What Are DNS Servers?

When a user types a domain name into the URL bar in the browser, DNS (domain name servers) are responsible for translating the domain name into numeric IP addresses. It essentially redirects the user to the correct server where the website is hosted. There are numerous DNS providers available, most common providers are Google, Cloudflare, and Cisco OpenDNS.

Update DNS Server (Linux)

  • Firstly, SSH into your VPS
  • Once logged in, type “nano /etc/resolv.conf” and replace the current info with the following:
nameserver 8.8.8.8
nameserver 8.8.4.4

The above example is using Google’s DNS servers, you can replace it with any domain name server of your choice. We recommend using Google.

  • Once you’ve updated the domain name servers, make sure to test that they work by running “ping google.com”

Update DNS Server (Windows)

  • Firstly, RDP into your VPS
  • Once logged in, right-click on the network icon in the taskbar and click “Open Network & Internet Settings”
  • Then click “Change Adapter Options”
  • Once that’s done, it should open a new window. Right-click on the “Ethernet” network and click “Properties”
  • Then click on “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and click “Properties”
  • You then need to click “Use the following DNS server addresses” and enter the following information:

We’re using Google’s DNS servers as an example, here are the most common DNS servers and the addresses:

Google:
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4

Cloudflare:
1.1.1.1
1.0.0.1

Cisco OpenDNS:
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
  • Please make sure you test the domain name server is working by trying to go to “google.com” in the browser

Facing Any Issues?

If this does not work, pleased check if you have entered the DNS server addresses correctly and in the right place. If it’s still not working, try and use another DNS server.

We assure you that other people will have come across the same issue! If you are still unsure of how to fix the errors, feel free to contact our support team here.