

You might experience this as difficulty accessing websites or applications. The first is the cache may contain outdated information. It’s important to flush a DNS cache for a few reasons. Clearing the browser cache won’t address this, which is why you need to clear the DNS cache on Windows or even on the DNS server. This information is useful for speeding up search results, but you may want to remove the stored data even before the TTL expires.



The operating system isn’t the only place storing information-each step of the lookup process contains its own DNS cache. This means if the user returns to a recently visited website, instead of looking up the information all over again, the browser can get the details from the cache and return results more quickly. These DNS caches store information for a certain period. To get around this, operating systems create their own cache for website addresses that have been called and resolved. DNS servers perform this conversion from name to IP address, and vice versa.Įven with many DNS servers available, it can take a while to get a response. When you type a domain name, such as into a browser, the name has to be translated into an IP address before the results are displayed. Recommended Tool to Keep DNS Cache Clear How Does a DNS Cache Work? It’ll also touch on the benefits of using a tool like SolarWinds ® Server & Application Monitor (SAM) to keep tabs on DNS performance and clear the cache when called for.Ĭlearing DNS Cache on Windows Server with Command PromptĬlearing DNS Cache with Windows PowerShell This guide will explain in more detail what the cache is, how it’s used, and why it’s important to sometimes flush the DNS server cache. What many people don’t realize, though, is information is also stored in the domain name server (DNS) cache. When users want to remove the information collected, they clear the cache of their browsers. Sites often try to record information about visitors, which is why you’re often asked if you accept the use of cookies.
