Flushing the DNS will clear any IP addresses or other DNS records from your cache. This can help resolve security, internet connectivity, and other issues.

• Open the command prompt
• Enter the following: ipconfig/flushdns and press enter.

Note: To view the current DNS settings, type ipconfig/displaydns (can be used before and after DNS flush to verify it worked).

Google Public DNS is purely a DNS resolution and caching server; it does not perform any blocking or filtering of any kind, except that it may help resolve certain domains in certain situations.

IMPORTANT: Before you change your DNS settings to use Google Public DNS, ensure you have written down your current server address or settings. It is very important that you keep these numbers for backup purposes, in case you need to revert to them at any time. 

1. Go to the Control Panel.
2. Click Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings.
3. Right-click on the Wi-Fi interface and select Properties.
4. Select the Networking tab.
5. Under "This connection uses the following items," click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) or Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and then click Properties.
6. Click Advanced and select the DNS tab. If any DNS server IP addresses are listed there, copy them down for future reference and remove them from this window.
   
7. Click OK.
   
8. Select Use the following DNS server addresses. If there are any IP addresses listed in the Preferred DNS server or Alternate DNS server, copy them down for future reference.
   
9. Replace these addresses with the IP addresses of the Google DNS servers: 

 

Google Public DNS IP addresses 

You can use either address as your primary or secondary DNS server.

This panel details how to perform a Winsock reset - a powerful Windows troubleshooting command used to resolve stubborn network and internet connectivity issues.

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How to Run a Winsock Reset

1. Click the Start button (or the Search icon).
2. Type cmd or Command Prompt
3. In the search results, right-click on "Command Prompt".
4. Select Run as administrator from the context menu.
5. Click Yes on the UAC prompt.
6. Within the administrator elevated Command Prompt type: netsh winsock reset
7. You must restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

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When to Perform a Winsock Reset
You should consider running a Winsock reset if you experience:

• Inability to access any websites after removing a VPN or other networking software.
• Persistent network errors after a malware removal.
• A situation where your computer is connected to the network, but no applications can access the internet.

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What a Winsock Reset Does

• Resets the Winsock Catalog: This is the primary function. It rebuilds the Winsock catalog, which is a database of all network "service providers," back to its clean, default configuration.
• Fixes "Socket" Errors: It can resolve a variety of connectivity problems where the underlying network connection seems fine, but applications can't get online. This often manifests as "Page cannot be displayed" errors in your browser, even when your computer reports it's connected to the network

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A Winsock reset is quite specific and does not:

• Erase Saved Network Passwords
• Reset Your IP Address
• Change Network Drivers

Note: A Winsock reset is often confused with the "Network Reset" feature in Windows 10 and 11. "Network Reset" is a much more drastic option that does remove and reinstall all network adapters and does forget all saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords.

This panels introduces how to perform a Network Reset.

Running a Network Reset uninstalls and reinstalls all your network hardware (Wi-Fi and Ethernet adapters) and resets every network component back to its factory default. 

Note: This should not be done unless you are aware of or have researched all of the implications.

Windows 10	Windows 11
Click the Windows Start button > then select Settings. Select Network and Internet. Select Status. Select Network reset towards the bottom. Click Reset now > Yes to confirm. Windows will reboot with the network adapters reset. Try reconnecting to Wi-Fi.	Click the Windows Start button > then select Settings. Select Network and internet. Select Advanced network settings. Select Network reset. Click Reset now > Yes to confirm. Windows will reboot with the network adapters reset. Try reconnecting to Wi-Fi.