DNS Troubleshooting

DNS is the internet’s address book — and when it breaks, it can look like “the internet is down” even when your Wi-Fi is connected and your router seems fine. This subcategory helps you understand DNS problems in practical terms and fix them safely across Windows, macOS, Linux, and common routers. It focuses on the most searched scenarios: websites not loading, some apps working while browsers fail, random “server not found” errors, slow first-page loads, or problems that appear only on one device. The guides explain DNS in a minimal, usable way: your device asks a DNS resolver to translate a domain name into an IP address, then connects to that IP. If DNS is misconfigured, blocked, cached incorrectly, or slow, you get failures before the actual connection even starts. You’ll learn how to spot DNS vs “real internet” issues by using quick checks such as: do IP-based connections work, do some sites work but others fail, does it happen only on one network, and does it change when you disable VPN or ad blockers? This subcategory teaches a safe troubleshooting flow. Start by restarting the right things (device, router), then clear DNS cache (device-side), then test with alternative resolvers (temporarily) to confirm whether the ISP resolver is the problem. You’ll learn what DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) is and how it can help or interfere, especially when combined with corporate VPNs, parental controls, or security software. You’ll also learn how to avoid common mistakes like changing multiple DNS settings at once (browser, OS, router) and creating conflicting behavior. Practical articles cover DNS issues caused by routers, VPNs, and filters. For example: a router might hand out incorrect DNS via DHCP, or a VPN might force its own DNS that blocks local devices like printers or NAS. Ad blockers and “privacy DNS” can also break login pages, captchas, or certain apps. The guides help you set rules: when to use secure DNS, when to disable it temporarily, and how to keep a stable baseline. You’ll also find content on diagnosing slow browsing that’s actually DNS-related: pages take long to start loading but then load fast, or the first website after sleep is slow. These patterns often point to DNS timeouts, cache issues, or resolver latency. With simple tests and careful changes, DNS problems become very fixable. If you’ve ever felt stuck in “Wi-Fi connected but nothing works,” this subcategory will often be the missing piece.