Domain Not Working? Troubleshoot a Domain That Does Not Resolve

When your website suddenly shows This site can’t be reached, DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN or Server not found, the problem is often the domain rather than the hosting. This checklist works from the most common causes to the rarer ones, so you can find out where the problem is in a few minutes.

Step 1: Is the domain expired?

1. Log in to your FimuroHost client area and open Domains → My Domains. Check the status and expiry date.
2. If it is expired or in grace or redemption, renew or restore it. See How to Restore an Expired Domain.
3. Also check Billing → Invoices for an unpaid domain renewal.

Step 2: Is the domain on hold?

Look the domain up at lookup.icann.org and check the status codes.

• clientHold: often because the contact email was not verified within 15 days. Search your inbox for the verification email and click the link. See Verify Your Domain Contact Email.
• serverHold: set by the registry. Open a ticket.
• inactive: the domain has no nameservers. Add them.

Step 3: Are the nameservers correct?

1. Compare the nameservers in the lookup with what your hosting needs, for example ns1.stackdns.com and ns2.stackdns.com for Cloud, WordPress or Windows hosting.
2. Check what the internet sees right now:

   dig NS yourdomain.com +short
   
                           
                       

   On Windows: nslookup -type=NS yourdomain.com.
3. If they are wrong, fix them under Nameservers on the domain page. See Change Nameservers in the Client Area.
4. If you changed them in the last 48 hours, the problem may simply be caching. See How to Check Whether DNS Has Propagated.

Step 4: Do the DNS records exist?

Correct nameservers are not enough; the DNS zone must contain the right records.

dig A yourdomain.com +short
dig A www.yourdomain.com +short

                        
                    

• No answer: the domain has not been added to your hosting, or the A record is missing. Add the domain to your hosting package or add the record in your DNS editor.
• An unexpected IP: an old record points elsewhere. Update it to your hosting IP (see How to Find the IP Address of Your Hosting Package).
• Works without www but not with www (or the other way round): add the missing A or CNAME record.

Step 5: Is it just your computer or network?

• Try on mobile data instead of Wi-Fi, or ask someone elsewhere to try.
• Clear your DNS cache. Windows: ipconfig /flushdns. macOS: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder.
• Remove any entry for the domain from your hosts file if you added one for testing.

Step 6: Is it the hosting rather than the domain?

If DNS returns the right IP but the page shows an error (403, 500, suspended page, or a default page), the domain is working and the issue is on the hosting side. Check that the hosting service is active under Services and that your files are in the right folder.

Quick reference

Need help?

If you have worked through these steps and the domain still does not load, open a support ticket from your client area (choose the Support department and include your domain name), or message us on WhatsApp at 01818160926. We are happy to check your domain for you.