Ever faced slow website loading or errors while accessing a website? These problems might be due to DNS resolution issues. The Domain Name System (DNS) translates a website’s domain name into a numerical string known as an IP address.
This address used by your computer to connect to the website. If the DNS is slow, not working properly, or set up incorrectly, your computer may fail to find the correct address, leading to slow loading, errors, or an inability to access the site.
Thankfully, Google Chrome provides a useful tool called chrome //net-internals/#dns to diagnose and fix these problems effectively, making your browsing experience smoother and more reliable. In this read, let’s explore how to use this tool more effectively.
What is the DNS Cache?
The DNS cache is like your browser’s shortcut list. It stores website IP addresses temporarily, helping your browser load frequently visited sites faster. Instead of asking the DNS server for information every time, your browser pulls it from the cache. For instance, when you type a site name, the DNS translates it into an IP address for your browser to connect to.
This cache saves time and bandwidth and keeps browsing smoothly. However, when the DNS cache gets outdated or corrupted, it can cause problems like slow loading or website errors, so clearing it may be needed.
Is It Necessary to Clear the DNS Cache on Chrome?
Clearing the DNS cache isn’t always required, as Chrome usually manages it well. But certain situations call for a cleanup:
- Websites fail to load properly.
- The DNS cache contains incorrect or outdated entries.
- IP addresses for websites have changed, but the browser still uses the old ones.
- You might have updated your DNS settings on the router or computer.
- You want to prevent someone from accessing your browsing history via the DNS cache.
- Errors like DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN or ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED appear.
- Trusted websites are flagged as untrusted.
In these cases, flushing the DNS cache can resolve the issue and restore smooth browsing.
Step-By-Step Procedure to Use Chrome://net-internals/#dns to Clear DNS Cache in Chrome
On different operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux, if you use Google Chrome, you can clear the DNS cache using the chrome://net-internals/#dns feature within the browser. Simply follow these steps:
- Open the Chrome browser first.
- Type chrome://net-internals/#dns in the chrome address bar and then press enter.
- Click on “Clear host cache” button on the next page to proceed.
- After that restart Chrome browser and navigate to chrome://net-internals/#dns. This step is necessary to clear the socket pool.
You have successfully cleared the DNS cache in Chrome. This method also works across various platforms and devices, including Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iPhone or iPad.
How to Use Chrome://net-internals/#dns on Mobile Devices
The great thing about the chrome://net-internals/#dns tool is that you can use it to clear the DNS cache not just on your computer but also on your mobile device, whether it’s an Android, iPhone, or iPad. Wondering how to clear the host cache in Chrome on your mobile? It’s actually very easy.
To do this on your phone, follow the same process you would on a computer. Simply open the Chrome browser on your device, no matter if you’re using Android or iOS. Then, type chrome://net-internals/#dns in the address bar, and you’ll be able to clear the host cache right from your mobile browser.
If the previous method doesn’t solve the issue, follow these steps:
- You need to open the Chrome app on your mobile device, whether it is Android or iOS.
- In the top-right corner of the screen press the three dots
- From the menu, select “History.”
- At the top of the screen, tap the drop-down menu for the time range and choose “All time” to clear everything.
- Near to “Cookies and site data” and “Cached images and files” you will see a check box. Make sure to tick the box.
- At last, tap the “Clear data” button at the bottom to finish the procedure.
This will help remove cached data and cookies, potentially fixing any browsing issues.
What do you do if chrome://net-internals/#dns doesn’t work?
If you find that the chrome://net-internals/#dns page isn’t resolving DNS issues on your device, don’t worry! Here are some alternatives.
=> Flush DNS With the Help of Command Prompt
If chrome://net-internals/#dns isn’t working, you can flush the DNS cache manually using the Command Prompt on Windows. Here’s how:
- Open the Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Type ipconfig /release and hit Enter.
- Type ipconfig /flushdns and then you need to press Enter. These steps will clear the DNS cache.
- Type ipconfig /renew and then press Enter. This will refresh your IP address.
=> Reboot the DNS Service
Another option is to restart the DNS service. Here’s how you can do it:
- In the keyword Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
- Then, in the run dialog box type ‘services. msc’ and press Enter. This will open the Services interface.
- In the Service interface look for the “DNS Client” service. After finding it right-click it, and select “Restart.”
If the “Restart” option is unavailable, follow these steps:
- Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Then, you must run the commands net stop dnscache and net start dnscache.
=> Restore Chrome flags to their default settings
Resetting Chrome flags can help resolve any issues with the browser settings. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Chrome and go to chrome://flags.
- Click the “Reset all” button to reset all Chrome flags to their default settings.
- Restart Chrome to apply the changes.
After applying these methods, return to chrome://net-internals/#dns to clear the DNS cache, and chrome://net-internals/#sockets to flush the socket pools. This should help restore smooth functionality.
How do you check if the DNS cache is flushed?
To verify if the DNS cache has been cleared, you can use the nslookup command on Windows, Linux, macOS, or Unix-based systems.
- On Windows, Linux, or macOS, open the Command Prompt or Terminal and type:
nslookup yahoo.com
nslookup nixcraft.com
- For Unix users, you can also use the dig or host command:
host www.cyberciti.biz
dig google.com
These commands query the DNS server for specific domain names. If the cache is cleared, the results should reflect the most recent DNS data. If the DNS cache hasn’t been flushed, the results might show outdated information.
Final Thoughts
Clearing the DNS cache in Chrome will improve your browsing experience. By following these steps and regularly flushing your DNS cache, you’ll keep your browser updated with the latest data.
