Home How To How to Fix “DNS PROBE FINISHED NXDOMAIN” Error

How to Fix “DNS PROBE FINISHED NXDOMAIN” Error

February 5, 2023

While you often work with websites, you may encounter a variety of errors. Some errors are specific to requests you are making such as 400 Bad Request errors or database connection errors. Another subset of errors you may encounter are specific to your internet connection and DNS, and DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN is among them.

Google Chrome users may often encounter an error while accessing a specific web page – “This site can’t be reached – Server IP address could not be found”, along with DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN. This prevents you from accessing the web page. Thus, it is pretty frustrating.

Luckily, there are certain ways to fix this error. This article primarily focuses on the ways to troubleshoot the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error and its causes.

So, let us get started!

Also Read: How to Fix “DNS Server Not Responding” Error

What is DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN?

DNS stands for Domain Name System. It acts as a phonebook for the internet. It maps the domain names of websites into their equivalent IP addresses.

Whenever you enter a URL, DNS connects it with the actual server’s IP address. It is referred to as DNS name resolution. A DNS server queries different nameservers to get the actual server’s IP address. When it fails to resolve the domain name into the IP address, it results in the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error, a type of DNS error.

Error Code	DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN
Error Type	DNS Error
Error Variations	This site can’t be reached. (Google Chrome)Hmm. We’re having trouble finding that site (Firefox Mozilla)Hmmm… can’t reach this page. (Microsoft Edge)Safari Can’t Find the Server (Safari)
Error Causes	DNS misconfigurationUnresponsive serverInternet connection errorFirewall blocksDNS not yet propagated

Causes of DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

There are several reasons for the error to take place. They are as follows:

You have entered the site name incorrectly in your search bar.
The internet connection error is preventing you from accessing the site.
The domain is not registered or expired.
There are misconfigurations in the DNS settings.
Your firewall is blocking access to the site.
An antivirus or VPN is interfering with your network settings.

Here are two possible ways to check the cause of the error:

1. Check if the Domain is Active

The problem with the website’s domain name is one of the major reasons for the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error. When you enter the wrong URL, it is not possible for the browser to map the domain with the IP address in DNS.

But if you encounter the error, even if the URL is correct, the DNS may have expired or not registered.

You can check whether the domain is active using the ICANN lookup tool. Type the website URL and check if it is active in the ICANN data.

2. Test the Website via a Proxy Server

Using this method, you can see whether other users encounter the same error or only you.

Choose any proxy server like hide.me or HMA, enter the website URL, and select your location. If the website is accessible in other locations, the problem is only with your device or browser.

How to Fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN Error?

1. Flush the DNS Cache

As DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN is a DNS error, flushing DNS is the most recommended solution. But what is DNS cache?

A DNS cache stores the IP addresses of the websites you have visited previously on the same device you encounter the error. As many of the IP addresses in the DNS cache may get outdated, your device cannot find the desired website.

The solution is to flush the DNS cache. Let us see the commands used on Windows and macOS to flush the DNS cache.

Windows

On the Start menu, search for Command Prompt, right-click and select Run as Administrator, and enter the following command:

ipconfig /flushdns

macOS

Go to Terminal and enter the following command:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

Enter your password and hit Return.

2. Release and Renew the IP Address

If the above method of clearing the DNS cache does not work, try this method. When your release the old IP address and request the new one, it troubleshoots all network connection issues.

Let us see how to release and renew the IP address on Windows and macOS.

Windows

Go to the Command Prompt and Run as Administrator, as we did in the above method. Enter the following command and hit Enter.

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /renew

Type the following commands to reset your previous IP settings and restore the Winsock Catalog.

netsh int ip set dns

netsh winsock reset

Close the command prompt and restart the computer. Next, open the browser and check whether the error exists.

macOS

Go to System Preferences → Network.
Select the current internet connection and click Advanced.
Go to the TCP/IP tab, and click Renew DHCP Lease → OK.

Restart the system and check whether the error exists.

3. Change the DNS Servers

The next solution is to change the DNS servers in the DNS Lookup. These servers are in charge of converting domain names into IP addresses.

By default, your computer uses the DNS server provided by the Internet Service Provider (ISP). This server may not be fast and secure. When you choose public DNS servers from Google Chrome, OpenDNS, and Cloudflare, they have fewer technical issues.

You can get rid of the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error by switching between DNS servers. Doing this resolves your internet connection issues.

4. Restart the DNS Client Service

Restarting the DNS client service is another approach to reconfiguring the DNS settings.

The DNS client service resolves and saves IP addresses in the DNS cache. It runs automatically when you start the computer. However, when it doesn’t, it makes the browser unable to access the website.

Windows System Configuration, Windows Services Manager, and the Command Prompt are the three ways to reconfigure the DNS Client Service.

5. Check the Local Host Files

A domain name matches with an IP address using the local host file. Every time you access a website, computers consult it to retrieve the appropriate page for the browser to show.

Sometimes a specific domain name or IP address might be mistakenly marked unavailable in the local host’s file. A file check and modification may resolve the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN problem.

6. Reset Chrome Flags

Google Chrome Flags are unfinished and experimental features that are available for testing but are not currently included in the standard browsing experience. A few of them can have setup issues that result in the DNS PROBE FINISHED NXDOMAIN Chrome error.

Enter chrome://flags in the address bar. This displays new active features on Chrome.
Disable Chrome Flags by changing Enabled to Disabled.
At the top, click Reset All to save the changes.

Now, close the browser and open it again.

7. Disable Antivirus or VPN

As antivirus and VPN programs safeguard your browsing activities, they intentionally block some websites that are not secure.

So, consider disabling your antivirus or VPN service to access the desired website and troubleshoot the error.

Windows

Open Settings and choose VPN under Network & Internet.
Choose the VPN service you use and select Disable.

Once done, restart the computer and check whether you can access the website.

macOS

Go to System Preferences -> Network.
On the left side of the screen, choose the VPN connection you want to disable.
Click Disconnect and Apply to save changes.

8. Temporarily Turn Off CDN

By caching copies of the website on several international servers, content delivery networks (CDN) aid in the quicker distribution of web data to visitors. The CDN will provide the cached material from the server nearest to the user when they access the website.

The cached versions of the website will stop working if your CDN is momentarily turned off. The website must be fetched from the origin server by all browsers.

So, temporarily turning off your CDN can resolve the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error.

9. Restart/Reconnect the Internet

Try the last method if none of the above works. Restart the internet router and modem. Do it with the following steps.

Disconnect both the router and the modem. Give them a few minutes to remain in this position.
Connect the modem again and wait for a while.
Do the same with the router, but don’t switch it back on for two minutes.
To see if the problem code is still present, open the browser.

If nothing works for you, contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and ask for any issue on their side or a solution for the error.

Conclusion

Here ends our discussion on the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error. It occurs when the browser does not find the domain name’s corresponding IP address. Though it is annoying and irritating to encounter the error, you can resolve it using the above ways. Try each one by one and figure out which one works for you.