Imagine browsing through your Facebook feed and chatting with friends, and all of a sudden, the website stops loading. Before jumping to conclusions about your computer or internet service provider, consider clearing the Chrome DNS cache first. You can easily do this by typing chrome://net-internals/#dns in your Chrome browser. Even though Google Chrome is a top-notch web browser, it still has its quirks. Problems like the “Aw, Snap!” error and difficulty accessing favorite websites can be frustrating. Instead of deleting your browsing history and cookies to resolve these issues, you can flush the DNS cache in Chrome.
What is the DNS Cache?
The domain name system (DNS) is a naming database that translates domain names (e.g. facebook.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (e.g. 157.240.3.35). This allows browsers like Google Chrome to access websites and other internet resources. Each website has its own unique IP address, but it’s difficult to remember these random numbers. That’s why domain names are used. When a user types a website’s domain name or clicks a link to it, the browser sends a request to the DNS server for its designated IP address. Once received, the browser then loads the website and its accompanying resources. The DNS cache is a temporary storage area that contains the DNS records of websites you have visited. This allows for faster loading times when revisiting the same website.
Why Clear the DNS Cache?
While the DNS cache provides a faster internet browsing experience, it can also cause problems if the stored data becomes outdated or corrupted. Many websites change their IP addresses from time to time, which means accessing them becomes impossible if their old IP addresses are still stored in the DNS cache. Clearing the Chrome DNS cache erases all existing DNS information from temporary storage, ensuring that your computer fetches fresh data from the DNS server.
How to Clear the DNS Cache in Google Chrome
Clearing the Chrome DNS cache is simple:
1. Open a new tab in Google Chrome.
2. Type or copy-paste chrome://net-internals/#dns in the address bar.
3. Click the “Clear host cache” button.
If clearing the host cache doesn’t work, you can try flushing the socket pools by following the same process. There’s no need to restart Chrome after clearing the DNS cache.
How to Flush the DNS Cache in Windows
In Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11, you can flush the DNS cache by:
1. Opening Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Typing ipconfig /flushdns and hitting Enter.
3. Typing exit to close the application.
How to Flush the DNS Cache in Mac
To flush the DNS cache in your Mac computer, follow these steps in the terminal:
1. Type sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
2. Type sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
3. Close the app by choosing Terminal > Quit Terminal.
After clearing the DNS cache, you can quickly check if the operation was successful by using the Command Prompt and typing the nslookup command.
If the DNS cache and browser cache clearing don’t work, consider restarting your router to reset the router cache, improving internet speed and resolving connectivity issues.
In conclusion, clearing the Chrome DNS cache is a simple trick that can significantly improve your internet browsing experience. Save the link to your bookmarks for quick and easy access whenever needed.