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Troubleshooting

This page covers common issues and their solutions.

Installation Issues

”Command not found: dns-mns”

The command was not added to your PATH. Solutions:
  1. Restart your terminal
  2. Run directly: ~/.local/bin/dns-mns
  3. Add to PATH manually:
If you use the pre-built binary instead, just run it directly — no PATH setup needed.

”curl: command not found”

Install curl, use wget instead, or use the pre-built binary which doesn’t need curl at all. Use the binary (recommended for Iran): Download from the Releases page — no curl/wget needed. Or install curl: Ubuntu/Debian:
Or use wget:

“Permission denied” during installation

Make the script or binary executable:

DNS Testing Issues

All DNS servers show as unreachable

Possible causes:
  • No internet connection
  • Firewall blocking ICMP
  • ISP blocking DNS queries
Solutions:
  1. Check your internet connection:
  2. Try a known working DNS:
  3. Check if your firewall is blocking:

Testing is very slow

Possible causes:
  • Many DNS servers are unreachable
  • Slow internet connection
  • High network latency
Solutions:
  1. Test a specific category instead of all servers
  2. Ensure you have a stable connection
  3. Close bandwidth-heavy applications

”dig: command not found”

The dig command is optional but improves testing accuracy. Ubuntu/Debian:
Fedora:
macOS:

DNS Configuration Issues

”Permission denied” when changing DNS

The tool needs administrator privileges. Linux/macOS:
Windows: Right-click Git Bash or PowerShell and select “Run as Administrator”

DNS changes not taking effect

Step 1: Flush DNS cache
Step 2: Verify DNS is set
Step 3: Restart network service

DNS changes don’t persist after reboot

Linux (NetworkManager):
Linux (systemd-resolved): Ensure the config file exists:

VPN overrides DNS settings

Most VPNs override DNS settings for security. Options:
  1. Configure DNS within your VPN client
  2. Disconnect VPN before changing DNS
  3. Use VPN’s DNS servers instead

General Issues

Tool shows old version

Update to the latest version using the built-in updater:
Or re-run the installer to download the latest binary:

Colors not displaying correctly

Your terminal may not support ANSI colors. Solutions:
  1. Use a modern terminal emulator
  2. Set TERM environment variable:

Network Issues

Websites still not loading after DNS change

Possible causes:
  • DNS cache not flushed
  • Browser cache
  • ISP-level blocking
Solutions:
  1. Flush DNS cache (see above)
  2. Clear browser cache
  3. Try incognito/private browsing
  4. Restart browser

Gaming ping still high

DNS only affects name resolution, not game server routing. Additional steps:
  1. Use a gaming VPN (ExitLag, WTFast)
  2. Check your ISP’s routing
  3. Use wired instead of Wi-Fi
  4. Close background applications

Some websites work, others don’t

The DNS server may be blocking certain domains. Solutions:
  1. Try a different DNS (e.g., Cloudflare 1.1.1.1)
  2. Use option 3 to reset DNS and test

System Diagnostics

Use the built-in diagnostics command to automatically check your system configuration:
This checks:
  • System information and OS version
  • Administrator/root permissions
  • Network interface configuration
  • Current DNS settings
  • DNS resolution capabilities
  • Platform-specific configuration
Save diagnostics to a file:
Include this output when opening bug reports.

Windows-Specific Issues

”Access Denied” Errors

Problem: Windows requires Administrator privileges to change DNS settings. Solutions:
  1. Use the PowerShell Wrapper (Recommended):
    Download from the releases page and place next to dns-mns.exe.
  2. Manual Elevation: Right-click PowerShell and select “Run as Administrator”

Update Process on Windows

Windows locks running executables, which prevents direct replacement. The updater handles this automatically by:
  1. Downloading the new binary to a temporary file
  2. Creating an update script (update.bat and update.vbs)
  3. Exiting the current process
  4. The script replaces the binary and restarts the application
Note: You may see update.bat or update.vbs files temporarily during updates. These are cleaned up automatically after successful completion.

Antivirus False Positives

Some antivirus software may flag DNS-MNS because it modifies network settings. This is a false positive. If your antivirus blocks the tool:
  1. Add an exception for dns-mns.exe in your antivirus settings
  2. Windows Defender typically does not flag the tool

PowerShell Execution Policy

Error: Execution of scripts is disabled on this system Solution: Run PowerShell as Administrator and execute:

Getting Help

If you’re still experiencing issues:
  1. Run diagnostics: dns-mns diagnose > debug.txt
  2. Check existing issues: gitlab.com/E-Gurl/dns-mns/issues
  3. Open a new issue with:
    • Your operating system and version
    • The command you ran
    • The error message you received
    • Output of dns-mns diagnose