In this guide, I have explained how to clear the DNS cache in Google Chrome. Clearing the DNS cache is necessary when you cannot access a website, which happens when the site’s DNS entry has been changed.

The Chrome browser comes with an in-built DNS cache. DNS changes the website domain to a machine-readable form called an IP address. To access a website, browsers use the IP address to send data to the Content Delivery Network.

When DNS is missing or corrupted due to being changed or removed, the user cannot access a website until they clear the DNS cache.

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What is net internals/# DNS?

chrome://net-internals/#dns is a command you enter in the URL bar of the Chrome browser to clear the DNS cache. Net-internals is a NetLog event stream visualizer.

The NetLog is a log file that maintains all the activities on the browser’s network. It is important for understanding and troubleshooting browser performance or bug issues.

Chrome DNS Cache

When you clear the Chrome DNS cache, the browser’s DNS entries are removed. The Chrome browser’s DNS Cache can store up to 1000 DNS entries.

Clearing the Chrome DNS cache will resolve DNS issues whenever you are unable to access a website or experience performance lag on the browser.

How to Clear DNS Cache on Chrome browser?

Clearing the DNS cache on the Chrome browser merely takes two steps.

  1. First of all, open the Chrome browser.
  2. In the URL bar, type 
    chrome://net-internals/#dns
  3. On the next page, click the button Clear Host Cache.clear the DNS cache on the Chrome browser
  4. Next, you have to restart the browser.

NOTE: When the cache is cleared, no prompt will show citing that the cache has been cleared.

How to Clear the Socket Pools on Chrome Browser?

There is another element associated with DNS called socket pools. Using the socket pool DNS server issues queries by randomizing the source port.

It is a useful concept to protect a site’s DNS against malicious cyber attacks such as DNS poisoning.

Follow these steps to clear the socket pools on the Chrome browser.

  1. Open the Chrome browser.
  2. In the address bar enter the following command and press enter. 
    chrome://net-internals/#sockets
  3. On the next page, click on the button Flush socket pools.how to flush the DNS socket pools on Chrome browser
  4. Close the browser and relaunch it.

How to Fix Chrome://net-internals/#dns not working?

While clearing the DNS cache on the Chrome browser may seem straightforward, some users complain that the chrome://net-internals command does not work. I have listed a few troubleshooting tips that you can follow to fix this problem.

Restart the DNS Service

Follow the steps mentioned below to restart the DNS service.

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run box.
  2. Type services.msc in the Run box and press enter.services.msc
  3. Within the Services list, scroll to DNS client, right-click on it, and select Restart.DNS client
  4. After restarting the DNS client you also have to relaunch the browser.

Release a New IP Address

Releasing an IP address involves flushing the DNS cache and renewing the IP address. Follow these steps to carry out the fix.

  1. Launch the Command Prompt using Windows search.
    Press the Windows key and type command prompt
  2. Enter the command mentioned below. 
    ipconfig/release

    release IP address

  3. The next step is to flush the DNS cache. To do so, you have to enter the following command. 
    ipconfig/flushdns

    flush dns cache using command prompt

  4. After clearing the DNS cache, you must renew the client’s IP address. Issue the following command to renew the IP address. 
    ipconfig/renew

    renew the IP address using command prompt

Stop Using VPN

While VPN is useful in providing access to restricted websites using remote servers, it may also cause problems in clearing the DNS cache. The issue arises when VPN settings override the native network settings.

To turn it off, you just have to launch the VPN app or web browser extension and click the corresponding button.
turn off VPN

Reset the Chrome Flags

When enabled, the Chrome flags provide experimental features on the Chrome browser. Some of these features may cause bug issues and make commands for DNS cache clearing unresponsive. Here are the steps to reset the Chrome flags.

  1. Open the Chrome browser.
  2. In the URL bar type the below lines and hit enter 
    chrome://flags
  3. Right beside the search field, click the Reset All button.

Wrapping Up

Next time you cannot access a website on the internet you know the issue may be with DNS. To solve the problem you need to clear the DNS cache using the steps mentioned in the guide. I hope this guide now clears all your doubts about Chrome //net-internals/#dns.

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