How to fix DNS server isnt responding error in Windows 10

What is “DNS server isn’t responding” error

Since the release of Windows 10, users have been struggling with multiple issues being popped-up along with the usage. One of the most annoying issues that boggle users is DNS server isn’t responding error. The “DNS server isn’t responding” message is inherently related to network issues since The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical and decentralized naming system for computers, services, or other resources connected to the Internet or a private network. To simplify, DNS is meant to translate IP-addresses to hostnames so that we could easily surf the browser. To illustrate, without the DNS feature we would be forced to type 23.229.180.80 instead of simply http://www.bugsfighter.com. Thus, it plays a significant role in alleviating the browsing experience. Unfortunately, sometimes you can see the “DNS server isn’t responding” error that hinders you from entering a specific website. This may be seen due to router issues and other inner connection settings. To fix this problem, follow the steps that are mentioned below.

Automatic Repair

Download Windows Repair Utility

1. Change/Flush or reset DNS and internet settings

Sometimes DNS connection can experience troubles with local servers. This is why you can try switching to alternative Google servers for the time being. Here is how to do so:

1. Go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
2. Double click on your connection name.
3. Click on Properties.
4. Double click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
5. Mark Use the following DNS server addresses.
6. Now, type DNS address as 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4.

Now check if the issue persists. If it did not help, go to the next method below.

2. Try to Disable IPv6

Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the most recent version of the Internet Protocol (IP), the communications protocol that provides an identification and location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across the Internet. IPv6 became a better alternative to previously-existed IPv4. Sometimes it can raise a conflict for proper DNS configuration and needs to be disabled. You can do this by following the steps below:

1. Type Control Panel in the searching tab and open in.
2. In the opened tab click View network status and tasks under Network and Internet.
3. Then choose Change adapter settings on the left pane.
4. Right-click on your connection and choose Properties.
5. Now scroll down till you find the Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) option and uncheck the box.
6. Click OK and see if it resolved the error.

3. Reset/reboot your router

Sometimes rebooting your router may rectify the issue. This is the easiest option that you can try first before going to the next methods. You should hold the power button for a couple of seconds to turn it off and then press it again to turn on. If there is no button on your router, unplug from the power supply. Once done, restart your PC and check if it helped.

If this did not work, then there might be a problem with your router configuration. In order to fix it, you should reset the router to its factory settings. Note that this will wipe out all of your customized settings like password and so forth. To do so,

1. Locate the reset button on your router and hold it for 15 seconds with the router powered on.
2. Wait till the router fully resets and turn it back on.
3. Finally, you can check if this resolved the “DNS server isn’t responding” error.

4. Enter MAC address

Medium Access Control (MAC) is the layer meant to control the hardware responsible for interaction with the wired, optical or wireless networks. It is typically assigned by the manufacturer of a network interface controller. Sometimes its address may be missing and has to be typed manually. We will need to get a Physical Address in Command Prompt and paste it into an appropriate space:

1. Open Command Prompt by typing cmd into the searching tab.
2. Then right-click on it and choose Run as administrator.
3. Once the console opened, paste this command ipconfig /all and press Enter.
4. Windows will display a list of information.
5. Then find the Physical Address line and note the number somewhere (we will need it later).
6. Likewise, we did previously, open Control Panel and choose View network status and tasks.
7. Then choose Change adapter settings on the left pane.
8. Right-click on your connection and choose Properties.
9. In the opened tab select Client for Microsoft Networks and click Configure.
10. Now go to Advanced, select Network Address under Property and choose Value textbox.
11. Then paste the Physical Address number that we found previously and click OK.

Hopefully, the issue has disappeared and no longer appears.

5. Reset IP and clear DNS cache

In this method, we are going to modify the network configuration and clarify the residual DNS cache that maybe affects the connection through the Command Prompt.

1. Open Command Prompt as we did in the previous solutions.
2. Then type these commands one-by-one and press enter after each command:
    
   netsh int ip reset
netsh winsock reset
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /renew
3. When Windows finishes the process, restart your computer and see whether this helped to fix the “DNS server is not responding” error.

6. Update network drivers

Drivers are very important for properly implementing any process on your computer. They stand for stability and system encouragement in favor of providing better user experience. Ethernet or wireless drivers usually stand for the connection purpose, so if there is anything wrong with them, you should try to update or roll them back manually or by using driver utility. Here you can download best driver update utility – Driver Booster from IObit:

Download Driver Booster

7. Scan for malware

Since most of the malware modifies different parts of system configuration, not excluded that it impacted DNS settings in some way. This is why we recommend scanning your device for unwanted applications with some anti-malware programs. You can use Norton Antivirus which can run a quick, but thorough scan for potential viruses that secretly alter your system. The program is light-weight meaning that it does not stock a lot of space on your system and can be installed very quickly. You can download it via this button:

Download Norton Antivirus  
There are a plethora of solutions that can be used to eliminate the “DNS server isn’t responding” error. We hope that one of the methods listed above led the popping-up problem to its logical conclusion and longer bothers your activity.