Why does ping work on an IP but not on a name?

Pinging an IP address needs no name resolution. If only names fail, the fault is the DNS server or its configuration, not the connection.

Should I just set 8.8.8.8 as the DNS server?

At home that's a quick workaround. In company networks it isn't: public servers don't know internal names, so domain logon and internal services stop working.

What does “DNS request timed out” mean?

The configured DNS server didn't answer. It is configured wrongly, down, or blocked by a firewall.

DNS server not responding: find the cause and fix it

“The internet is down” is one of the most common support tickets. Very often the connection is fine and only name resolution is broken. Four commands tell you whether DNS is the cause and which server is configured wrongly.

1. Is it really DNS?

Ping an IP address on the internet first, then a name. If the IP answers but the name doesn't, the network is fine and the problem is name resolution.

$ ping 1.1.1.1reply = connection and gateway work

$ ping example.com“could not find host” = DNS problem

2. Which DNS server is configured?

Check which DNS server the client actually uses. A typo, a server that was switched off or a wrong DHCP option is enough to break all name resolution.

$ ipconfig /allWindows: the “DNS Servers” line

$ resolvectl statusLinux with systemd-resolved

$ cat /etc/resolv.confLinux without systemd-resolved

3. Query the server directly

Ask a known-good DNS server directly. If that works, the name is fine and the configured server is the problem.

$ nslookup example.comuses the configured server; “DNS request timed out” = no answer

$ nslookup example.com 192.168.10.10asks the internal DNS server explicitly

4. Fix it and verify

Configure the correct DNS server. In company networks that is almost always the internal DNS server (e.g. the domain controller), not a public one like 8.8.8.8. Otherwise websites work again but internal names such as intranet.company.local don't.

If the address comes from DHCP, fix it in the DHCP options so the fault doesn't come back with the next lease renewal.

$ Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias Ethernet -ServerAddresses 192.168.10.10Windows (PowerShell)

$ ipconfig /flushdnsclear old, wrong answers from the cache

$ nslookup intranet.firma.localtest internal and external names

FAQ

Why does ping work on an IP but not on a name?: Pinging an IP address needs no name resolution. If only names fail, the fault is the DNS server or its configuration, not the connection.
Should I just set 8.8.8.8 as the DNS server?: At home that's a quick workaround. In company networks it isn't: public servers don't know internal names, so domain logon and internal services stop working.
What does “DNS request timed out” mean?: The configured DNS server didn't answer. It is configured wrongly, down, or blocked by a firewall.

Last updated: 2026-11-08