DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET: Meaning and How to Fix It

DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET is a Chrome and Edge message shown with "No internet" and a note that the page is unreachable. When a page fails to load, Chrome runs a small diagnostic: it checks whether it can reach a DNS server at all. If even that fails, it reports no internet access. The name of the site is not the problem. Your device, network or DNS configuration cannot get a DNS answer for anything.

Related Chrome codes are DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG, which suggests the DNS settings are invalid or missing, and DNS_PROBE_POSSIBLE, which appears while the diagnostic is still running. If the probe succeeded and the name simply did not exist, you would see DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN instead.

Is it only this site?

Open two or three unrelated sites. If all fail, the cause is your connection. If only one fails while others load, the cause is not this error; look at ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED and This site can't be reached.

Next, test with a raw IP to separate connectivity from DNS:

ping -c 3 1.1.1.1        # use -n 3 on Windows
ping -c 3 example.com

• IP ping works but the name does not: DNS is the broken part.
• Neither works: there is no working connection at all.

If you are a visitor

Work from the physical layer upward.

1. Check the link. Confirm Wi-Fi is connected, Airplane mode is off, and the cable is seated. Look at whether the router's internet light is on.
2. Restart the router and modem. Power them off for 30 seconds, then on. Wait until the lights settle before testing.
3. Test another device on the same network. If it also fails, the problem is the router or ISP. Call the provider or check their status page from mobile data.
4. Renew the network settings. Run the Windows commands below from an Administrator prompt.

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
netsh winsock reset

Restart afterward. On macOS, toggle Wi-Fi off and on, or remove and re-add the network. On Linux, sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager (or your distro's equivalent). Then continue:

1. Change DNS servers. In the adapter settings, set DNS to 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8, or revert to automatic if you hard-coded a dead address. Chrome's secure DNS setting (Settings, Privacy and security, Security) may also be tested by switching it off.
2. Disable VPN, proxy and security software for a minute. Firewalls that block UDP/TCP port 53, and VPN clients that crash and leave routes behind, are classic causes. Reboot after removing a misbehaving VPN client.
3. Check the hosts file and proxy. Look for unexpected DNS entries or a stale proxy; see ERR_PROXY_CONNECTION_FAILED.
4. Try a different network. Use a phone hotspot. If it works, the issue is your local network.

If you own the site, or run the network

Your site is almost never the cause of this exact message, because it describes a client unable to reach DNS at all. Still, a few checks save time:

• Confirm outside reachability. Use the Website Health Check or Down From Where to see whether the site is reachable from other networks. If it is, the complaint is local to that user.
• Check the user's network. Ask which network the user is on, and whether other sites work. If a whole office reports it, look at the office resolver.
• Office or home server resolver. For a self-hosted DNS or DHCP setup, verify the resolver process is running and listening (commands below).

systemctl status unbound      # or bind9, dnsmasq, systemd-resolved
ss -lunp | grep ':53'
dig @192.168.1.1 example.com +short

If the DNS server answers locally but clients fail, check that DHCP hands out the right resolver address and that the firewall allows UDP and TCP 53 in the LAN. Other checks:

• Upstream blocked. A resolver that cannot reach its upstream servers will stop answering. Test the upstream: dig @1.1.1.1 example.com.
• Cloud and containers. In Docker or Kubernetes, a pod with a broken /etc/resolv.conf or CoreDNS outage will show the same symptoms to your application. Inspect with cat /etc/resolv.conf inside the container.
• Your own authoritative DNS is not involved here. If your authoritative nameservers were down, outsiders would typically see NXDOMAIN or name-resolution errors for your domain only, while their other sites worked.

Confirm the fix

1. Load three unrelated websites.
2. Run nslookup example.com or dig example.com and confirm an answer arrives.
3. Check your public address with What Is My IP to confirm traffic goes out the way you expect (especially after changing a VPN).
4. For the site itself, use the DNS Checker and an uptime monitor to verify the domain resolves from outside your network.

Next steps

• Read website down for everyone or just me.
• Understand resolvers in DNS explained for website owners.
• If the name resolves but connections break halfway, see ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED.
• Check a Chrome message for an unreachable address in ERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLE.

FAQ

Does this error mean the website is down?

No. It means Chrome could not reach any DNS server from your device. The site may be fine.

Why does it appear after I turn off my VPN?

The VPN may have left a virtual adapter or DNS setting behind. Restart the network adapter or reboot, then reconnect without the VPN.

Is it caused by Chrome itself?

Occasionally a corrupt DNS cache or secure-DNS setting in Chrome is involved. If another browser on the same machine also fails, the cause is the operating system or network.

What is the difference between BAD_CONFIG and NO_INTERNET?

BAD_CONFIG indicates the DNS configuration is invalid or empty. NO_INTERNET indicates the probe could not get any answer. In practice both are fixed by correcting the adapter's DNS settings and connection.

This page is general information written by our editorial team and updated when documentation changes. Servers and providers differ, so test changes safely first. See our editorial policy and disclaimer.