DNS issues are the most common source of 'the internet is down' complaints. Use this structured workflow to isolate whether the failure is local, recursive, or authoritative — and fix it without guesswork.
ipconfig /flushdns or dscacheutil -flushcache).Run through these steps in order. Each step links to the right diagnostic tool.
Confirm the public record
Run an authoritative DNS lookup to see A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, and TXT.
Open DNS LookupReverse-check the IP
Verify the resolved IP actually points back to the expected hostname.
Open Reverse DNSCheck registrar delegation
WHOIS should show nameservers that match what's serving the zone.
Open WHOIS LookupThat's a clean DNS failure. The TCP path works, but no resolver returned an A/AAAA record. Switch resolvers or flush your cache to confirm.
Sometimes. It clears the router's cache and re-runs DHCP, which can pick up better resolvers. It will not help if the authoritative nameserver itself is misconfigured.
DNSSEC failures often show as SERVFAIL on validating resolvers (1.1.1.1, 8.8.8.8) but work on non-validating ones. Compare answers across resolvers.
Lower the TTL of records you plan to change to 300 seconds at least 24 hours before the cutover so propagation is fast when you flip them.
Monitor it continuously
Save this check, get alerts on changes, and track multiple domains in one dashboard.