Technology provides us with a level of comfort unimaginable a few decades back. From our home, we can basically shop for whatever we desire, anywhere around the world. We have access to all the news services, on any topics, and whenever we want to listen to our favourite songs, we can play them on one of the various music applications available online. But if you can’t go online, as your computer says “DNS Server is Not Responding”, then technology can be frustrating. Here’s how to solve this problem.
Getting an Error Message Is Always Stressful
Unless you are a technician, there is nothing joyful about seeing any error message on your computer screen. As long as everything works well, we have become so used to surfing the World Wide Web that we are almost in symbiosis with it. That feeling, however, quickly goes away when a problem shows up on our screen and we can’t connect! Here are some of the solutions that can enable you to get back to the virtual world rapidly.
The Easy Problems to Solve: Website Hosting Issues
If the problem is caused by a website hosting issues, there is certainly no cause for alarm. You can have various error messages for that issue which would be:
DNS Server Not Responding
The first thing to do if your DNS server is not responding is to refresh the page. If it still doesn’t work than try opening another web page. If that one comes up, then the problem is related to the hosting of this particular website. Just move on and come back later to see if the owner of the site has solved his hosting issue.
If you arrived on this particular website through the use of a precise link and not from the main address, you can also try to enter using the home page. If that works, it means the particular page you were looking for is not reachable anymore, either because the owner deleted it or simply made it invisible, temporarily or forever.
DNS Server Not Available OR Not Working
In the first case, it simply means that there is no more web hosting for this address. In the second one, it is possible that you are simply not connected to the internet. The best way to verify this is to try going online, on the same network, through another device. If that one does connect, then you have a problem with the original one. If it doesn’t than you have a problem with the router or ISP. Try restarting either of them to reconnect.
The problem may also occur only in the browser you currently used (Chrome, Explorer, Mozilla, Safari, etc.). Try using another one and if it opens, then it is probably caused by a proxy setting on your other browser. Here is how to solve this situation on the various operating systems:
On Windows OS
To solve the issue, you need to get to the network and sharing center. To do so, you can either click on the computer icon on the system tray or access it through the start menu. Once there, you need to choose “Change Adapter Settings” before doing a right click on the LAN (Local Area Network) and then select “Properties”, where you will find the next step which is to choose protocol version (TCP/IPv4). Inside, you’ll need to select “Properties” again and change the DNS address to 208.67.222.222 by inserting it in the Preferred DNS Server field. Then you’ll need to enter 208.67.220.220 for the alternate DNS server. Finally, don’t forget to validate the settings before exiting. Once you click OK, your problem should be fixed.
On Mac OS
To start, go to the Apple menu where you will find “System Preferences.” Inside that section, double-click on the network icon before entering the “TCP/IP” tab. It is there that you will find the link to change the DNS settings. Just enter the right DNS details and apply the changes.
On Android Phones
To change the DNS value on an Android phone, you need to download one of the applications online which can do so. You can find them on the Play Store. Since the process to change the DNS varies greatly, according to the software you use, we cannot explain how to do so here. Just follow the instructions from the app.
On iOS
You first need to go on a Wi-Fi network and look for the letter “I” placed inside a circle. Once you find it, click on it. You should see an empty field beside the DNS label. Type “Text field” inside it. That is where you should enter the DNS address. When you exit the settings, everything should work well.
Last Possibility: A Computer Firewall
The last reason why you may have a DNS error message is that your computer is protected behind a firewall. Since these firewalls are installed for security reasons on your computer, do not change anything. Just go and visit another more secure website.
