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DNS Server Not Responding in Windows 11: 5 Quick Fixes

You try to open a website, your browser hangs for thirty seconds, and Windows Network Diagnostics delivers this unhelpful verdict:

Your computer appears to be correctly configured, but the device or resource (DNS server) is not responding.

This is one of the most frequent networking errors in Windows 11. It means your computer cannot communicate with the DNS server assigned to translate web domain names into IP addresses.

The issue usually stems from outdated network adapter drivers, corrupt DNS cache entries, or an outage at your internet provider’s local server.

In this guide, we will show you five easy ways to fix the DNS server not responding error in Windows 11.

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Fix 1: Flush DNS Cache and Reset Winsock (The Quick Command Fix)

Resetting your computer’s network routing table forces Windows to renegotiate a fresh connection with your router and DNS servers.

  1. Press Windows Key + S, type cmd, and click Run as administrator.
  2. Run these commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /registerdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
netsh winsock reset

Restart your computer once all commands complete. Your DNS connectivity should be fully restored.

Fix 2: Manually Switch to Google Public DNS

If your internet provider’s default DNS server is experiencing an outage, switching to Google’s public servers will bypass the issue immediately.

  1. Press Windows Key + R, type ncpa.cpl, and press Enter.
  2. Right-click your active connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and choose Properties.
  3. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
  4. Select Use the following DNS server addresses:
    • Preferred DNS: 8.8.8.8
    • Alternate DNS: 8.8.4.4
  5. Check Validate settings upon exit and click OK.

Fix 3: Disable Secondary Network Adapters and Virtual VPNs

Virtual network adapters installed by VPNs (like NordVPN or ExpressVPN) or virtualization software (VMware, VirtualBox) can conflict with your primary DNS routing.

  1. In the Network Connections window (ncpa.cpl), look for unused adapters.
  2. Right-click on any inactive VPN or virtual adapter and click Disable.
  3. Test loading a webpage.

Fix 4: Update Your Network Adapter Drivers

An outdated or corrupted Wi-Fi adapter driver can cause random packet drops and DNS handshake timeouts.

  1. Press Windows Key + X and open Device Manager.
  2. Expand Network adapters.
  3. Right-click your wireless card (e.g., Realtek or Intel Wi-Fi) and select Update driver.
  4. Select Search automatically for drivers.

Fix 5: Power Cycle Your Modem and Router

Routers frequently suffer from memory cache leaks after weeks of non-stop operation, causing the built-in DNS forwarder to freeze.

  1. Unplug both your modem and Wi-Fi router from the electrical outlet.
  2. Wait 60 full seconds to ensure all internal capacitors discharge.
  3. Plug the modem back in first, wait for the online lights to stabilize, then plug in your router.

For more networking and web troubleshooting guides, check our tutorials on fixing the failed to write file to disk error and expanding limits for 413 request entity too large issues.

Wrapping Up

The “DNS server not responding” error is almost always resolved by flushing your DNS cache or switching to Google’s reliable 8.8.8.8 DNS servers.

Did Google DNS get your internet working again? Let us know in the comments below!

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