fatal: unable to access 'https://github.com/...': Could not resolve host: github.com

What causes this

Git can’t reach the remote server. Your machine can’t resolve the hostname to an IP address, or the connection is being blocked. This is almost always a network issue, not a Git issue.

Common causes:

• No internet connection (Wi-Fi dropped, ethernet unplugged)
• DNS server is down or misconfigured
• Corporate proxy or VPN blocking the connection
• The remote URL in your repo is wrong
• GitHub/GitLab is actually down (rare but happens)

Fix 1: Check your internet connection

# Can you reach anything?
ping google.com

# Can you reach GitHub specifically?
ping github.com

# Try a direct HTTP request
curl -I https://github.com

If ping fails for everything, it’s your internet connection. If only GitHub fails, it might be DNS or a firewall.

Fix 2: Check the remote URL

Maybe the URL is just wrong:

git remote -v

If it shows the wrong URL:

git remote set-url origin https://github.com/username/repo.git

Common mistakes: typos in the username, .git missing at the end, or using an old URL after a repo was renamed.

Fix 3: Flush your DNS cache

Your machine might have a stale DNS entry:

# macOS
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

# Linux (systemd)
sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches

# Windows
ipconfig /flushdns

Then try the git command again.

Fix 4: Try a different DNS server

Your ISP’s DNS might be having issues. Switch to Google or Cloudflare DNS:

# Test with Google DNS
nslookup github.com 8.8.8.8

If that works, change your DNS settings to use 8.8.8.8 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare).

Fix 5: Corporate proxy or VPN

If you’re behind a corporate proxy:

# Set the proxy for Git
git config --global http.proxy http://proxy.company.com:8080
git config --global https.proxy http://proxy.company.com:8080

If a VPN is interfering, try disconnecting it temporarily. Some VPNs route DNS through their own servers which may not resolve all hosts.

To remove proxy settings later:

git config --global --unset http.proxy
git config --global --unset https.proxy

Fix 6: Switch to SSH

If HTTPS keeps failing, try SSH instead:

git remote set-url origin git@github.com:username/repo.git

This bypasses HTTP proxy issues entirely. You’ll need an SSH key set up with GitHub.

How to prevent it

• Use SSH instead of HTTPS for Git remotes — it’s more reliable behind firewalls
• If you’re on a corporate network, get the proxy settings from IT and configure Git once
• Keep your DNS settings pointing to a reliable provider (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 or Google 8.8.8.8)