How to Fix WiFi DNS Errors: “DNS Server Not Responding” and Related Issues

A “DNS server not responding” error can feel like your internet is completely broken, but your actual connection is usually fine — only the system that translates website names into IP addresses has failed. DNS (Domain Name System) is the internet’s phonebook: every time you type a domain name, your device queries a DNS server to find the corresponding IP address. When DNS fails, browsers show errors like DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN or ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED even when your WiFi shows full bars.

How to Tell If DNS Is Really the Problem

Before trying fixes, confirm DNS is actually at fault. Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac) and run these two commands:

ping 8.8.8.8
ping google.com

If ping 8.8.8.8 succeeds but ping google.com fails, DNS is definitively the problem — your internet connection is working fine, but name resolution is broken. If both fail, the issue is your internet connection itself, not DNS. See our guide on WiFi connected but no internet in that case.

Fix 1: Restart Your Router

Your router acts as a local DNS relay, forwarding queries from your devices to your ISP’s DNS servers. A stuck or cached state in the router is one of the most common causes of DNS failures. Unplug the router and modem from power, wait 30 seconds, plug the modem back in first and let it fully connect, then plug in the router. Retest after the network comes back up.

Fix 2: Flush Your DNS Cache

Your device stores DNS responses locally to speed up repeat visits. If these cached records are stale or corrupted, lookups fail even though the DNS server itself is healthy. Flushing the cache forces your device to make fresh lookups for every domain.

Windows 10 and 11

Open Command Prompt as Administrator (search cmd, right-click, select Run as administrator) and run:

ipconfig /flushdns

You’ll see: Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.

Mac (macOS Monterey and later)

Open Terminal and run:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

Enter your password when prompted. No output means success. On older macOS versions, sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder alone is sufficient.

Fix 3: Switch to a Public DNS Server

Your ISP’s default DNS servers can go down, become overloaded, or return incorrect results. Switching to Google’s or Cloudflare’s public DNS servers bypasses your ISP entirely and usually resolves the error immediately. These servers are faster and more reliable for most users.

• Google DNS: 8.8.8.8 (primary) and 8.8.4.4 (secondary)
• Cloudflare DNS: 1.1.1.1 (primary) and 1.0.0.1 (secondary)

Windows 10/11

Go to Settings → Network & Internet → click your active connection → Edit next to DNS server assignment → set to Manual, toggle on IPv4, and enter the DNS addresses above. Click Save.

Mac

Go to System Settings → Network → click your connection → Details → DNS tab. Click + to add 8.8.8.8 then 8.8.4.4. Click OK and Apply. Then flush your DNS cache again (Fix 2) to clear any cached ISP records.

Fix 4: Renew Your IP Address

If your device received incorrect DNS server addresses from the router via DHCP, releasing and renewing your IP lease pulls fresh, correct settings. If the lease itself is failing, see our companion guide on fixing WiFi DHCP errors like “failed to obtain IP address.” On Windows, open an Administrator Command Prompt and run these two commands in order:

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

On Mac, go to System Settings → Network → your connection → Details → TCP/IP tab → Renew DHCP Lease.

Fix 5: Reset the TCP/IP Stack (Windows)

If the above steps haven’t worked, the TCP/IP stack itself may be corrupted — common after malware infections or failed driver updates. Open an Administrator Command Prompt and run these commands in order:

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /registerdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Restart your computer after running these commands. The netsh winsock reset command rewrites the Winsock catalog (which controls how applications access network services), while netsh int ip reset resets the entire TCP/IP stack to factory defaults. Changes don’t take effect until you reboot.

Fix 6: Disable IPv6

IPv6 connectivity issues can cause DNS lookups to time out when a DNS server responds over IPv6 but the destination network doesn’t support it properly. On Windows, go to Control Panel → Network and Internet → Network Connections, right-click your active adapter, select Properties, and uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6). Click OK. On Mac, go to System Settings → Network → your connection → Details → TCP/IP tab and set Configure IPv6 to Link-local only.

Fix 7: Check Your Firewall and Antivirus

Security software can incorrectly block DNS traffic on port 53, causing persistent “DNS server not responding” errors. To test, temporarily disable Windows Defender Firewall (via Control Panel → System and Security → Windows Defender Firewall) or your antivirus’ real-time protection, then test your connection. If DNS starts working, the security software is the cause. Configure it to allow outbound connections on port 53 (UDP and TCP) rather than leaving protection disabled permanently. Third-party antivirus tools with “Network Shield” or “Web Protection” features are especially common culprits.

Summary

Work through these fixes in order: restart the router, flush DNS cache, switch to Google or Cloudflare DNS, renew your IP address, reset the TCP/IP stack (Windows only), disable IPv6, then check your firewall. The vast majority of “DNS server not responding” errors are resolved by Fix 2 or Fix 3. Changing DNS also helps on game consoles — see our guide on fixing WiFi issues on PS5 for slow speeds, drops, and NAT type errors. If you’re still having trouble after all seven fixes, the problem is likely upstream at your ISP — run a speed test to confirm your connection is working, and contact your ISP if connectivity is confirmed broken.