Note: If you are encountering this error on a corporate device, you should file a ticket with your company's IT team or Support Desk, rather than attempting to make these changes yourself.
This article summarizes a support article from kinsta.com. For the full article, click here.
What is the "DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN" Error?
The reason for DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN is typically due to a misconfiguration or problem with your DNS. DNS is short for Domain Name System, which helps direct traffic on the internet by connecting domain names with actual web servers. Essentially, it takes a human-friendly request – a domain name like mlevel.com – and translates it into a computer-friendly server IP address – like 216.3.128.12. If DNS fails to resolve the domain name or address then you might receive the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error.
What does the error look like?
Google Chrome
In Google Chrome this error will show as DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN (as seen below) and will say that the DNS address could not be found.
Mozilla Firefox
In Mozilla Firefox it will simply show as Hmm. We’re having trouble finding that site (as seen below).
Microsoft Edge
In Microsoft Edge, it will simply show as Hmmm… can’t reach this page (as seen below).
Safari
In Safari, it will simply show as Safari Can’t Find the Server (as seen below).
How do I fix this Error?
Here are some recommendations and things to check to fix the error (sorted in order by most common reasons we see):
1. Restart Your Computer
We know you've heard it before, but it has to be mentioned. Before moving into more complex options, try restarting your computer and even your router. Rebooting devices actually clears out a lot of temporary cache.
2. Release and Renew IP Address
Due to the fact that this is usually a client-side DNS issue, the very first thing you should do is try releasing and renewing the IP address on your computer. This also includes flushing your local DNS cache, which is similar to browser cache.
Windows
In Windows simply open up Command Prompt by pressing the Windows logo key and R. Then type “cmd” and hit Enter.
Type in ipconfig /release and hit Enter. This will release your current IP address.
Then type in ipconfig /flushdns and hit Enter. This will flush your local DNS cache. You should see a “Successfully flushed the DNS resolver Cache” if it worked.
Then type in ipconfig /renew and hit Enter. This will renew your IP address.
ipconfig /renew
You might also try resetting your IP settings and Winsock catalog with the following commands: netsh int ip set dns and netsh winsock reset.
An alternative way to flush and renew your DNS is simply by disabling your network adapter and re-enabling it.
Mac
To release and renew your IP address on a Mac, go to System Preferences
Click on the network icon and then click “Advanced.”
Click the TCP/IP tab heading if you aren’t already in there. Then click on the “Renew DHCP” lease button.
Just like we did above in Windows, Mac users can also clear their local DNS cache. Although this is done in a different place. Go to Utilities and then click on “Terminal.”
Enter in the following command:
dscacheutil -flushcache
Note: There is no success message on Macs.
3. Restart DNS Client Service
If you’re running Windows you can try restarting the DNS client services which resolves and caches DNS domain names.
Simply open up Command Prompt by pressing the Windows logo key and R. Then type “services.msc” and hit Enter.
Scroll down to “DNS Client,” right click on it, and select “Restart.”
If the restart option is greyed out for you (as it was for us), an alternative way to do it is via the command prompt.
Open up Command Prompt by pressing the Windows logo key and R. Then type “cmd” and hit Enter.
Then enter the following commands:
net stop dnscache net start dnscache
Depending on the version of Windows you’re running you might get an error saying:
The requested pause, continue, or stop is not valid for this service.
This is most likely because you need to run CMD as a network service to issue the command. If you’re running into this error, we suggest trying the other alternatives below first.
3. Change DNS Servers
The next thing you can try is changing your DNS servers. By default, DNS servers are automatically assigned by your ISP. But you could try temporarily changing these to a public DNS server, such as Google or Cloudflare.
- Some prefer to use Google’s public DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) long-term due to them sometimes being more reliable.
- Cloudflare also just launched their new secure and blazing fast free DNS (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1) which we will be using in this example. If you want to use Google’s the steps are the same, you simply replace the DNS server addresses with Googles.
Tip: If you’re already using a free DNS server and having issues, removing it and defaulting back to your ISP’s DNS servers also sometimes fix things. Google and Cloudflare aren’t perfect 100% of the time and there have been a few instances where we’ve noticed switching back has resolved the issue.
Windows
In Windows simply open up Command Prompt by pressing the Windows logo key and R. Then type “control panel” and hit Enter.
Click on “Network and Internet” and then “Network and Sharing Center.” On the left-hand side, click on “Change Adapter Settings.”
Right click on your current connection, this will either be Local Area Connection or Wireless Network Connection based on how you’re connecting. Then click on “Properties.”
Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (or Version 6 if desired) and click on “Properties.”
Make a note of any existing settings in case you need to revert back. Click “Use the following DNS server addresses.” Enter the following, or replace the existing with these:
For IPv4: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
For IPv6: 2606:4700:4700::1111 and 2606:4700:4700::1001
Click OK, then Close. Restart your browser.
Mac
To change DNS servers on a Mac, go to System Preferences…
Click on the network icon and then click “Advanced.”
Click on the “DNS” tab.
Then add Cloudflare’s DNS server addresses.
For IPv4: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
For IPv6: 2606:4700:4700::1111 and 2606:4700:4700::1001
5. Reset Chrome Flags
Sometimes Chrome settings or experimental features can get accidentally changed or messed up. You reset these back to default by entering chrome://flags into your browser and clicking on “Reset all to default.”
Then restart your browser.
6. Disable VPN and Antivirus Temporarily
Sometimes VPNs and Antivirus software can conflict or override your network settings, including your DNS servers, etc. If you have any running, try temporarily disabling them (closing them) to see if it resolves the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error in Chrome.
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