There are many DNS service providers such as OpenDNS, Level3, Google and Dyn DNS. Dyn DNS also includes Internet service provider (ISP), who has the responsibility of resolving the Domain name issue and the corresponding Internet Protocol (IP) address.
You might encounter a “Server DNS Address Could Not Be Found” message. This is because the DNS provider has not processed your domain name correctly or resolved the Domain name/ URL issues. This error is raised by the browser or a blank page.
It is very frustrating when this error comes up.
Here are some actionable steps you can take to fix this error.
1. Flush DNS and Renew DNS
To check the DNS server details go to the CMD (command prompt) and typing ipconfig/all. To make changes you have to run it as an administrator (by pressing the type cmd and press Ctrl + shift +enter keys). After checking the server details here, you can go further and flush the DNS.
To flush DNS, open the Command Prompt and type => ipconfig/ flushdns.
The Windows operating systems like XP, Windows 7/8 /10 store IP addresses automatically along with DNS entries to make entries of the websites faster. But sometimes the DNS and IP address changes and does not get stored in windows system cache. In that case, you cannot access the website. To update the DNS record you need to flush the DNS and update DNS with new values.
To renew the DNS settings, open the Command Prompt and type => ipconfig/renew.
To get the DNS settings registered, open the Command Prompt and type =>ipconfig /registerdns and press the Enter key. It is important that you restart your computer to make the changes effective.
2. By changing DNS Address
DNS address is provided by the ISP’s DNS server. However, the ISP’s DNS does not help to locate the URL or the web address you are looking for. The possible reason could be improper settings, which may be outdated or incorrect. By changing the DNS address, you may be able to enhance the browsing experience. For that, you need to take the following steps:
- Click on the Windows/ Start button => Control panel => Network Internet setting => Network & Sharing Centre.
- Click on Adapter settings.
- Right click on Network (wireless / LAN) and click on Properties.
- Now select Internet protocol (IPv4) and click on Properties.
- Under the General Tab, enter DNS address manually. Select the option “Use the following DNS server address” and enter the following information (here you can enter the Google public DNS)
DNS server address 8.8.8.8
Alternate DNS address 8.8.4.4
Or you use open DNS i.e.
DNS server 208.67.222.222
Alternate DNS 208.67.220.220
DNS server 208.67.222.222
Alternate DNS 208.67.220.220
3. Clear data files in your ‘etc’ folder
It is possible that data files in the etc folder are corrupt, which can be another reason that you are facing problems while gaining access to any website. These are very common aspects people do not notice.
To clear the etc folder, you have to go to the C:windowssystem32driversetc folder and delete all files there. After that, you can try accessing a website. Hopefully, this will resolve the issue.
4. Chrome’s host cache clear
Chrome net-internal command helps you identify the network and data related problems. You can find this under the DNS tab hostname, IP family expiry date, and IP address. It may be corrupt or full, that is also a reason you may not be able to access the website. This can be fixed by clearing the cache. Open the chrome net-internal /#dns in the address bar, press enter, you will find the options to clear cache.
5. Another option you can try is to add the additional IP address and website in the host file. The Operating system uses this file to address the network nodes.
6. You can use a VPN to solve this problem. If you encounter an error “server DNS address could not be found”, or the website’s DNS blocked by the Internet service provider, VPN can solve the issues.