Should I always use 1.1.1.1?

For privacy and speed, yes — Cloudflare and Quad9 are faster than most ISP defaults and don't log identifiable queries.

≈ Network Errors

DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN — How to fix on Chrome / Edge

DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN means your DNS resolver returned 'no such domain'. The site exists — your DNS lookup is broken or pointing at the wrong server.

Time: 10 min
Difficulty: easy
Applies to: Windows 11, Windows 10
Updated: May 25, 2026

Error message

This site can't be reached. The server's DNS address could not be found. DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

Symptoms

▸Chrome / Edge shows DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN for some or all sites
▸Other devices on the same network can open the same site
▸Started after a router change, VPN or hosts-file edit

Likely causes

▸ISP DNS server returning wrong responses
▸Stale DNS cache on Windows or in Chrome
▸hosts file blocking the domain
▸VPN client left a DNS server bound that no longer works

How to fix it — step by step

01
Flush DNS in Windows
```
ipconfig /flushdns
```
02
Flush DNS in Chrome / Edge
In the address bar type chrome://net-internals/#dns and click Clear host cache. Same URL works in Edge.
03
Change DNS to Cloudflare or Quad9
Settings → Network → adapter → DNS server assignment → Manual — IPv4: 1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1.
04
Check the hosts file
Open C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts in Notepad as Administrator. Remove any line referencing the failing domain.
05
Restart the DNS Client service
services.msc → DNS Client → Restart. If 'Restart' is greyed out, restart the PC.