Resetting DNS
DNS-MNS can restore your DNS settings to automatic (DHCP) mode, where your router or ISP provides DNS servers.
Using DNS-MNS to Reset
The easiest way to reset DNS is through the tool itself:
- Run
dns-mns
- Select option
3 (Clear/Reset DNS)
- Confirm the reset
[ CLEAR/RESET DNS ]
This will reset your DNS settings to automatic (DHCP).
Your router/ISP will provide DNS servers.
Are you sure? (y/n): y
Resetting DNS settings...
DNS has been reset to automatic.
What Reset Does
systemd-resolved:
- Removes
/etc/systemd/resolved.conf.d/dns-mns.conf
- Restarts systemd-resolved service
NetworkManager:
- Resets
ipv4.ignore-auto-dns to no
- Clears custom DNS settings
- Reloads the connection
resolv.conf:
- Restores from backup if available
- Or configures for DHCP
- Clears custom DNS using
networksetup -setdnsservers "Wi-Fi" empty
- Flushes DNS cache
- System returns to DHCP-provided DNS
- Resets DNS using
Set-DnsClientServerAddress -ResetServerAddresses
- Clears DNS cache
- System returns to DHCP-provided DNS
Manual Reset
If DNS-MNS isn’t available, you can reset manually:
systemd-resolved:sudo rm /etc/systemd/resolved.conf.d/dns-mns.conf
sudo systemctl restart systemd-resolved
# Get your connection name
nmcli connection show
# Reset DNS
sudo nmcli connection modify "Your Connection" ipv4.dns ""
sudo nmcli connection modify "Your Connection" ipv4.ignore-auto-dns no
sudo nmcli connection up "Your Connection"
# If you have a backup
sudo cp /etc/resolv.conf.backup /etc/resolv.conf
# Or let DHCP handle it
sudo dhclient -r && sudo dhclient
# Reset to empty (DHCP)
sudo networksetup -setdnsservers "Wi-Fi" empty
# Flush cache
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
sudo networksetup -setdnsservers "Ethernet" empty
# Reset to DHCP
Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi" -ResetServerAddresses
# Clear cache
Clear-DnsClientCache
Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias "Ethernet" -ResetServerAddresses
Flushing DNS Cache
After resetting DNS, it’s a good idea to flush your DNS cache:
sudo resolvectl flush-caches
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache && sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
Verifying Reset
Confirm that DNS has been reset to automatic:
Look for “DNS Servers” from your router’s IP range (e.g., 192.168.x.x). networksetup -getdnsservers Wi-Fi
Get-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias "Wi-Fi"
When to Reset DNS
Consider resetting DNS if:
- You’re experiencing connectivity issues
- Websites aren’t loading correctly
- You want to return to your ISP’s default DNS
- You’re troubleshooting network problems
After resetting, your ISP-provided DNS will be used. This may be slower or have restrictions depending on your provider.
