DNS server ?

[lasttombstone]

Everybody knows I'm old and dumb so I don't mind asking what seems to some to be a simple question. I am on a laptop in my shop which is about 150 feet or less from the router in the house. I was having problems with slow/dropped connections so last month I got an "extender" and put it in the garage which cut my distance in half. Things sped up so I could watch Mack's videos and the connections didn't drop. Now, I can be on a site and a lot of time when I try to go to another site I get nothing but a message that says "DNS server is not responding". I have no idea what or where a DNS server is or what it does. A simple explanation or solution to this issue would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Part-time hunter]

I posted a video on Facebook showing how to fix a Domain Name Server problem. Hope it helps.

 

[lasttombstone]

I'll try to remember how to sign in to facebook. And now, my tablet/chromebook won't come on. Maybe I just need to go back to stamps.

 

[Tipmoose]

A DNS is a Domain Name Server. So, yes, a DNS Server is a Domain Name Server Server.

What it does is translate the address you typed into the browser or the link you clicked into an IP address.

If your DNS cannot be reached, there is nothing to do that translation. Troubleshooting it is not terribly easy for the layman. Read this article.

How to Fix DNS Server Not Responding Problem (with Pictures)

Are you getting DNS errors when you try to browse the web? If your web browser can't translate hostnames into IP addresses, you'll encounter a DNS error and won't be able to connect to websites—frustrating, right? But we're here to help!...

www.wikihow.com

I would suggest first restarting your router and your extender. Second, if that doesn't fix it, open up a dos prompt (explained in the article) and typing ipconfig /flushdns at the prompt. See if that helps.

 

[lasttombstone]

Thanks for the tip, Tip. I did what Parttime suggested and thought that did the trick but maybe it didn't. Just got stonewalled again. I'll try to read thru and understand what you posted tomorrow. Right now, my future is not too bright.

 

[nhn2a]

Your DNS server is normally fed to you from your internet service provider. It could be a problem on their end depending on how they have their servers setup or which servers they in turn point to. One thing you can do is change the settings in your router to another DNS server and see if that helps. If you login, it would probably say dynamic under DNS settings. You can change that to static and set your own servers. I normally switch mine to the google DNS servers ( 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4).

 

[lasttombstone]

That is where mine is set to. It is strange, especially since I don't understand how any of it works, but I can be on this site on a thread, go back to the top, refresh the screen and it throws me off. Turn the computer off and come back and everything works fine............. for a while. Then, Bam............... hit again. Just frustrating but not something I can't deal with.