# Troubleshooting DNS Problems: A Practical Guide

> Website not loading? Getting weird errors? DNS issues are more common than you think. Here is how to diagnose and fix them.

Published: 2024-04-02
Canonical: https://dnscheck.tr/blog/troubleshooting-dns-problems

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"This site can't be reached" - we've all seen that error. Often, DNS is the culprit. Here's how to figure out what's wrong and fix it.

## Step 1: Is It Actually DNS?

First, let's confirm DNS is the problem. Try visiting a website by its IP address instead of domain name. If that works but the domain doesn't, you've got a DNS issue.

You can also try:
- Different browser (rules out browser cache)
- Different device on same network (rules out device-specific issues)
- Mobile data instead of WiFi (rules out network issues)

## Step 2: Check Your DNS Settings

Make sure your device is configured correctly:

## Windows:
`ipconfig /all`
Look for "DNS Servers" - you should see valid IP addresses.

## Mac:
`scutil --dns`
Check the resolver configurations.

## Step 3: Flush Your DNS Cache

Old cached records cause lots of problems. Clear them:

## Windows: `ipconfig /flushdns`
## Mac: `sudo dscacheutil -flushcache`
## Chrome: Visit chrome://net-internals/#dns

## Step 4: Test DNS Resolution

Use nslookup or dig to test:

`nslookup google.com`
`dig google.com`

If these fail, your DNS server might be down or unreachable.

## Step 5: Try Different DNS Servers

Temporarily switch to a public DNS like Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8). If that fixes the problem, your original DNS server was the issue.

## Common DNS Problems and Solutions

## "DNS server not responding"
- Restart your router
- Check if your ISP is having issues
- Switch to public DNS

## "DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN"
- The domain doesn't exist or DNS can't find it
- Check for typos in the URL
- Flush DNS cache
- Try different DNS server

## Slow DNS resolution
- Switch to faster DNS (Cloudflare is usually quickest)
- Check for malware that might be intercepting DNS
- Your ISP's DNS might be overloaded

## Intermittent DNS failures
- Could be network instability
- Try wired connection instead of WiFi
- Check router logs for errors

## When to Call for Help

If you've tried everything and DNS still isn't working:
- Contact your ISP - they might have an outage
- Check if the website itself is down (use a service like downdetector)
- If it's your own domain, contact your registrar or hosting provider

Most DNS problems are fixable with cache clearing and server switching. The tricky ones usually point to bigger network issues.