Your computer appears to be correctly configured, but the device or resource (DNS server) is not responding

When you receive the following message, “Your computer appears to be correctly configured, but the device or resource (DNS server) is not responding”, there are a number of possible causes.

I have had this occur a few times, and the cause has been different each time. In this article, we’ll provide a few simple troubleshooting steps to help solve the issue.

Introduction to DNS and DHCP Services

DNS, short for ‘Domain Name Server’, is also expressed as simply ‘name server’. Wikipedia defines Name Server as, “…a program or computer server that implements a name-service protocol. It maps a human-recognizable identifier to a system-internal, often numeric, identification or addressing component.”

Basically, this allows us to use microsoft.com, rather than an IP address. This service works directly with IP addresses and if there are any issues, you may not be able to visit websites in your Internet browser.

Let’s now discuss how IP addresses are set. Recent versions of the Windows operating system allows client computers (that’s your desktop, laptop, etc.) to self-configure an IP address, if a DHCP server is not available.

An example of a DHCP server is your router, wired, or wireless. It has a block of local addresses, on a subnet, to assign connected computers. The subnet is typically 255.255.255.0.

The ability to self-configure is called APIPA, short for Automatic Private IP Addressing. This client-based service automatically assigns itself an IP and a subnet. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, or IANA, has reserved a different block of numbers for IP addresses, and the subnet will be 255.255.0.0, a Class B subnet.

Computers on different subnets of the same network cannot communicate with each other. Therein a potential problem; your network and computer are on different subnets. Though you may be able to bring up a website, you may notice it never completely loads.

DNS Server Troubleshooting Steps

Step #1 Check IP and subnet addresses

As you can imagine, the first troubleshooting step should be to check if your computer’s IP address has been assigned by itself, or your DHCP server (most likely your router). This can be done easily using code in a CMD window. For this example, I will be using Windows 7, though the same can be followed in Windows Vista and XP.

1. Open a CMD prompt, Run as administrator
2. Click on your Start menu
3. Click on ‘All Programs’
4. Navigate up the programs and folders list to ‘Accessories’, and click on it
5. Identify CMD, right-click on it and select ‘Run as administrator’ (you may need t follow UAC prompts for permission)
6. Once opened, enter the following text, ’ipconfig /all’, and press enter
7. This shows your network connections, status, and information. Find the adapter that you are using and check the IP address and subnet, and compare it to the above descriptions.

Step #2 Cycle router power

1. Unplug the power adapter from your router and wait at least 90 seconds
2. If that did not solve the problem, disconnect the power again, this time for several minutes

Step #3 Flush DNS cache and register DNS

1. Open a CMD prompt, as demonstrated above
2. Enter the following text and press enter: ‘ipconfig /flushdns’
3. Enter the following text and press enter: ‘ipconfig /registerdns’
4. Check to see if issue has been resolved

Step #4 Try different DNS server addresses

Try using OpenDNS and/or Google DNS addresses:

Google DNS
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4

OpenDNS
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220

Step #5 Check DNS service

Check to see that the DNS service is running

1. Open your Control Panel
2. Open Administrative Tools
3. Select Services
4. If the service is not started, start it

Step #6 Renew IP addresses

1. Open a CMD prompt, as above
2. Enter the following text and press enter: ‘ipconfig /release’
3. Enter the following text and press enter: ‘ipconfig /renew’

Step #7 Reset router to defaults

Caution…this will reset all settings to factory default. You will need to go into the admin panel of your router and reconfigure all settings you customized

Follow your user guide, but it will probably be something like pressing and holding a hidden button on the back-side of your router for a brief period of time, and allowing it to restart.

There are many more troubleshooting possibilities, but that would take additional inquiries to ascertain problem areas.