Warning: Took me 14 hours to fix a simple DNS cache issue

I spent a whole Saturday thinking my router was dying because my laptop could connect to everything except my email provider. Turned out the DNS record for that one domain got stuck after I changed my VPN settings three weeks ago. Has anyone else had a weird lingering DNS issue that wasn't fixed by just restarting everything?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray_burns4d ago

@garcia.cameron I get where youre coming from but the thing is DNS cache issues arent always the first thing people think of because they feel too simple to be the problem. Flushing DNS is usually a quick fix but sometimes it really is a hidden deep problem like danielowens said. A lot of folks including myself have found that DNS can hold onto old records for way longer than youd expect, especially if youve messed with VPNs or network settings. Rebooting everything is fine for most stuff but DNS cache is a different animal it sits in your OS and can survive a restart if its stored in a stubborn spot. The trick is to remember its always worth trying that command prompt flush even if you think youve already fixed it another way.

danielowens4d ago

I used to be the guy who'd say "just restart everything and it'll work" without thinking twice. But then I had this same thing happen with my bank's website. Couldn't log in for two days even after rebooting my modem, router, and laptop. Eventually found out my DNS was hanging onto an old IP from when I'd tried a free VPN trial months earlier. Flushed the cache in command prompt and it worked in 10 seconds. Felt like an idiot but it really taught me that some problems hide deeper than a simple restart.

garcia.cameron4d ago

That DNS cache thing is usually the first fix I try, not some hidden deep problem.