What is a DNS Cache & How to Flush DNS Cache?

The computer’s repository for recently sent requests to DNS name servers is called the domain name system (DNS) cache. When a user sends a complete DNS query, which includes A records and/or MX records, the DNS cache stores the responses until the operating system or the browser causes them to expire. The initial visit to a website can take a few milliseconds to more than a minute when a visitor wants to see it. Nevertheless, if the user makes multiple visits, the procedure might just take a few milliseconds because the IP address won’t need to be searched up because the website record has already been cached in the system’s DNS cache or the browser’s cache.

What Is A DNS Flush?

The act of manually removing a DNS cache’s temporary entries is known as a DNS flush. The entries remain in the cache until their predetermined duration (also known as the “time to live,” or TTL) has elapsed if no direct intervention is made.
Typically, system-specific flush DNS command line programs are used to finish the deletion operation. For instance, on a Mac, you use Terminal and the relevant command for the specific Apple system version. With Windows, you can use the command “ipconfig /flushdns” to flush the DNS via CMD, or the command prompt.

Why Flush Your DNS Cache?

There are a few good reasons to think about clearing the DNS cache. These are a handful;

Avoid DNS Spoofing

Malicious actors use a technique known as DNS spoofing or poisoning to gain access to your DNS cache. They can take you to malicious or spoof websites once they get access to it in order to steal your information. You can avoid that by cleaning up your DNS cache.

Prevent 404 Errors

You might be attempting to access an out-of-date version of the website if you’re receiving 404 errors from websites. You can fix this and possibly be able to access the website again by clearing your DNS cache.

Delete Previous DNS Data

There are numerous DNS providers available, such as Google and Open DNS.

How to Flush Windows’ DNS Cache

Does the widely used Windows operating system run on your computer? 

Step-by-step instructions for clearing the DNS cache on Windows 8 and Windows 10 can be found below.

Flush DNS Cache on Windows 10

1. Select Windows or the Start menu. 
2. Next, navigate to Computer Systems > Command Prompt, or use the search box to enter CMD (“Type here to search”). 
3. Enter the CMD command ipconfig /flushdns and hit Enter after the CMD interface has opened. 
4. The software ought to notify you that your DNS cache has been cleansed. The Command Prompt can be closed after this is shown.

Flush DNS Cache on Windows 8

With the Windows 8 version, locating the command line interface is a little different.

1. Start by launching the Apps screen.
2. Select Windows Systems > Command Prompt after that.
3. Use the same ipconfig /flushdns command as soon as the CMD opens.
4. After the procedure is finished, you ought to see a notification verifying that your local DNS cache has been emptied.

Flush DNS Cache on Mozilla Firefox’s

Because it only keeps resolved DNS entries in memory rather than on the hard drive, the Firefox browser functions somewhat differently from other browsers. This implies that the DNS entries will be deleted each time the browser is closed. Nevertheless, you may still remove the DNS records without shutting down the browser by entering the following in the address bar and selecting the “Clear DNS cache” button:

about:networking#dns

Flush DNS Cache on Microsoft Edge’s 

The method for clearing the DNS cache is the same for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers because they both use the same Chromium engine. Simply enter the following text in the address bar, then select “Clear host cache”:
• /net-internals/#dns edge 

How to Delete the DNS Cache from the Chrome Web Browser
As previously stated, the operating system or the browser stores DNS records. As a result, occasionally you might need to clear your browser’s DNS cache. To accomplish this in Google Chrome, just type the following URL into the search bar:
• https://net-internals.com/#dns 

To clear the DNS cache in Google Chrome, click the Clear Host Cache icon. 

Is DNS Cache Flushing Safe?

It is safe to clear the DNS cache, yes. Some people worry about clearing their DNS cache or ask if doing so too often could have negative consequences. This could be the result of certain operating systems requiring administrator authorization or higher privileges in order to do so. However, you shouldn’t worry because it is safe and won’t damage your system or device.

In Summary

Fantastic! You’ve been successful in clearing your computer’s DNS cache. It should be noted that it may take up to 48 hours for DNS changes to spread to all DNS servers on the internet. It would take a few hours for these changes to become operative.