Fix "The DNS server isn't responding" Error in Windows

Running the Windows network troubleshooter returns:

The DNS server isn't responding

Websites fail to load, but the connection itself often looks fine. That is the signature of a DNS problem: the network works, and only the translation of names into addresses is broken.

Confirm It Is DNS First

Thirty seconds, and it tells you whether to read the rest of this page. Open Terminal and run:

ping 8.8.8.8
ping google.com

• Numeric address replies, name does not → DNS is the fault. Continue below.
• Both fail → this is a connectivity problem, not DNS. See Ethernet doesn't have a valid IP configuration or Wi-Fi "No internet, secured".
• Both succeed → the connection recovered on its own, or the failure is specific to certain sites.

Why This Happens

Every name lookup goes to a DNS server your machine was told to use — usually your router, which forwards to your ISP. The error appears when that server does not answer usefully:

• The resolver cache holds bad entries, so Windows keeps using a stale answer.
• The DNS servers configured are unreachable, commonly after a VPN disconnects and leaves its own servers behind.
• The router's DNS forwarder has hung, which breaks every device on the network at once.
• Your ISP's resolvers are down or overloaded.
• The DNS Client service is stopped, so lookups are not being cached or dispatched properly.
• A security product or filtering layer is intercepting DNS and failing.

Fix 1: Flush the DNS Cache

Open Terminal (Admin) — right-click Start — and run:

ipconfig /flushdns

Confirm it reports the cache was flushed, then retry. If names resolve now, you had stale cached records.

While you are there, renew the lease in case the adapter picked up bad DNS servers from DHCP:

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns

Fix 2: Restart the DNS Client Service

The DNS Client service (Dnscache) handles caching and resolution. If it has stopped, lookups fail regardless of which servers are configured:

sc query dnscache

STATE should read RUNNING. If not:

sc config dnscache start= auto
net start dnscache

Check it alongside its dependencies:

Get-Service Dnscache, Dhcp, nsi | Select-Object Name, Status, StartType

If a hardening baseline or "debloat" script disabled the service, re-enabling it here is temporary — the policy needs amending, or it reverts at the next refresh.

Fix 3: Change to Reliable DNS Servers

This is the fix when your ISP's or router's resolvers are the problem.

On a corporate or domain-joined machine, do not do this. Domain members must use internal DNS servers, or domain logon, Group Policy, file shares and internal sites will break. Raise it with your IT team instead.

For home and small office machines:

1. Settings → Network & internet, then Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
2. Open Hardware properties.
3. Next to DNS server assignment, click Edit and choose Manual.
4. Turn on IPv4 and enter:
   • Preferred DNS: 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare)
   • Alternate DNS: 8.8.8.8 (Google)
5. Save, then flush the cache:

ipconfig /flushdns

Or from an administrative prompt, substituting your adapter's exact name:

netsh interface ip set dns name="Wi-Fi" static 1.1.1.1
netsh interface ip add dns name="Wi-Fi" 8.8.8.8 index=2

List adapter names with netsh interface show interface if you are unsure.

To go back to whatever DHCP provides:

netsh interface ip set dns name="Wi-Fi" dhcp

Fix 4: Clear a Stale VPN Configuration

If this began after using a VPN, the client may have left DNS servers configured that were only reachable inside the tunnel.

Check what is currently set:

ipconfig /all

Look at the DNS Servers line for your adapter. An address that is not your router and not a public resolver you chose is the culprit.

Reset the network configuration:

netsh int ip reset
netsh winsock reset
netsh winhttp reset proxy

Reboot afterwards — these do not take effect until you do. Note that winsock reset clears third-party layered service providers, so the VPN client may need reinstalling. Given that the VPN caused the problem, that is usually acceptable.

Fix 5: Reboot the Router

If several devices lose name resolution at the same time, the fault is upstream of any single PC. Most home networks hand out the router as the DNS server, and a hung forwarder on the router breaks everything behind it.

1. Power the router off for 30 seconds.
2. Power it on and wait two to three minutes for it to fully come up.
3. Retest.

If it recurs weekly, configure the router itself to forward to 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8 rather than relying on your ISP's resolvers — that fixes every device at once instead of one at a time.

Fix 6: Check for Interference

Two less obvious causes worth eliminating.

A hosts file entry overrides DNS for specific names. Inspect it:

notepad C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

Anything beyond the commented default lines was added deliberately — by you, by software, or by something unwanted. Remove entries you cannot account for.

Security software with a DNS proxy. Some antivirus and parental control products intercept DNS. Temporarily pausing web protection tells you whether it is responsible. Re-enable it immediately afterwards, and if it is the cause, fix its configuration rather than leaving protection off.

Verify the Fix

Test resolution directly, not just by loading a page:

nslookup microsoft.com
nslookup google.com

Each should return an address and show which server answered. Confirm the server shown is the one you intended.

Then check the configuration took:

ipconfig /all

And test a real page load in a browser. If nslookup succeeds but the browser still fails, the problem is browser-level — try a different browser or clear its cache.

Prevention

• Set reliable DNS on the router, so every device benefits and a single ISP outage does not take the network down.
• Uninstall VPN clients properly instead of deleting their folders, so DNS settings are cleaned up.
• Leave the DNS Client service alone when applying hardening scripts, and document it as a dependency.
• Do not hand-set DNS on domain-joined machines. It breaks more than it fixes.
• Note whether one device or all devices fail. That single observation points at the PC or the router immediately and saves most of the diagnostic work.

Related Guides

• Fix "Ethernet doesn't have a valid IP configuration"
• Fix Wi-Fi "No internet, secured" in Windows
• Fix WSL "Temporary failure in name resolution"