What Does Flushing DNS Server Do?

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Angela Bailey

What Does Flushing DNS Server Do?

Have you ever encountered a situation where you visited a website, and it failed to load? Or maybe you changed your website’s hosting provider, and the changes are not reflecting?

These issues can often be resolved by flushing the DNS server. In this article, we will explore what flushing the DNS server means and how it can benefit you.

Understanding DNS

DNS stands for Domain Name System. It is like a phone book for the internet.

When you type a website URL into your browser, the DNS translates that human-readable name into an IP address that computers can understand. It acts as a directory that maps domain names to their corresponding IP addresses.

DNS servers store this mapping information in their cache, which helps in speeding up future requests to the same domain. However, sometimes these cached entries become outdated or corrupted, causing problems accessing websites or services.

What is Flushing DNS Server?

Flushing the DNS server refers to clearing its cache of stored IP addresses and domain names. When you flush the DNS server, all the outdated or corrupted entries are removed from its cache. This forces your computer to query fresh IP addresses from authoritative DNS servers when accessing websites.

The Benefits of Flushing DNS Server

1. Resolving Website Loading Issues:

  • Bold text: If you encounter problems loading a particular website or multiple websites, it may be due to outdated DNS records in your cache.

    Flushing the DNS server helps in resolving such issues by fetching fresh information from authoritative servers.

  • Bold text: Sometimes, after changing your website’s hosting provider or making any other changes related to domain settings, it takes time for the DNS cache to update. Flushing the DNS server can speed up this process and ensure that your website loads correctly.

2. Accessing Geo-Restricted Content:

  • Bold text: Some websites restrict access based on your geographical location. By flushing the DNS server, you can obtain a new IP address, which might help you access geo-restricted content.

3. Troubleshooting Network Issues:

  • Bold text: If you are experiencing network connectivity problems, flushing the DNS server can be a simple yet effective step to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.

How to Flush DNS Server?

The process of flushing the DNS server cache varies depending on your operating system. Here are the steps for popular operating systems:

Windows:

  1. Underlined text: Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
  2. Underlined text: Type “ipconfig /flushdns” and press Enter.

Mac OS:

  1. Underlined text: Open Terminal.
  2. Underlined text: Type “sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder” and press Enter.

Note: After executing these commands, you may need to restart your browser for the changes to take effect.

In Conclusion

In summary, flushing the DNS server is a useful technique to resolve website loading issues, access geo-restricted content, and troubleshoot network problems. By removing outdated or corrupted entries from the DNS cache, you can ensure that your computer fetches fresh information from authoritative servers. Remember to follow the specific steps for your operating system to flush the DNS server.

Happy browsing!

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