How to Troubleshoot DNS Issues

DNS issues can cause your website to go down, email to stop working, or your domain to resolve incorrectly. Here's a practical guide to diagnosing and resolving common DNS problems.

Step 1: Confirm Your DNS Records Are Correct

Log in to cPanel > Domains > Zone Editor and verify that your DNS records are configured correctly. Common mistakes include typos in record values, missing trailing dots on fully qualified domain names, or duplicate conflicting records.

Step 2: Check Propagation

Use a tool like dnschecker.org or whatsmydns.net to see what DNS values are being returned globally. If you recently made a change, the issue may simply be that propagation is still in progress (up to 24–48 hours).

Step 3: Flush Your Local DNS Cache

Your computer may be caching old DNS data. Clear it before testing:

• macOS: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache && sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
• Windows: ipconfig /flushdns

Step 4: Verify Your Nameservers

If DNS isn't resolving at all, check that your domain's nameservers are set correctly. In your dotCanada client area, confirm they're pointing to the right nameservers (e.g., ns1.dotcanada.com and ns2.dotcanada.com for dotCanada-managed DNS).

Step 5: Look for Conflicting Records

Multiple A records or MX records pointing to different destinations can cause unpredictable behaviour. Review your Zone Editor and remove any duplicates or outdated entries.

If you've worked through these steps and are still experiencing issues, contact our support team - we're here to help.