On the web, what does the error "The server does not have a DNS entry" mean?

DNS stands for Domain Name System or Domain Name Server. This is what maps the name of a computer on the Internet to an IP address. Your web browser must be able to determine the IP address associated with a site before it can open a connection. When you get the error "The server does not have a DNS entry", it means that your browser was unable to do this.

Here are a few reasons this might happen:

• The site may no longer exist. Computers on the Internet come and go quite rapidly. Think of this as being like the phone recording, "This number has been disconnected".
  
  
• TCP/IP might not be working properly on your system. Make sure that you have an active network connection. If you get this error with every web site and other programs that use the network, TCP/IP could be the problem.
  
  
• DNS numbers may not be entered in your TCP/IP settings or other networking software, such as Dial-up Networking for Windows. Again, if DNS settings are a problem, you will have trouble with every web site and other software that uses the network.
  
  
• The network may be very slow at the moment, causing your browser's DNS request to be delayed. In this case, try again later.
  
  
• You might be behind an Internet firewall. Contact the administrator of your local subnet to find out if this is the case.

Also see:

• At IU, what should I do if people get an error message when they try to view my web page?