Quick Clearing
Learn how to quickly clear your DNS cache on different operating systems
DNS Resolution
Understand how DNS resolution works and common issues that may occur
Alternative Access
Alternative methods to access your site during DNS propagation
DNS Tools
Helpful tools to check DNS propagation and diagnose issues
What is DNS Cache?
DNS cache is a temporary storage of previously resolved domain name lookups that helps speed up future requests to access websites.
How Long Does It Take?
DNS changes can take anywhere from 2-3 hours up to 24-48 hours to fully propagate across the internet, depending on TTL settings.
Quick Solutions
Clearing your DNS cache, using alternative DNS providers, or modifying hosts file can help access your website immediately.
What are DNS Cache Problems?
When domains are newly created, DNS changes are made, or hosting servers are migrated, websites are redirected from their old IP address to a new one. However, we might not see this change immediately. This is because our internet service provider (ISP) keeps the old IP address in its temporary memory (cache).
Because of this caching, we might still see the old site even after the change has been made. ISPs update these records at regular intervals, which is when we'll be able to see the updated site. This process typically takes 2-3 hours. However, for computers using custom DNS servers or companies with specialized network setups that have their own caching mechanisms, this period can be longer. In general, the complete propagation process can take 24-48 hours.
How DNS Caching Works
When you type a domain name in your browser, your computer needs to find the corresponding IP address to connect to the server. Instead of looking up this information each time, your device, router, ISP, and even public DNS servers save (cache) this mapping for a specific time period, known as Time To Live (TTL).
Benefits of DNS Caching
- Faster browsing experience
- Reduced bandwidth usage
- Lower latency when accessing websites
- Decreased load on DNS servers
Issues with DNS Caching
- Delayed access to updated websites
- Inconsistent experience during DNS changes
- Security risks if DNS poisoning occurs
- Troubleshooting challenges when diagnosing issues
DNS Cache Clearing Methods
If you're using OpenDNS or Google DNS, you can clear the DNS cache using the following links:
Clearing DNS Cache on Your Computer
If you still can't access your site after clearing the DNS cache, or if you've been unable to access it for more than 2 hours, you can try the following steps on your computer:
- Open "Start" / "Run" menu and type "ipconfig /flushdns", then click OK
- Close all open internet pages
- Try accessing again
You can also test access in a private/incognito window in browsers like Google Chrome, or clear Chrome's DNS cache by typing "chrome://net-internals/#dns" in the address bar and clicking "Clear host cache".
If you're using Google DNS and still can't access your site after clearing the cache, we recommend testing with a different browser.
DNS Cache Clearing Instructions by Operating System
Windows Users
- Open Command Prompt as administrator
- Type "ipconfig /flushdns" and press Enter
- Look for the confirmation message indicating the DNS cache was successfully cleared
- After clearing your DNS cache, please restart your browser and try accessing our services again
MacOS Users
- Open Terminal
- Enter the appropriate command for your macOS version (e.g., for macOS X Yosemite and later: sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder)
- Enter your administrator password if prompted
- After clearing your DNS cache, please restart your browser and try accessing our services again
Linux Users
- Open Terminal
- For systemd-resolved: sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches
- For NSCD: sudo service nscd restart
- For dnsmasq: sudo systemctl restart dnsmasq
Browser-Specific Methods
Most modern browsers also maintain their own DNS cache. Here's how to clear them:
- Chrome: Type "chrome://net-internals/#dns" in the address bar and click "Clear host cache"
- Firefox: Type "about:config" in the address bar, search for "network.dnsCacheExpiration" and set it to 0
- Edge: Edge uses the system DNS cache on Windows, so clear the Windows DNS cache
- Safari: Safari uses the system DNS cache on macOS, so clear the macOS DNS cache
Alternative Access Methods
Access via Hosts File
You can quickly access your site by editing the hosts file on your computer to map your domain name to the server/host IP address.
- Windows: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
- Mac/Linux: /etc/hosts
Using Web Proxies
You can test your site's accessibility through web proxy sites. For example, visit https://www.ekasunucu.com/dns-onizleme/, enter your site's URL, and check the web proxy access.
Checking DNS Reports
If you're still experiencing access issues, there might be a problem with your site's new IP/DNS redirection. You can check your DNS report at dnssor.com by entering your domain. You should see DNS addresses pointing to your desired location with their IP addresses at the top of the report. At the bottom of the page, you should see the IP address that your site and www record are directed to. If there's no IP, or if there's a red error at the bottom (the red warnings in the middle aren't important), there's an issue with the redirection.
Special Cases and Important Considerations
.tr Domain Extensions
If you're using a domain that ends with .tr (like .com.tr), the DNS redirection process might take longer. Redirections are processed hourly during business hours, and after business hours, they'll be processed during the next business day. For example, if you make a redirection at 8 PM, you'll need to wait until the next day for it to become active. This is a rule implemented by the .tr domain provider.
For Quick Access
To quickly access and preview your site without waiting for cache to clear, you can use https://www.ekasunucu.com/dns-onizleme/. Enter your site address on the page that opens and select a custom DNS to view your site.
Frequently Asked Questions about DNS Cache
DNS changes take time to propagate because the information needs to update across all DNS servers worldwide. Each DNS record has a Time-to-Live (TTL) value that tells servers how long to cache the information. Until this TTL expires, servers will continue using the cached information. TTL values typically range from hours to days, which is why complete propagation can take 24-48 hours.
You can't speed up the global DNS propagation process itself, but you can access your website immediately by:
- Clearing your local DNS cache as described in this guide
- Using alternative DNS providers like Google DNS (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1)
- Modifying your hosts file to manually map your domain to the new IP address
- Using web proxies to bypass your local DNS resolution
These methods only affect your personal access, not the worldwide propagation.
Different devices might be using different DNS servers or have different cache states. Each device, router, and ISP can maintain its own DNS cache with different refresh times. If one device can access the site but another can't, it's likely that the accessible device is either using a DNS server that has updated records or its cache has been cleared/expired.
DNS poisoning (or DNS spoofing) is a type of cyber attack where attackers corrupt a DNS server's cache by injecting false information, redirecting users to malicious websites. While this is different from normal DNS caching issues, the symptoms can sometimes appear similar - being directed to an unexpected website.
If you suspect DNS poisoning, you should:
- Clear your DNS cache immediately
- Use reputable DNS providers
- Check your hosts file for unauthorized entries
- Run a malware scan on your system
Normal DNS cache issues are temporary and resolve naturally as caches expire, while DNS poisoning is malicious and requires intervention.