Fix DNS Server Not Responding on Windows 11

The "DNS server not responding" error on Windows 11 is maddening because everything looks connected, the Wi-Fi icon is solid, you may even be on the network, but no website will load. DNS is the system that turns a name like example.com into the numeric address your PC actually connects to. When that lookup fails, browsing stops even though the underlying link is fine.

The cause is usually a stale DNS cache, an ISP DNS server that is slow or down, a corrupted network stack, or a router hiccup. Most of these are fixable in a few minutes without calling anyone.

Key takeaways

• A quick router and modem restart clears the most common temporary cause.
• Flushing the DNS cache removes stale or corrupted lookup entries.
• Switching to a public DNS such as Cloudflare or Google bypasses a failing ISP server.
• A network stack reset repairs deeper corruption when the basics do not help.
• Test from a phone on the same network to tell whether the fault is your PC or the router.

Restart the router and modem

Before changing any settings, power-cycle your networking gear. A router that has been up for weeks often holds a stale DNS state.

1. Unplug the modem and router from power.
2. Wait 60 seconds.
3. Plug the modem back in and wait until its lights are steady.
4. Plug the router back in and wait until it is fully online.
5. Test a website on your PC.

Flush DNS and reset the network stack

A corrupted cache or Winsock catalog is a frequent cause. Clear both from an elevated terminal.

1. Press Windows + X and choose Terminal (Admin).
2. Run ipconfig /flushdns.
3. Run ipconfig /release then ipconfig /renew.
4. Run netsh winsock reset.
5. Restart the PC.

Switch to a public DNS server

If your ISP's DNS is slow or offline, point Windows at a reliable public resolver instead.

1. Press Windows + R, type ncpa.cpl, and press Enter.
2. Right-click your active adapter and choose Properties.
3. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
4. Choose Use the following DNS server addresses.
5. Enter 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare) or 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google).
6. Click OK and reconnect.

Set IPv6 DNS too, or the lookup still fails

Many home networks now run IPv6 alongside IPv4, and Windows will happily try IPv6 first. If you only changed the IPv4 DNS servers but your adapter is resolving over IPv6 with a broken resolver, the error persists even though the IPv4 side looks correct. In the same adapter Properties window, select Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), click Properties, and either set it to obtain DNS automatically or enter Cloudflare's IPv6 resolvers (2606:4700:4700::1111 and 2606:4700:4700::1001). Matching both stacks to the same trusted resolver removes a surprisingly common cause of "fixed it but it still fails."

If your browser uses DNS over HTTPS (DoH), it may bypass the Windows resolver entirely, which means your system-level fix appears to do nothing in that one browser. Check the browser's privacy or security settings for a "Secure DNS" or "DNS over HTTPS" option, and either disable it while troubleshooting or point it at the same provider you set in Windows so behavior is consistent everywhere.

Restart the DNS Client service and check the adapter

If lookups still fail, restart the service that caches DNS results. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, find DNS Client, right-click it, and choose Restart. Then confirm your adapter is set to obtain its IP and DNS automatically, unless you deliberately set a static DNS above. A wrong static gateway is a common self-inflicted cause.

Reset the network and update drivers

When nothing above sticks, do a full network reset under Settings, Network and internet, Advanced network settings, Network reset, then restart. Reinstall or update your network adapter driver from the manufacturer afterward. If your connection also keeps dropping rather than just failing DNS, the root cause may be a flaky link covered in our guide to Wi-Fi that keeps disconnecting on Windows 11. If you are on Ethernet and Windows shows no internet at all, see Ethernet showing an unidentified network.

Match the symptom to the fix

DNS failures look similar but trace back to different layers. This table points you at the right fix fast:

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Connected, no sites load, on one PC only	Stale cache or adapter settings	Flush DNS, reset Winsock on that PC
Every device fails	ISP DNS down or router stuck	Power-cycle router; switch to public DNS
Sites load by IP but not by name	DNS resolver unreachable	Set 1.1.1.1 / 8.8.8.8 manually
Worked until you set a static IP	Wrong static gateway/DNS	Revert to obtain IP and DNS automatically
Fails right after an update	Driver or stack regression	Network reset, update adapter driver

What to do right now

Run these in order and test a website after each step:

• Power-cycle the modem and router, waiting 60 seconds with both unplugged.
• Open Terminal (Admin) and run ipconfig /flushdns, then ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew.
• Set a public DNS (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1 or Google 8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4) in your adapter properties.
• If it still fails, run netsh winsock reset and restart the PC.
• Test from a phone on the same network to confirm whether the fault is the PC or the router.
• As a last resort, do a Network reset in Settings and update the adapter driver.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my internet say connected but no websites load?

That is the signature of a DNS failure. Your PC has a working link to the router, but it cannot translate website names into addresses. Flushing the DNS cache and switching to a public DNS server resolves most cases without touching the connection itself.

Is Cloudflare or Google DNS better than my ISP's?

For reliability and speed, the public resolvers at 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) and 8.8.8.8 (Google) are often faster and more dependable than a default ISP server, and they stay up when the ISP's resolver has an outage. They are a safe default for most home users.

What does flushing DNS actually do?

It clears the local cache of name-to-address lookups your PC has stored. If an entry became stale or corrupted, your browser keeps failing on it. Flushing forces Windows to fetch fresh answers from the DNS server, which fixes lookups broken by a bad cached record.

How do I know if the problem is my PC or my router?

Test another device, such as a phone, on the same network. If the phone loads sites fine, the fault is isolated to your PC, focus on flushing DNS and resetting the network stack. If every device fails, the router or your ISP's DNS is the problem, so restart the router first.