ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED: Fixing the "Site Can't Be Reached" Error

05.02.2026

21:29

You type in a website address, hit Enter, and instead of the page you expected—boom! A blank screen with "ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED" staring back at you. Frustrating, right? Especially when it's a site you visit regularly.

Here's the good news: this error is usually fixable in just a few minutes. You don't need to be a tech wizard, and you won't break anything. We'll walk through it step by step, starting with the simplest solutions.

What This Error Actually Means

To fix the problem, let's first understand what's happening behind the scenes.

How Websites Work (The Simple Version)

Think of the internet like a massive phone directory:

You know someone's name (like "google.com")
But to actually call them, you need their phone number (in internet terms, this is an IP address like 172.217.164.142)

Your browser does this translation automatically using something called DNS (Domain Name System). It's basically the internet's address book.

Here's what normally happens:

You type "google.com" in your browser
Browser asks a DNS server: "Hey, what's the address for google.com?"
DNS server replies: "It's at 172.217.164.142"
Browser connects to that address and loads the page

When Things Go Wrong

ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED appears when your browser can't get that phone number—it can't translate the website name into an IP address.

It's like trying to call someone, but when you look them up in the phone book:

The page is blank
The number is wrong
The book is outdated
The entry doesn't exist

Result? Your browser throws up its hands and says, "I don't know where this site is. Here's an error message instead."

Browser Variations

Different browsers word this error differently, but it's the same problem:

Chrome, Edge, Opera:

ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED

Firefox:

Server not found

Safari:

Safari can't find the server

All mean the same thing: can't find the website's address.

Why This Happens: Top 7 Culprits

Let's figure out what's causing your specific issue.

Reason #1: Your Internet Connection Dropped

The most basic one: no internet, no websites. Your Wi-Fi might show connected, but that doesn't always mean internet is actually working.

Quick check: Try opening google.com or youtube.com. If those don't work either, it's your connection, not the specific site.

Reason #2: DNS Server Is Having a Bad Day

DNS servers are just computers somewhere on the internet. They can:

Crash or go offline
Get overloaded (especially during evening hours)
Be slow or timing out
Be under maintenance

Your internet provider gives you their DNS servers by default. If those are having issues, you're stuck.

Reason #3: Your Computer Remembered Wrong Info

Your computer caches (remembers) website addresses to speed things up. Smart, right?

Problem: If a website moved to a different server (new IP address), your computer might still be trying the old address. Like calling your friend's old number after they switched carriers.

Reason #4: DNS Settings Got Messed Up

This happens when:

You installed a VPN, it changed your DNS, then you uninstalled it but the settings remained
Someone manually configured network settings incorrectly
Malware changed your DNS (yes, this is a thing)

Your computer is sending requests to a DNS server that doesn't exist or doesn't respond.

Reason #5: Security Software Is Blocking It

Antivirus programs sometimes block perfectly legitimate websites because:

The site got flagged by mistake
It's on some blocklist
Settings are too aggressive

Reason #6: The Website Itself Messed Up

Sometimes it's not your problem at all:

Website owner forgot to set up DNS after registering the domain
DNS points to a server that doesn't exist
Domain expired and was deleted
Hosting company is doing maintenance

Check this: Ask a friend to try opening the site. If they get the same error, it's the website's problem, not yours.

Reason #7: You Made a Typo

Embarrassing but common: "gogle.com" instead of "google.com". DNS faithfully searches for "gogle.com", doesn't find it, gives you an error.

Double-check the address. Seriously.

Quick Fixes (Try These First)

Start with the simplest solutions. If they don't work, we'll go deeper.

Fix 1: The Obvious Stuff (2 minutes)

Do this:

Refresh the page (F5 or the refresh button)
Check the address for typos
Try a different website—does it load?

If other sites work fine → the problem is with that specific website. It might be down or misconfigured. Try again later or from a different device.

If nothing loads → keep reading.

Fix 2: Restart Everything (5 minutes)

The classic "turn it off and on again" actually works:

Browser first:

Close it completely (all windows)
Wait 10 seconds
Open it again

Still broken? Router next:

Unplug it from power
Wait 30 seconds
Plug it back in
Wait for all lights to stabilize

Still nothing? Computer:

Just restart it
Yes, it's basic, but it often works

Fix 3: Try a Different Browser (1 minute)

Open the same site in another browser:

Using Chrome? Try Firefox
Using Edge? Try Opera

If it works in another browser → the problem is with your first browser's settings or cache. Move to the next fixes.

If all browsers show the error → the issue is deeper, in your system or network.

Serious Fixes (When Simple Stuff Fails)

Time to roll up our sleeves. Don't worry—I'll walk you through each step.

Solution 1: Clear Your DNS Cache

Force your computer to forget old website information and request fresh data.

Windows (All Versions)

Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.

Type cmd and hit Enter.

A black window opens (Command Prompt). Copy and paste this command:

ipconfig /flushdns

Hit Enter.

You should see: "Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache"

Done!

Mac (All macOS Versions)

Open Terminal (find it with Spotlight or in Applications → Utilities).

Paste this command:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

It will ask for your password—type it in (letters won't show, that's normal).

Hit Enter. Done! No confirmation message appears, which is normal.

Linux (Ubuntu and Similar)

Open Terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T).

Run this:

sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches

Or if that doesn't work:

sudo service network-manager restart

Enter your password. Done.

Solution 2: Clear Your Browser Cache

Browsers keep their own copy of website data. Clear it out.

Chrome, Edge, Opera

Press these keys together:

Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows)
Cmd + Shift + Delete (Mac)

A clearing window appears:

Time range: "All time"
Check these boxes:
- Cookies and site data
- Cached images and files
Click "Clear data"

Firefox

Same keys: Ctrl + Shift + Delete

Time range: "Everything"
Check:
- Cookies
- Cache
Click "Clear Now"

Safari

Safari menu → Settings
Advanced tab
Enable "Show Develop menu in menu bar" at the bottom
Now go to Develop menu → "Empty Caches"

Solution 3: Switch to Better DNS Servers

This is often the most effective fix. We'll replace your provider's DNS with fast, reliable public servers.

Which DNS to use?

I recommend:

Google: 8.8.8.8 (primary) and 8.8.4.4 (backup)
Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 (primary) and 1.0.0.1 (backup)

Both are fast and reliable. Google is slightly more stable, Cloudflare is slightly faster.

Other options:

OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
Quad9: 9.9.9.9 and 149.112.112.112 (blocks malicious sites)

Change DNS in Windows

Press Win + R
Type ncpa.cpl and hit Enter
Network Connections window opens
Find your active connection (usually "Ethernet" or "Wi-Fi")
Right-click on it → "Properties"
In the list, find and select "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)"
Click the "Properties" button (bottom)
Select "Use the following DNS server addresses"
Enter:
- Preferred: 8.8.8.8
- Alternate: 8.8.4.4
Click OK, then OK again

Change DNS in macOS

Open System Preferences → Network
Select your connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet)
Click "Advanced..."
Go to the "DNS" tab
See the DNS servers list? Select any existing ones and delete them (minus button)
Now add new ones (plus button):
- 8.8.8.8
- 8.8.4.4
OK → Apply

Change DNS in Linux (Ubuntu)

Via GUI:

Settings → Network
Click the gear icon next to your connection
IPv4 tab
DNS field: switch to "Manual"
Enter: 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4
Apply

Via Terminal:

Edit the file:

sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf

Delete everything, add:

nameserver 8.8.8.8
nameserver 8.8.4.4

Save (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X).

After changing DNS:

Clear DNS cache (Solution 1)
Restart browser
Try the website

Solution 4: Reset Network Settings

Nuclear option: reset everything to defaults.

⚠️ Warning: This will delete saved Wi-Fi passwords and VPN connections. Make sure you know your Wi-Fi password!

Windows 10 & 11

Easy way:

Open Settings (Win + I)
Network & Internet
At the bottom: "Advanced network settings"
Find "Network reset"
Click "Reset now"
Confirm
Computer will restart

Command line way:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator (right-click Start → "Terminal (Admin)").

Run these one by one:

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Restart computer.

macOS

System Preferences → Network
Select your connection
Click the minus (-) button at bottom to remove it
Click "Apply"
Click the plus (+) button to add it back
Choose interface type (Wi-Fi or Ethernet)
"Create" → "Apply"

Linux

sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

Solution 5: Check VPN and Proxy

VPNs and proxies can interfere with DNS.

If you're using a VPN:

Disconnect it
Try accessing the site
If it works—the VPN was the problem (try a different server or VPN)

Check proxy settings:

Windows:

Settings → Network & Internet → Proxy
Make sure all toggles are OFF

Mac:

System Preferences → Network
Your connection → Advanced → Proxies
Uncheck all boxes

Solution 6: Antivirus and Firewall

Your security software might be blocking the site.

What to do:

Open your antivirus (Kaspersky, Norton, Avast, etc.)
Find "Pause Protection" or "Disable for 15 minutes"
Try the website
If it works—add the site to antivirus exceptions
Re-enable protection

⚠️ Don't leave antivirus disabled!

If This Is Your Website

You own the website and users are reporting this error? The problem is in your hosting or domain setup.

Check Domain Settings

Go to whatsmydns.net and check your domain.

What you should see:

Your domain should have an A record pointing to your server's IP address.

For example:

example.com → 185.104.248.123
www.example.com → 185.104.248.123

If the A record is missing or points to wrong IP:

Log into your domain registrar (where you bought the domain)
Find DNS settings or "DNS Management"
Create or fix the A record:
- Type: A
- Name: @ (for root domain)
- Value: Your VPS IP address
- TTL: 3600

Check Name Servers

Name servers (NS) control your domain's DNS.

Check via command line:

nslookup -type=NS yourdomain.com

Should show your hosting provider's or registrar's name servers.

Where to configure: In your domain registrar's panel, section called "Name Servers" or "NS Records".

Check Domain Expiry

If your domain expired, DNS stops working.

Check via:

whois yourdomain.com

Or on whois.com website.

Look at "Registry Expiry Date"—if it's in the past, renew your domain.

Check Web Server

DNS might be configured correctly, but the server itself is down.

Test server accessibility:

ping 185.104.248.123

(use your actual server IP)

If ping fails—server is down or unreachable. Check status in THE.Hosting billing panel.

If ping works—problem is with your web server (Nginx or Apache).

Connect via SSH and check:

systemctl status nginx

systemctl status apache2

If stopped—start it:

systemctl start nginx

THE.Hosting Support

If you're using THE.Hosting VPS:

Log into billing panel → My Services
Check VPS status (should be "Active")
Note your VPS IP address
Verify DNS records point to this IP
Not sure?—contact 24/7 support

THE.Hosting support can help:

Configure DNS properly
Check server accessibility
Diagnose the issue

Extra Tips

Prevent Future Issues

For regular users:

Use Google DNS (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1)—more reliable than ISP DNS
Clear browser cache monthly
Avoid sketchy VPN services

For website owners:

Choose hosting with reliable DNS (like THE.Hosting)
Set up uptime monitoring
Enable domain auto-renewal

Website Monitoring

Know about problems before users do:

Free monitoring services:

UptimeRobot—checks every 5 minutes
StatusCake—up to 10 sites free
Pingdom—basic monitoring

They'll email or text you when your site goes down.

When to Call for Help

Get professional help if:

All solutions in this article failed
Error appeared suddenly with no changes
You're not confident in your technical skills
Problem affects all users of your website

THE.Hosting provides 24/7 technical support in multiple languages.

Common Questions

Why does this error only happen on my computer?

Most likely it's cached data or DNS settings specific to your machine. Try clearing DNS cache (Solution 1) and changing DNS servers (Solution 3).

How long to wait after changing DNS records?

From 10 minutes to 48 hours. Usually 2-6 hours. Depends on TTL (Time To Live) settings.

Is it safe to use Google DNS?

Yes, absolutely. Google, Cloudflare, and OpenDNS are major companies with strong reputations. Their DNS is often safer and faster than your ISP's.

Could this be a virus?

Possibly but rare. Some malware changes DNS to redirect you to phishing sites. Run an antivirus scan to be safe.

Does DNS affect internet speed?

Only affects how fast websites load for the first time. After that, the address is cached. Difference is usually 10-200 milliseconds.

Error on mobile browser—what to do?

Change DNS in your phone's Wi-Fi settings:

Android: Settings → Wi-Fi → long press on network → Modify → Advanced → IP settings: Static → DNS 1: 8.8.8.8

iOS: Settings → Wi-Fi → (i) next to network → Configure DNS → Manual → Add 8.8.8.8

Wrapping Up

ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED looks scary but is usually fixable in 5-10 minutes.

Quick action plan:

Check internet and website address
Restart browser and router
Clear DNS cache
Switch to Google DNS (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1)
If nothing helps—reset network settings