Is ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED the same as DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN?

They overlap but aren't identical. DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN is the specific case where an authoritative nameserver answered NXDOMAIN — the domain definitively does not exist. ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED (Chromium net error -105) is broader: it covers any failure to get a usable address, including an unreachable resolver, a NODATA answer (the name exists but has no A/AAAA record), or a stale local cache. NXDOMAIN is one way to land here, not the only way.

Why does the site load on my phone but not my laptop?

Different network, different resolver. If your phone on cellular resolves the name and your laptop on Wi-Fi doesn't, the domain is fine — the problem is on the laptop's side: its DNS server, a stale cache, a VPN's DNS, or a hosts-file entry. Switch the laptop's resolver to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 and flush the cache to confirm.

I just registered the domain (or changed nameservers) — why this error?

Delegation hasn't taken hold yet. If the parent zone still points at old nameservers, or your new nameservers aren't answering for the zone, resolvers get no usable address and the browser shows ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED. Check the domain from outside your network — if an authoritative answer exists there but not for you, it's propagation or local cache; if it exists nowhere, fix the nameserver delegation at the registrar.

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ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED Fix

ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED means DNS couldn't turn the hostname into an IP. Tell a dead domain from a broken resolver in 3 checks. Free instant check, no sign-up.

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Problem

The browser shows ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED (or “This site can’t be reached — server DNS address could not be found”). Chromium’s internal code is net error -105: the host name could not be resolved.

Symptoms

Chrome/Edge shows ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED; the page never even tries to connect.
The same URL works on another device, another network, or over cellular.
Some sites resolve fine while one specific hostname fails.

What ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED Actually Means

The browser asked DNS for the address behind a hostname and got back nothing it could use. That’s the whole error. Notice what it does not say: it never reached a server, never opened a connection, never spoke HTTP. The failure happened at step zero — turning a name into an IP — so everything downstream (TCP, TLS, the web server) is irrelevant until DNS works.

That narrows the suspects to three places: the domain’s own DNS (no record published, or the domain doesn’t exist), the resolver you’re using (unreachable, misconfigured, or serving stale data), or something local intercepting the lookup (a hosts file, a VPN, a captive portal). The art of fixing this is figuring out which of those three, and the fastest way is to ask the same question from somewhere other than your machine.

Top 3 Causes

The domain has no usable address record - Either the name doesn’t exist at all (the authoritative nameserver returns NXDOMAIN) or it exists but publishes no A/AAAA record (NODATA). A typo in the hostname lands here too. This is the case where the problem is the domain, not you — and an external lookup confirms it instantly.
Your resolver is the problem - The DNS server your machine is configured to use is down, slow, blocking the name, or holding a stale/poisoned cache entry. ISP resolvers hiccup; a VPN can override your DNS with one that can’t resolve internal or geo-specific names. The tell: the domain resolves from other networks but not yours.
Something local is intercepting the lookup - A leftover hosts file entry pinning the name to a dead IP, a captive portal you haven’t signed into, or a corrupted OS/browser DNS cache. These fail only on the one machine and survive a router reboot, which is what distinguishes them from a network outage.

Diagnose with DechoNet

DNS Check from outside your network — if it returns a valid A/AAAA record while your browser shows ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED, the domain is healthy and the problem is your resolver or your machine. If it finds no record either, the fix belongs to whoever runs the domain.
Propagation Check to query several independent resolvers at once — if some return the record and others don’t, you’re looking at propagation lag or a single bad resolver, not a missing record.

Resolution Checklist

Re-read the hostname for typos and stray characters — the single most common “DNS” failure isn’t DNS.
Run an external DNS Check. No record anywhere means the domain owner must publish the A/AAAA record or fix nameserver delegation — stop debugging your laptop.
Flush the DNS cache: chrome://net-internals/#dns → Clear host cache, plus ipconfig /flushdns (Windows) or sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder (macOS).
Switch your resolver to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 and retry. If it works now, your previous DNS server was the culprit.
Check the hosts file (/etc/hosts or C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts) for a stale pin on the hostname.
Disconnect any VPN or proxy and retry — VPN DNS frequently can’t resolve names your normal resolver can.
On public Wi-Fi, open http://neverssl.com to trigger the captive-portal login, then retry.

When to Escalate

If an external DNS Check finds no record either, escalate to the domain’s operator: the A/AAAA record is missing or the nameserver delegation is wrong, and no client-side fix will help.
If you just changed registrars or nameservers and the record exists at the new nameservers but resolvers still miss it, give propagation time and verify the parent zone’s NS records point at the new nameservers.