almost always helps. By default, DNS addresses are assigned to us by our Internet service provider. And the problem may lie precisely in them. Therefore, we can register our own static DNS in the properties of our Internet connection on the computer. It's best to use Google's DNS:
They are reliable and work quite quickly. Although, local addresses can process requests faster. But you don’t even have to pay attention to this. A large number of users use DNS addresses from Google. I strongly do not recommend using any other addresses, it can even be dangerous.
Right-click on the Internet connection icon (on the notification panel), and select Network and Sharing Center. Go to the "Change adapter settings" section.
Further attention! Right-click on the connection through which you are connected to the Internet and select "Properties". If your computer is connected via Wi-Fi, then this is a Wireless Network Connection (in Windows 10 - Wireless network). If you just connect via a network cable, then click on “Local Area Connection” (or Ethernet on Windows 10). Also, you may have a high-speed connection, with the name of your provider.
Select the item “IP version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and click the “Properties” button. Next, put the switch next to “Use the following DNS server addresses” and enter the addresses as shown in the screenshot below.
If the error "Cannot find the server's DNS address" persists, restart your computer and try opening the site again.
1 Try temporarily disabling your antivirus. Perhaps the problem with opening sites appears precisely because of it. Better yet, boot your computer in safe mode and try opening sites in your browser. 2 If the problem occurs on all devices connected to the same router, and changing the DNS helped on one of the devices, then you can change the DNS to addresses from Google in the router settings. Then, all devices will automatically use them. On different routers, this process looks different. These parameters always change on the page with settings for connecting to your provider. On TP-Link it looks like this:
If you have a different router and don’t know how to change, then write the model in the comments, I’ll try to tell you.
3 Reset TCP/IP parameters. Open a command prompt as an administrator, and run the following commands:netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
Restart your computer and check if it works.
If you have any questions, ask them in the comments. Don’t forget to share new solutions and write about ways that helped you get rid of the error with looking up DNS addresses when surfing the Internet.
The DNS server does not respond, what to do when the Internet connection begins to fail or is not connected to all sites, we will try to understand all the reasons for DNS server errors.
DNS (Domain Name System) is a domain server service that determines and matches site addresses (IP address) and domain name (for example, example.com). In the event of a failure or error, the DNS server may incorrectly determine requests from your device and, as a result, it will be impossible to connect to the site or the desired service. Many providers use DHPC - dynamic host configuration (automatically obtaining an IP address and other network parameters), so this error may be relevant when re-receiving network parameters, but as a result of a network, device or resource error, the DNS server does not respond and the necessary parameters are not assigned.
The main solutions to the problem when the DNS server does not respond (is unavailable) Windows 7 and 10, how to fix it? Let's look into it in detail!
Service operation
You need to make sure that the service is running correctly and is not stopped or disabled. DNS client is one of the main network services for correct work with the network and the Internet.
Open the Run window and enter the command services.msc 
Or press Win+X and select Computer Management (if Windows 7, then find the corresponding search item or open the Administrative Tools option). 
Find the DNS Client service and in the service properties make sure that the Type is set to “Automatic” and the status is “Running”.
In the registry, the following branch is responsible for starting the service:
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Dnscache 
The Start value must be equal to – 2 (Automatic start type).
Changing connection settings
Open Windows Settings – Network and Internet – Adapter settings (or Win+R - ncpa.cpl), then open the properties of your connection. 
Open the properties of IP version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and set the DNS server to receive an automatic address or you can set public records of Google servers:
Updating network settings
Open a command prompt window as Administrator (Win+X). 
In the open window, enter the following commands:
Network reset
Open Windows Settings (+ ) – Network and Internet – Status and select Reset Networks, after executing all the commands, you need to restart the PC. 
Resetting the router
Well, as a last resort, try rebooting your router so that the settings of the router itself are reset, because on some devices you can set DNS addresses in the settings of the router itself. This is why it is often impossible to contact a device or resource.
The recommendations described in this article should help you solve the problem of what to do if the DNS server does not respond in Windows 10 and 7, but if the computer settings are configured correctly but the DNS server does not respond, which means there are several other reasons that may interfere with the correct operation of the network :
- Problem from the provider
- Problem with the site
- Network adapter driver problem
Have a great day!
Every user knows how frustrating it can be when the Internet connection is lost. Everything seems to be fine with the computer or router, but when diagnosing problems, the system writes “The DNS server is not responding.” Not everyone knows what to do in this case. And before you make a decision to fix the problem, you first need to find out what exactly may be causing the failure.
brief information
First, let's take a quick look at what a DNS server is. As you know, each computer or server connected to the Internet has its own unique IP address (if it is static and does not change). But you won’t remember such a huge number of digital combinations to access a specific resource.
Using a DNS server allows you to “link” an address to a domain name. Therefore, information is entered in the address bar in the form of a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. It is enough to remember even the name of the resource, and through DNS, when you enter the address, you will be redirected to the linked IP. Only such services can sometimes fail. Next we will look at what to do if the DNS server does not respond, but for now a few words about possible problems.
Possible causes of problems and main types of failures
In general, the errors themselves can be divided into two large categories: problems on the part of the provider or the resource being visited, and failures associated with incorrect settings of user computers.
In the first case, it is pointless to do anything to correct the situation, since, as is already clear, nothing depends on the user here. It’s another matter when errors appear as a result of a “crash” or a deliberate change in the network settings in the operating system. But here there can be quite a lot of reasons. But among the most common are the following:
- short-term failures in the operation of the OS or router;
- blocking by the protection system;
- incorrect DNS parameters in the settings of the protocol used;
- incorrect DNS settings on the router;
- DNS client disabled state;
- cache overflow and errors in other network parameters;
- exposure to viruses.
The resource's DNS server does not respond: what should I do?
As for short-term failures, which actually occur quite often, not a single computer system is immune from them.
Let's assume that during diagnostics the system displays a message that the DNS server is not responding. What to do? WiFi seems to be working, but there is no Internet access. First, you should check the connection from another device (at least from a mobile phone). If there is a connection, then the problem is in the computer terminal itself. In this case, you should simply perform a hard reboot.
If there is no connection on all devices, it may be a problem with the router. It requires a factory reset (reboot). However, using the Reset button, which is usually located on the back panel, is not recommended (although it is possible by holding it down for a few seconds). It is best to completely disconnect the router from the power supply for about 10-15 seconds, and then turn it on again. Some users advise turning off for a period of 15-20 minutes, but I think this is unnecessary. It is very possible that after a reboot, access will be restored.
Unblocking
Sometimes an installed antivirus and even the built-in Windows firewall can block DNS. In this case, first you need to temporarily disable anti-virus protection and try to open a website.
If everything is fine (and the resource is safe), it should be added to the exclusion list.
The same goes for the firewall. You need to disable it first, but if its use is absolutely necessary, at least the browser you are using should be included in the new exception rule. In the end, the browser itself can be changed to another. Perhaps this is precisely the reason.
Manually setting up a DNS server in the IP protocol
However, as practice shows, very often errors are associated with incorrect settings. Let's assume the ByFly DNS server is not responding. What to do in this case? The solution to the problem is to change the DNS settings.
This can be done in the “Network and Sharing Center” section in the “Control Panel”, where you select the menu for changing network adapter settings. Here you need to find the IP protocol currently in use (usually IPv4) and go to its properties.
In most cases, the preferred and alternative server fields will contain the parameters received during connection. To begin with, you can set up automatic retrieval of an address for the DNS server.
If this does not help, you can use open combinations like Google services, which consist, for example, of four eights and four fours, two eights and two fours, etc. There are plenty of variations. This method almost always helps.
The DNS server is not responding. What to do? Router and its settings
But these were only network parameters. What if the settings on the router are incorrect? Indeed, in this case, an error message will also be displayed, and the user will again begin to wonder what to do if the DNS server does not respond.
You will have to look at the router settings by accessing them from any browser by entering the address indicated on the nameplate below (as a rule, it starts with the combination 192.168, and the last two digits, depending on the model, can be either 0.1 or 1.1).
Now you need to use the WAN partition. The actions are similar to what was done in the IP settings. If nothing is specified in the address fields, addresses are assigned automatically. There is nothing easier than to enter in them the combinations specified in the protocol settings.
Checking DNS Client Status
But the above actions may not have the desired effect. What should I do if the DNS server does not respond in this case? One solution could be to check the service itself (perhaps it was stopped for some reason).
To do this, you need to go to the appropriate section using the “Run” console (Win + R) and writing services.msc in it. Here you should find the DNS Client service and look at its status. If the client is deactivated, double-click to call up the settings menu, press the power button, and set the startup type to “Automatic”.
Updating network card drivers
Rarely, of course, but you can encounter problems with network card drivers. What to do if the DNS server does not respond, and the driver is to blame? Just update them.
This is done from the “Device Manager”, which can be called from the administration section, “Control Panel” or from the “Run” menu with the command devmgmt.msc. Via RMB you simply select the driver update line. If the user has a non-standard network adapter, it is better to download the latest driver from the manufacturer’s website, using the VEN and DEV identifiers (it is best to use the longest line in the description).
However, in order not to bother yourself, you can install automated utilities like Driver Booster, DriverPack Solution or something else. The update after scanning and confirmation will be performed automatically and without user intervention.
Additional actions
Finally, if all of the above steps do not have the desired effect, you can try clearing the DNS cache and resetting all configuration settings.
To do this, launch the command console (necessarily as an administrator), and enter the following commands (without punctuation marks):
- ipconfig /flushdns;
- ipconfig /registerdns;
- ipconfig /renew;
- ipconfig/release.
After executing all these commands, a reboot of the computer system is basically not required. But to be sure, it’s still worth restarting.
Viruses
All the described solutions may turn out to be completely ineffective only because some kind of malicious virus or malicious code has become firmly established in the system, which spontaneously changes the settings through its actions. In the case when they are not related to any of the reasons described above and are not observed either by the provider, or by the resource, or by the user, you will have to perform a full in-depth scan of the system.
A standard antivirus will not work, so it is best to use utilities like Kaspersky Rescue Disk, which scan even before the OS starts (they need to be written to removable media and booted from it, setting the appropriate priority in the BIOS settings).