RouterFreak Reviews, Tips and Tools for Network Engineers
Have you ever experienced the DNS Probe Finished No Internet error? It can be incredibly frustrating if this error occurs regularly when you’re trying to use the internet.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help, by presenting easy steps you can take to fix the error.
The dns_probe_finished_no_internet error means that your internet browser is unable to locate the Dynamic Name Servers (DNS) which direct you to the website you’re trying to access.
The issue could be caused by various issues, including a loss of internet connection, using a virtual private network (VPN), or when using a new router.
The error is strange as it can sometimes appear and disappear out of nowhere.
That said, there are a few recommended steps you can take to try and solve the issue, these include clearing the browser cache, power flushing the router, or switching DNS servers.
Steps For Fixing DNS Probe Finished No Internet Error
If your computer is showing you the ‘dns_probe_finished_no_internet’ error message it is trying to tell you that the request cannot be processed because of issues with connectivity at the DNS level.
Below, we present 7 steps that you can take to fix this error message.
1. Clear Browser Cache
Mostly, the problem of DNS Probe Finished No Internet is with your browser, especially Google Chrome. Most users are frequently experiencing this error on chrome when the other browsers are working well when searching the same URL.
If Chrome is not your default browser but you are facing the same problem on different search engines, the reason may be cache.
Sometimes problematic cookies, cache, as well as browsing data can lead to this error. Therefore, to resolve the DNS Probe Finished No Internet error, you need to clear all this data.
The following are the steps to clear all the cache and browsing data on various browsers.
Google Chrome
First, open Google Chrome on your device then click on the three dots which are in the top-right corner.
A dialogue box will appear which includes various options including ‘more tools’. Click on ‘more tools’ to see an option of ‘Clear Browsing data’.
Click on ‘Clear Browsing data’ and select a time frame that will appear in the new windows and then click the ‘clear data’ tab.
When you are clearing the browsing data, you can customize and choose the type of data you want.
Microsoft Edge
Open your browser and tap on the three dots that are located in the top-right corner of the screen. Then, navigate to Settings then tap on ‘Privacy, Search, and Services’.
Move down the cursor and tap on ‘Choose what to clear’. Choose a time range and then click on Clear browsing data.
Mozilla Firefox Cache
Open the Firefox web browser and go to Settings, you can access this via the three horizontal lines located in the top right corner of the browser.
In the dialog box, select History and then Clear Recent History.
In the Clear Recent History dialog box you have various options you can select. If you want to keep your browsing history, logins and cookies, you can unselect those boxes, but ensure the ‘Cache’ box is selected and then click OK.
If this does not resolve the issue, there could be an issue with the proxy. To investigate this issue, you need to return to Settings and then Network Settings.
Select the Connection Settings and see if you were previously using a proxy. Review the settings and ensure the setting is either ‘Use System Proxy’ or ‘No Proxy’.
2. Power Flush the Modem/Router
If you notice that the DNS Probe Finished No Internet error is appearing on all the devices connected to one router or modem but the browser works perfectly when using mobile data, then the router may be the issue.
The first thing that you need to do is to power flush the modem or router.
You can do this by unplugging the router/modem from the power, then giving it about one to two minutes to plug it back into the power supply.
Give the modem/router time to fully restart which happens when all the lights are switched ON and check whether you can connect to the internet without facing any error messages.
3. Flush Your DNS Cache
Before learning how you can flush your DNS Cache, you need to learn a pro tip, which is: to run a dedicated PC optimization tool to remove any incorrect settings, harmful apps, junk files, and security threats that may lead to slow performance or system problems.
The responsibility of the domain name system (DNS) server is to match numerical IP addresses with human-friendly, alphanumeric domain names.
The DNS server has to check the URL you are typing into the address bar before there is a connection made by the computer.
To improve the internet speed, your OS system stores the DNS information of the sites you have searched in a local cache file.
This prevents the system from constantly checking the DNS data of the sites you have already browsed.
With that said, the cache can contain the wrong information or get corrupted over time which ultimately causes connectivity failures or slows down the network.
Whenever the OS detects any corruption, it has to send a new request to the DNS server before loading your site, and in some cases, this request fails which leads to an error.
Flushing the cache can get rid of this issue, but when you do this, Windows will start gathering new DNS information. The following are the steps to flush the DNS:
- Press the Windows logo on the keyboard which launches the Start menu.
- Type CMD on the Start menu then tap on Run as Administrator which is under the Command Prompt.
- In the confirmation pop-up, tap on Yes.
- After the Administrator: Command Prompt window appears, type ipconfig/flushdns and press the Enter key.
Additionally, you can use Windows PowerShell to flush the cache. Press Win + X, tap on Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin) and click Yes. Then type ipconfig/flushdns into the Administrator: Windows PowerShell window and press the Enter key.
4. Reset Network Adapter (Winsock Component)
The Winsock (short for Windows Socket) component is an API or a dynamic link library resource that determines how your computer network is used by web applications.
Your system will not have access to the internet if this gets corrupted.
Resetting the Winsock component will fix this problem. Use the steps below:
- Launch the Start menu by tapping the Windows logo button on the keyboard.
- Type CMD on the Start menu and click Run as Administrator which should be under the Command Prompt.
- Tap Yes on the confirmation pop-up.
- When the Administrator: Command Prompt appears, type netsh Winsock reset, and press the Enter key.
5. Update the Network Adapter Driver
A network card driver that is outdated can lead to the browser error in question.
The driver enables the communication between the operating system and the network card to happen so that it can handle internet connection requests.
Have you recently updated your operating system to Windows 11? Then you may need to update the network driver.
The following are the ways to update the driver:
Utilizing Windows Update
This is a trick that has been around for a while when it comes to installing the latest network adapter driver.
This is where updated drivers are sent by device manufacturers to Microsoft which are then rolled out using the Windows Update platform. Sometimes they stay in the client as optional downloads.
The following are the steps to follow:
- Click on the Start menu then type Windows Update.
- Once on the Windows Update page, let the client download the available updates, then restart your computer if there is a request to do it.
- Go back to the Windows Update page then tap on Optional Updates. If you use Windows 11, choose Advanced Options and then tap on Optional Updates.
- Expand the Driver Updates section once the Optional Updates page comes up, then choose the driver you want to install. Finally, click the button for download and install.
Going Through the Manufacturer’s Website
Going to the website of your network card manufacturer is the best way to obtain the latest driver as there is delayed deployment with Microsoft through Windows Update.
You need to know the model and make of the card to go through this process successfully. This is because you need to choose the architecture of your operating system and you will need the information to search for the driver.
Using a Third-Party Program
It can be tedious work to update outdated drivers as you have to remind yourself of the different device drivers from time to time to ensure that you do not get an unexpected glitch.
You can also use a program such as Auslogics Driver Updater which is designed to detect and automatically update any outdated device drivers.
6. Release and Renew IP Address
When you connect to a modem or internet service provider, your computer gets assigned a unique IP address. To ensure that data is transferred correctly, the address helps with the identification of every device on the local network.
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server assigns the IP addresses by leasing them to your computer over a period.
If the machine does not use an IP address for a while, it can decide to reassign it, and when the lease time expires, the IP address is withdrawn.
This should not stop your internet connection. Your computer should automatically get a new IP address or renew the lease if things are configured correctly.
However, sometimes the lease may not automatically renew, leading to problems like the DNS Probe Finished No Internet error. And this is when you have to release and renew the current IP address.
7. Switch DNS Servers
By default, you should be given a DNS server by your internet service provider to handle any requests for DNS resolution.
However, these servers may not do not perform well and eventually causes errors. Having a public DNS server like Google is better.
You can switch your DNS server using the following steps:
- Type ‘network status’ on the Start menu.
- From the results, tap on View Network Connections.
- Once the page for Network Connections appears, right-click on your computer and click on Properties.
- Now tap on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then click on the Properties button.
- Next, click on ‘Use the following DNS server addresses and type the following:
For Alternate DNS Server: 8.8.4.4
For Preferred DNS Server: 8.8.8.8
After typing each number, remember to click the space button.
- Tap on OK.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you Ping Google?
You can ping google from your computer. When using a Windows OS machine, do this by opening the Command prompt which is done by searching ‘cmd’ and pressing enter. Then simply type ping google.com.
Everything is fine if you see a 0% loss, otherwise, if the data is not received or gets sent, you will be required to ping the IP address.
If this time data goes through, then you have a problem with the DNS server and you need to solve it by changing a few settings for the network adapter.
Does it happen with all devices on the network?
If the DNS Probe Finished No Internet error occurs with all your devices that are connected to the local network but your smartphone is working when using the Mobile Data, then the issue is with the router/modem, ethernet cable, or WiFi.
This is where things get more complicated as several problems can cause this behavior.
What you need to do is to restart your WiFi, reset the router, and reconnect the ethernet cable to solve the problem.
Is it happening only on WiFi?
The error dns_probe_finished_no_internet can happen if you are connected through WiFi but the internet connection can work perfectly when you are connected to the internet using the Ethernet cable.
This means that the internet link is blocked for some reason even though you are getting a WiFi connection.
Apart from rebooting the computer, what you need to do here to solve the problem is to check the driver and reset the network adapter.
Final Words
Hopefully, you’re now clear on the main fixes to the DNS Probe Finished No Internet Error. This error is most likely caused by internet connectivity issues, but it is also linked to VPNs and teething problems with a new router.
Thankfully, all of the solutions we propose are easily within your power to fix, and our step-by-step guide is a useful process to follow when trying to fix the issue.
If the technical details are too complicated, you can also consult the technical support of your internet service provider.
