Several users have reported that they get “your DNS server might be unavailable” error message while trying to access the internet or working online on their system. 

Once they get this error message, they are unable to complete their work online on their computer. This is a very frustrating problem of the DNS server.

Generally, the DNS server unavailable error message comes up if there’s an issue in a server. 

The most common reason for this issue is the TCP/IP settings. The third-party security software or firewall and malware infection can also lead to DNS problems.

If you are also encountering the same problem on your PC, then do not worry about it. You can easily resolve this issue on your own. Here, you will learn all the possible hacks to get rid of this problem.     

Techniques for Resolving DNS Server Unavailable 

Here are some techniques that you can apply to eliminate the ‘DNS server unavailable’ error message from the system. Let’s take a look at them.  

Technique 1 – Flush the DNS

If you are having problems with the internet, then you can simply flush the DNS. To flush the DNS, follow the directions hereunder.

1. Go to the Command Prompt window.
2. Type the following commands one by one and then press the Enter key after typing each command.

   ipconfig /flushdns

   ipconfig /release

   ipconfig /renew

1.  After executing these commands, check whether the issue is fixed or not. 

Technique 2 – Reset the Router

Sometimes, resetting the router can solve several DNS errors from the system. So, you should reset it by pressing the Reset button or disconnecting and reconnecting the router. Once you are done, check if the issue still shows up or not.

Technique 3 – Turn off Firewall

Sometimes, the firewall can block the DNS server and as a result, you’ll see the DNS server unavailable error message on the screen. So, you need to disable it. Here’s how you can do that:

1. First of all, open the Search box, type Windows Firewall and then press the Enter button. 
2. When the Windows Firewall window opens, select the Turn Windows Firewall On and Off button on the left panel. 
3. Tick on the Turn Off Windows Firewall button from both Public Network Settings and Private Network Settings boxes. 
4. Once you are done, click on the OK button to save the changes.  

Technique 3 – Disable the Security Software

After disabling the Windows Firewall, if the error message still appears, then you need to disable the security software which is installed on your PC. 

1. Open the third-party security software.
2. In that window, move the cursor to the Settings tab, select it and then go to the Real-time protection section. 
3. From that section, remove the tick in the box next to Turn on real-time protection option to disable it. 
4. Once it is turned off, restart your computer and then check whether the issue gets resolved or not. 

If not, then you should remove the security software from the device. To uninstall it, follow the steps cited below:

1. Firstly, navigate to the Settings window.
2. Locate and double-click on the Apps section and then go to the Apps and Features tab.
3. From the Apps and Features tab, scroll down the page until you find the Security software application that you are using, click on it. Then, select the Uninstall button. 
4. Once the uninstallation process is complete, reboot your computer. 

Technique 4 – Reset TCP/IP

If you fail to connect to the internet properly, you can reset the TCP/IP on the device. To do this, follow the under mentioned instructions:

1. Press Win + X buttons to launch the WinX menu list and choose Command Prompt (Admin).
2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command “net int ip reset reserrcpip.txt” and then hit the Enter button.
3. After executing, restart the device and then check if the issue is eliminated or not. 

Technique 5 – Turn Off Proxy and VPN

If you are using a VPN or Proxy, then there’s a chance of receiving ‘your DNS server might be unavailable’ error message on the screen. So, you should turn it off. Go through these steps:

1. Launch the Run box, type inetcpl.pl and then hit the Enter key or click on the OK option. 
2. From the Internet Options window, navigate to the Connections tab and click on the LAN Settings option.  
3. In the LAN Settings window, unmark everything except the ‘Automatically detect settings’ option. After that, click on the Save button. 

Technique 6 – Run the Network Troubleshooter

Windows Troubleshooter is a built-in tool of Windows. Running this tool can sometimes fix the ‘DNS server unavailable’ error message on a Windows 10 system. The following steps will help you:

1. Hold down the Windows Home key and press the I button to launch the Settings window.
2. Double-click on the Update and Security section and then go to the Troubleshoot tab on the left panel.
3. On the Troubleshoot tab, find the Network Connections section, select it. After that, you will see the Run the troubleshooter button, click on it to start the troubleshooting process. 
4. Once the process is complete, try to connect to the internet. 

Technique 7 – How to Configure the TCP/IP Settings

If the TCP/IP settings are not configured correctly, then you may come across this error message on the device. In order to solve this problem, you should configure the settings. Here’s how to do that:

1. Launch the Control Panel window.
2. Go to the Networking and Internet section and click on the View network status and tasks button.
3. Go to the left panel and click on the Change adapter settings button.
4. From that window, locate and right-click on Local Area Connection and then choose the Properties button.
5. When the Properties window opens, double-click on the Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) button to open the Properties window. Tick on the Obtain an IPv6 address automatically and Obtain DNS servers address automatically button and then select the OK option.
6. Double-click on the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) to launch the Properties window. 

After that, click on the Obtain an IP address automatically and Obtain DNS servers address automatically option and select the OK button. After these steps, restart your device. 

Technique 8 – Use Google’s Open DNS

If the above techniques did not work, then you can use Google’s DNS to eliminate the problem.

1. Go to the Network and Sharing Center window and double-click on the Network you are using to launch the Properties.
2. Locate the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) option, select it and then click on the Properties button. 
3. On the Properties window, mark on Use the following DNS server address button. Now, put the following IP address as the Preferred DNS server – 8.8.8.8 and Alternate DNS Server – 8.8.4.4. 
4. Select the OK option to save the changes. 

Concluding it

We hope these techniques will help you get rid of the DNS server unavailable problem on your system. These techniques are easy and effective. If you face this problem again, you can take guidance from a professional.