How to Clear Your DNS Cache in Mac OS X

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Posted May 29, 2011 at 11:45pm by iClarified

These are instructions on how to clear/flush your DNS Cache in Mac OS X. While this is very simple to do we get asked how a lot. You may need to do this after making changes to your hosts file.

LEOPARD AND SNOW LEOPARD
Step One
Launch Terminal from your Applications:Utilities folder.

Step Two
Enter dscacheutil -flushcache into the Terminal window that appears and press the Enter key.

TIGER
Step One
Launch Terminal from you Application:Utilities folder.

Step Two
Enter lookupd -flushcache into the Terminal window that appears and press the Enter key.

BONUS: WINDOWS
Step One
Press the Windows and R key then input cmd and click OK to launch the Command Prompt.

Step Two
Enter ipconfig /flushdns into the Command Prompt window that appears and press the Enter key.

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Rodel - March 13, 2012 at 5:10am

My question is: dulown't it be best to have the local machine (windows, or?) save the dns entries for much longer? Maybe a week? It sounds like they are lost from the dns resolver when the machine is shut down, or when the ttl expires. Of course, you could enter them manually into the Hosts file, but if windows could save them for maybe a week in the dns resolver, and you mostly go to the same sites, that would be faster, right? How often to websites change their IP address?

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Anupam - May 30, 2011 at 4:45am

What is the advantage of clearing the DNS from the computer... is it beneficial in any way?

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example - August 15, 2011 at 10:00pm

sometimes sites can redirect to others and you can fix that by clearing the dns

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