DNS stands for Domain Name System which is the system on the Internet that tells you where to find a web site.  Basically, when you enter an internet address into the address bar of the website (e.g. www.maingeek.com), the DNS system goes through a series of Internet files and looks up the IP Address of the web site. This is similar to looking up a phone number in a phone book except everything is done online.

The error "Failed DNS Lookup" can occur for a few reasons.

1. The hostname (domain name) of the web address (URL) has been misspelled so the system can not find it.  In this instance, retype the webite address and hit enter again in your browser.

2. The server where the website is hosted can not be found, meaning the web server is down or temporarily overloaded.  If this is your web site, check to see if you can get to any other web site before contacting your web site administrator. If you can’t access any other web sites, then you could be experiencing an error with your connection.  In this case close all browsers and restart your internet connection. 

3. The web site can not be located at all.   If you just built this site and you can’t find it, then you may be trying to view it before the DNS has propogated across the internet.  Another cause could be a error in setting up the DNS records itself.

Use our free DNS Tool to determine if your DNS records are set up correctly.

Technorati Tags: dns lookups failing constantly, failed dns lookup