Understanding Chrome Net Internals DNS
Have you ever wondered what Chrome Net Internals DNS is? It is a convenient built-in feature of Google Chrome that provides insight into how your browser performs DNS functions, gives you visibility into these functions and allows for easy management of DNS settings. This tool is helpful for identifying sluggishness or access problems that may be impacted by DNS issues. Although the tool is designated primarily for Chrome, it has limited capabilities to appear on other networks like Opera or Microsoft Edge. What are you waiting for, just type chrome://net-internals/#dns and clear out obsolete DNS items.
Key Features of Chrome Net Internals DNS Tools
The “chrome://net-internals/#dns” page is your first stop for troubleshooting DNS problems. Here’s what this page provides:
DNS Lookup
With Chrome Net Internals DNS, you can do a simple DNS lookup to find the IP address for a domain to easily troubleshoot connectivity issues to determine if the DNS server has correctly performed the name resolution.
DNS Resolver Cache
It displays the DNS entries in the DNS resolver cache along with Time-To-Live to help you determine if a cache flush is necessary or if the existing Chrome Net Internals DNS cache is working properly.
DNS Prefetching
Google Chrome prefetches DNS entries, which increases page load speed; however, it does increase the number of DNS queries and can slightly impact network performance.
Sockets
You can see open sockets and their states on this page, as well as the resolver rules that convert domain names to an IP address and the proxy server assigned to URL.
My Instructions for Clearing DNS Cache in Windows with chrome://net-internals/#dns
Need to clear your DNS cache in Chrome? The problems you're experiencing with connectivity on Windows, macOS, or Linux can be fixed through the chrome://net-internals/#dns page.
This is how to clear Chrome Net Internals DNS:
- Step 1: Open Chrome
- Step 2: Copy & paste chrome://net-internals/#dns into the address bar and hit "Enter". Check out what's inside chrome://net-internals/#dns
- Step 3: Click the "clear host cache" button in Chrome Net Internals DNS. Clear DNS Cache in Windows
- Step 4: Restart Chrome and go to chrome://net-internals/#sockets to clear socket pools. This trick works on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone, and iPad.
Clearing DNS Cache on Mobile with chrome://net-internals/#dns
Though it may seem a little tricky on mobile devices to use Chrome Net Internals DNS as a diagnostic tool to flush DNS cache on Android, iPhone, and iPad, boats and cars are also considered mobile.
Follow the steps above. Open Chrome, then navigate to chrome://net-internals/#dns on your mobile.
Follow these steps.
- Step 1 - Open Chrome.
- Step 2 - Tap the "More" icon at the top right.
- Step 3 - Tap "History"
- Step 4 - Choose a time range or, choose "All Time" to clear all data. Clear Internals DNS on Mobile
- Step 5 - Check "Cookies and site data" and "Cached images and files." Cookies and Cache on a Mobile Device
- Step 6 - Tap "Clear data" at the bottom.
Why Clear the Net Internals DNS Cache?
For anyone online, it is highly recommended to clear your DNS cache. The longer we remain online, the more obsolete records will clutter up. This could result in any of the following.
- A slow loading website.
- An older version of a website surfacing.
- Connection trouble or getting blocked for security reasons.
Ultimately, clearing the DNS cache will reduce your browsing time, increase your security and give you the most current information.
What If chrome://net-internals/#dns Doesn't Work?
If Chrome Net Internals DNS does not work, try these other tips on flushing your DNS:
- Delete DNS cache through Command Prompt
- By Restarting the DNS Client Services
- Through resetting Chrome Flags
1. Delete DNS Cache through Command Prompt
Whether you use Windows, macOS, or Chrome:
- For Windows Users
- Step 1: Hit Start Menu > search, "Command Prompt", right click, "Run as Administrator"
- Step 2: The command prompt pops up.
- Step 3: Type commands and hit Enter.
- For macOS Users
- Step 1: Open Terminal.
- Step 2: Type commands and hit return. DNS Flushing Sets on macOS
- Step 3: Enter password and hit return.
- Step 4: Open browser and go to any webpage.
2. Restarting DNS Client Services.
Options for doing so:
- Method 1
- Press Windows Key+R (to open Run Command), type services.msc, hit Enter, locate the DNS Client, right click, Restart. DNS Client Services services DNS Client.
- Method 2
- Search cmd in Run Dialog, open command prompt, and enter refresh command.
4. Resetting Chrome Flags
Proceed with caution when considering resetting flags on Chrome.
- Step 1: Open Chrome.
- Step 2: Type "chrome://flags" and press Enter.
- Step 3: Click "Reset all to default" at the top. How to Reset Chrome Flags?
- Step 4: Click "Reset all" to confirm.
- Step 5: Relaunch Chrome to apply changes.
Clear DNS Cache on MacOS
- Step 1: Open Spotlight, type "Terminal", hit enter.
- Step 2: Type: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
Clear DNS Cache on Linux
- Step 1: Open Terminal.
- Step 2: Type "sudo systemd-resolve– flush-caches" and hit enter.
- Step 3: That clears all cache entries.
- Step 4: Confirm with "sudo systemd-resolve– statistics"; you should see "CacheHit" as zero.
Troubleshooting Some Common DNS Glitches
If clearing the DNS cache from Chrome Net Internals doesn't help, consider this:
- DNS cache won't clear
- Restart Chrome or restart your device. Clear your system DNS cache, or open Incognito mode to check for extension issues - enabling them one-by-one, if needed.
- Still will not load after DNS clear
- Check your internet connection. Reboot your router. If you are still not getting DNS access, try switching to either Google DNS (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1).
Best Practices for DNS Management with chiron
After reading these tips, you should feel more comfortable managing your DNS:
- Regularly clear your DNS cache to avoid stale data.
- You can use the Clear host cache button from the chrome://net-internals/#dns to clear the DNS cache.
- If you are still having difficulty with the DNS cache, it may help to flush the socket pools.
- Keep your operating system and web browser software always up to date for better DNS performance.
- Consider using faster, more secure services like Google DNS or Cloudflare DNS.
Conclusion
The DNS settings and errors presented by Chrome Net Internals can be slightly intimidating at first, but the usage of chrome://net-internals/dns makes clearing the cache and troubleshooting easier. Flush whenever necessary for more difficult situations.
Also Read: 13 Cybersecurity Best Practices for Your Business
FAQs
What is Chrome Net Internals DNS?
Chrome Net Internals DNS is a function of the Google Chrome browser. You can view the DNS cache settings and manage parameters of your network.
How to clear DNS cache in Chrome?
You can open the Chrome browser, enter “chrome://net-internals/#dns” address into the address bar, and press your keyboard enter button to the Clear host cache section of the chrome://net-internals/#dns DNS settings page.
How to clear DNS cache on mobile Chrome?
Open Chrome on your mobile device. Select More at the top right of the screen. Select History. Set your time range (The All time option works best). Select Clear browsing data. Select Cookies and site data and Cached images and files. Select Clear Data.