DNS lookup failed – what does it mean and how to fix?
DNS lookup failed
Microsoft Windows needs no introduction. It is the most popular operating system that has been installed and runs on billions of computers. Like any other system, it is not free from flaws and its users may encounter a lot of annoying bugs.
Some errors are displayed as system messages, while others appear inside other applications, e.g. browsers. One such error is DNS lookup failed.
This error occurs when something happens to the DNS servers you are connecting to. This can be anything from a timeout, to a misconfiguration, to connection problems.
In this tutorial, you will first learn what DNS lookup failed error means, and then learn some simple ways to fix it. Just follow the methods given below in chronological order.
What does DNS lookup failed mean?
DNS lookup failed is an error in your web browser that means something went wrong while connecting to the DNS server. May be caused by a problem inside the system or application.
But what is DNS? DNS is a domain name system that allows you to surf the Internet using a web browser using domains that are much more convenient and easier to remember than IP addresses.
If the aforementioned system is unable to process the domain name entered by the user, in other words, it does not find a suitable IP address, the application will display an error message.
How to fix DNS lookup failed?
Appearing of DNS lookup failed error will make it impossible to connect to a specific website using the browser and domain name. The only option – in some cases – would be to enter the IP address, which is problematic to say the least.
Fortunately, this error is very easy to fix. Regardless of the cause of its occurrence, there are several proven methods of repair.
Here are 4 ways to fix it:
1. Clear your browser’s cache
The first way to fix this, and many other errors in your browser, is to clear your cache and cookies. This prevents the use of outdated or corrupted data that may be causing the problem.
To clear the cache, click the Chrome menu icon and select “Settings” . Then, in the ‘Privacy and Security’ tab, click on “Clear browsing data” , select the first 4 options and press “Clear data” .
2. Change the DNS server
There are many DNS servers around the world that we can use for no extra charge. As your computer’s DNS address is assigned automatically and can cause connection problems, you should consider using other popular and more reliable servers such as Google DNS.
To change the DNS server in Windows, open Start, type “ncpa.cpl” , then right-click on an active Internet connection and press “Properties” .
Then select ‘Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP / IPv4)’ from the list, click ‘Properties’ and at the very bottom select ‘Use the following DNS server addresses’ . Now enter “8.8.8.8” in the ‘Preferred DNS server’ field and ‘ 4.2.2.2′ in the ‘Alternate DNS server’ field .
3. Flush DNS
Windows and other operating systems keep all DNS data in a cache that contains information about previously visited sites. The essence of this storage is to speed up the connection between the computer and the server. As with the browser cache, here too the files may be obsolete or corrupted.
The easiest way to flush DNS is to press Windows + R and type cmd. Then in the opened console enter the command ‘ipconfig / flushdns’ , press ENTER and restart the computer.
4. Reset the network settings
The last way to fix DNS lookup failed is to reset Windows network settings. As this action will reinstall all network adapters currently used in the system, it should be used as a last resort.
To perform a reset, open Start and click the settings icon. Select the “Network and Internet” tab , then press “Reset network” . In the window that opens, click “Reset now” and then restart your computer.