# wtf is a DNS server and how do I make it respond? **URL:** \ **Category:** Shift518 Off Topic\ **Created:** [August 3, 2013, 12:34pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515 "2013-08-03T12:34:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PJB](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/pjb/32/6389_2.png) [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 12:34pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/1 "2013-08-03T12:34:11Z")
My home computer (not wireless) keeps losing the internet connection and when I click on the fix it thing I sometimes get a message that says DNS Server not responding. I don’t know a fucking thing about computers so I don’t know what that means. Every time we call Time Warner they give us a BS excuse about there being a problem in the area. Its a real bitch to keep a connection. Ive reset the modem several times and it doesn’t seem to help. The computer works fine otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![ReDevil](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/redevil/32/6385_2.png) [@ReDevil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ReDevil)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/2 "2013-08-03T12:48:20Z")
DNS is Time Warners end of your internet connection, basically. Mine was out for a day last week, same deal ‘problem in my area’ ---
**Author:** ![PJB](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/pjb/32/6389_2.png) [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/3 "2013-08-03T12:58:02Z")
mine is fucked up all the time. Annoying as hell, especially for what those pricks charge ---
**Author:** ![Baumbauer](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/baumbauer/32/6530_2.png) [@Baumbauer](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Baumbauer)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/4 "2013-08-03T15:12:20Z")
Tell them to make it right or you are taking your business elsewhere. You shouldn’t have to put in any extra work besides paying the bill when they are the service provider(and a shitty over-priced service at that). ---
**Author:** ![Omega](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/omega/32/6425_2.png) [@Omega](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Omega)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/5 "2013-08-03T15:18:24Z")
In your computer, change your DNS to 8.8.8.8 You will probably never lose connection. Sounds like your ISP is having DNS issues. Ours goes full retard sometimes too. But you/they should have a back up. At least one. ---
**Author:** ![Omega](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/omega/32/6425_2.png) [@Omega](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Omega)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/6 "2013-08-03T15:24:41Z")
Forgot to mention that a DNS is a Domain Name Server. It converts the [www.google.com](http://www.google.com) to 74.125.226.200 (or whatever the IP for the server that responds to the request is) and your computer then asks “who has this IP?” and a server will respond saying “I do, here is my MAC address”, and off you go. ---
**Author:** ![Shady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Shady](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shady)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/7 "2013-08-03T16:49:52Z")
What omega Said DNS is what tell your browser the address it needs to go to. 198.153.192.40 198.153.194.40 Those are norton DNS servers. While i hate most of everything norton does there DNS service is quite nice as it does block malicious websites (such as ones with malware on them) ---
**Author:** ![PJB](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/pjb/32/6389_2.png) [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/8 "2013-08-03T17:02:39Z")
Ill have to check it tomorrow when I’m home ---
**Author:** ![Omega](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/omega/32/6425_2.png) [@Omega](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Omega)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/9 "2013-08-03T19:18:21Z")
Of course though, your ISP’s DHCP server could be dropping. Or you’re just losing routes. Or it’s internal on your network. If your router goes full retard, you won’t resolve DNS either. ---
**Author:** ![Ilya](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ilya/32/6404_2.png) [@Ilya](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Ilya)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/10 "2013-08-03T22:13:06Z")
What Shady said. Use Norton’s or Google’s Public DNS. I have my router configured to use Googles and my PC pulls it from the DHCP service on my router so no matter what computer is on my network, they all use the Google DNS. Since PJB won’t get anything I said, here is the explanations: DHCP = Dynamic Host Configuration Protol. Every networked electronic device, be it a printer, computer, phone, etc. gets an IP address. Unless configured manually/statically, it gets this address from a DHCP server. In your case, you’re probably an automatic setup at home. DNS = Domain Name System. Every such electronic device also needs ‘instructions’ on how to find something. It’s like a phone book for networked devices. When you type in [www.shift518.com](http://www.shift518.com), you’re really telling your computer to go to the DNS server it’s associated with, find that entry, and match it to an IP address. It all happens instantaneously, but that’s what going on behind the scenes. You now know a little more about computers, PJB. ---
**Author:** ![imported\_FULLBLOWN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/imported_fullblown/32/6411_2.png) [@imported\_FULLBLOWN](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/imported_FULLBLOWN)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/11 "2013-08-06T19:28:40Z")
I have this issue when I return my computer fomr sleep for about 2-3 minutes… Its a royal pain in the ass. I have read somewhere that it could also have to do with some sort of “flood control” on the router/modem, but have not had the drive to look into it any further. Anyone know anything about this? I also have time warner. ---
**Author:** ![Ilya](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ilya/32/6404_2.png) [@Ilya](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Ilya)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/12 "2013-08-06T19:37:00Z")
2-3 minutes might be a while…but when you return from sleep your computer has to start it’s various services like DHCP, DNS, etc. to get the networking side of the system working. It typically should take less than a minute, but if the computer is loaded with crap, it could easily take a bit longer. ---
**Author:** ![bennyfizzle](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bennyfizzle/32/6291_2.png) [@bennyfizzle](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/bennyfizzle)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 5:48am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/13 "2013-08-08T05:48:43Z")
Delete the “System 32” folder on your pc Paul, that will ensure you have no more of these types of network problems. ---
**Author:** ![Shady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Shady](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shady)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 7:09am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/14 "2013-08-08T07:09:40Z")
🤣rofl While funny I don’t think it will actually work. Windows has this thing about deleting critical system files unless you can unlock them or boot into a PE environment, which well I don’t think pauls gonna dick with that ---
**Author:** ![JSEnclosures](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jsenclosures/32/6678_2.png) [@JSEnclosures](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JSEnclosures)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 7:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/15 "2013-08-08T07:46:31Z")
> [@TW:FS: 1990 Nissan 240SX](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/tw-fs-1990-nissan-240sx/52559/69): > > mine is fucked up all the time. Annoying as hell, especially for what those pricks charge Don’t your parents pay the bills? ---
**Author:** ![PJB](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/pjb/32/6389_2.png) [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 8:58am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/16 "2013-08-08T08:58:12Z")
i pay part of the cable bill ---
**Author:** ![bennyfizzle](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bennyfizzle/32/6291_2.png) [@bennyfizzle](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/bennyfizzle)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 10:18am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/17 "2013-08-08T10:18:35Z")
which part ---
**Author:** ![JSEnclosures](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jsenclosures/32/6678_2.png) [@JSEnclosures](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JSEnclosures)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 10:19am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/18 "2013-08-08T10:19:20Z")
the sales tax ---
**Author:** ![PJB](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/pjb/32/6389_2.png) [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 10:40am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/19 "2013-08-08T10:40:42Z")
rather irrelevant to the issue ---
**Author:** ![bennyfizzle](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bennyfizzle/32/6291_2.png) [@bennyfizzle](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/bennyfizzle)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 10:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtf-is-a-dns-server-and-how-do-i-make-it-respond/267515/20 "2013-08-08T10:41:34Z")
but interesting nonetheless