# Problems with Digital Ocean DNS lookups
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/problems-with-digital-ocean-dns-lookups/60025
**Category:** Self-hosting
**Tags:** hosting
**Created:** [28 maart 2017 om 14:47 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problems-with-digital-ocean-dns-lookups/60025 "2017-03-28T14:47:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [28 maart 2017 om 14:47 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problems-with-digital-ocean-dns-lookups/60025/1 "2017-03-28T14:47:50Z")
This is the first time I remember seeing any problems with Digital Ocean in the couple years I’ve been dealing with them. They use Google’s DNS servers by default, and Google is rate-limiting them. I don’t know whether this is in all data centers, but I know it’s in NYC2 (where I typically install for my clients). [digitaloceanstatus.com](http://digitaloceanstatus.com/) has some info at the top of the page.
If you’re having strange problems and/or rebuilds are failing, this is likely why.
A fix (recommended by Digital Ocean) is to edit `/etc/resolv.conf` (e.g., `nano /etc/resolv.conf`) and replace the name server lines that are there with OpenDNS’s servers.
```plaintext
nameserver 208.67.222.222
nameserver 208.67.220.220
```
On the next reboot (which for my install customers will be soon after the next security update that requires a reboot), `/etc/resolv.conf` will be re-written with Google’s name servers.
---
### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [28 maart 2017 om 20:00 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problems-with-digital-ocean-dns-lookups/60025/2 "2017-03-28T20:00:36Z")
Not a new issue, though:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11353617](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11353617)
---
### Author:  [@michaeld](https://meta.discourse.org/u/michaeld)
#### Post date: [28 maart 2017 om 20:21 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problems-with-digital-ocean-dns-lookups/60025/3 "2017-03-28T20:21:17Z")
> [@pfaffman](#):
>
> and Google is rate-limiting them
What / where is your source? Can’t find that bit of info anywhere…
---
### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [28 maart 2017 om 20:22 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problems-with-digital-ocean-dns-lookups/60025/4 "2017-03-28T20:22:55Z")
> [@michaeld](#):
>
> What / where is your source? Can’t find that bit of info anywhere…
A response to the trouble ticket that I filed.
> [@](#):
>
> So far everything points to this being an issue affecting UDP-based DNS queries from our 192.241.128.0/17 range. Eventually, queries can fall back to TCP, which allows them to succeed, but it takes several seconds explaining the slowness/failures you’re seeing. We’ve seen Google rate-limit or block selective IP ranges before, and it was very difficult to pin down. We’ve already reached out to Google and we are awaiting a response and resolution.
and [http://digitaloceanstatus.com/](http://digitaloceanstatus.com/) says:
> [@](#):
>
> Our engineering team is investigating reports of DNS connectivity issues while using the Google resolvers. During this time you may experience intermittent or no DNS resolution for some Droplet while using Google resolvers. We recommend trying other resolvers at this time.
---
### Author:  [@mpalmer](https://meta.discourse.org/u/mpalmer)
#### Post date: [28 maart 2017 om 22:12 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problems-with-digital-ocean-dns-lookups/60025/5 "2017-03-28T22:12:05Z")
`apt-get install unbound` ftw.
---
### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [29 maart 2017 om 16:41 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/problems-with-digital-ocean-dns-lookups/60025/6 "2017-03-29T16:41:16Z")
I just heard back on my ticket:
> [@](#):
>
> The issue that we were experiencing with Google’s Public DNS resolvers should now be… resolved.
>
> We have received word from Google that their maintenance is complete, and you should not experience any further trouble. 🙂