From chaos to clarity: A DNS troubleshooting journey

Software Hades, DNS, and a Reminder That Prompting Matters

•By Elizabeth Gearhart, Ph.D.

Confession: I just spent several days in full-blown software hades trying to fix an error with my Manus website. So yes—sometimes it's not as easy as the tools make it sound.

This particular mess started years ago.

I originally built a Google Site using my domain, elizabethgearhartphd.com. Fast forward to now: I rebuilt the site in Manus, but the old Google Site kept showing up in search results. Not ideal.

I used Gemini to help me figure out how to delete the old Google Site, which worked—but in the process, I started poking around in the DNS records at my domain registrar (I use Squarespace).

That's when I broke things.

Big sigh.

TL;DL (Too Long; Didn't Listen)

  • DNS controls whether anyone (including AI systems) can find your website at all.
  • If DNS is misconfigured, your site can appear "under construction" even if it's live.
  • AI tools give very different answers depending on how precisely you ask the question.
  • Switching tools—and simplifying your language—can unlock the answer instantly.

What DNS Actually Does (In Plain English)

After I broke things, I asked Gemini a basic question: What does DNS actually do?

Here's the explanation it gave me—and it's a good one:

Your domain name is your business's front door, but DNS records are the hidden digital address book that tells computers—and AI systems—where that door actually lives. DNS translates human-friendly website names into numerical IP addresses so the internet knows where to send traffic.

The important takeaway?

If you mess up your DNS, no one can find your website.

Not humans. Not search engines. Not LLMs.

The Circular Advice Trap

Once the site broke, I asked Gemini how to fix it.

Gemini kept telling me I needed the IP address for my Manus website so I could add it to my DNS records in Squarespace.

So I went to Manus… and Manus kept telling me I didn't need an IP address at all.

This was the loop:

Me: "Why can't I see the IP address?" (with screenshots of my DNS page)

Manus: "You don't need to do anything with DNS. Manus handles IP mapping automatically."

Except… that wasn't true in my case.

After I deleted the old Google Site, my domain started showing an "under construction" page. Something was clearly broken, and "everything is connected" was not helping me fix it.

I went round and round between Gemini and Manus until I finally did the smartest technical thing available to me:

I gave up for the night and went to sleep.

The Fix Came From Asking a Better Question

The next morning, I took my own advice and switched tools.

I went to Perplexity and asked, very simply:

"What is the IP address for my domain?"

That's it.

  • No screenshots.
  • No extra context.
  • No explanation.

Tada. Magic.

Manus immediately returned the IP address I'd been trying to get for days.

What changed?

  • I used simpler language
  • I asked a single, concrete question
  • I switched AI systems
  • Enough time had passed that backend connections may have fully propagated

The Real Lesson (It's Not About DNS)

Yes, this was a DNS problem.

But the bigger lesson is one I see constantly when working with AI tools:

The quality of the answer is constrained by the precision of the question.

AI systems are powerful—but they are literal. If you don't ask exactly the right thing, you can get confidently wrong guidance, partial truths, or circular instructions.

That's not a failure of AI.

It's a reminder that prompting is a skill—and sometimes the smartest move is switching tools or stripping the question down to its most basic form. I still had one last thing to do - I asked Gemini to find my website, and it found the old Google site. I was not happy. So I asked Google why, and it told me I had to clear the cache and took me to a site to do that. It's supposed to take 24-48 hours to clear, so I'll check back.

If nothing else, this experience reinforced one thing for me:

When you're stuck, stop asking more…
and start asking simpler.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does DNS actually do?

DNS (Domain Name System) translates human-friendly website names into numerical IP addresses so the internet knows where to send traffic. It's like a digital address book that tells computers—and AI systems—where your website actually lives. If DNS is misconfigured, no one can find your website.

Why do different AI tools give different answers to the same question?

AI systems are literal and constrained by how precisely you ask the question. Different AI tools have different training data, reasoning approaches, and interpretation methods. The same question phrased differently—or asked to a different AI system—can yield dramatically different results. This is why switching tools and simplifying language often unlocks better answers.

What should I do when I get stuck in a circular advice loop with AI tools?

When stuck in circular AI advice: (1) Take a break and come back with fresh perspective, (2) Switch to a different AI system, (3) Strip your question down to its most basic form without extra context, (4) Use simpler language, and (5) Ask a single, concrete question instead of complex multi-part queries.

How long does DNS propagation take?

DNS propagation typically takes 1-24 hours, though it can occasionally take up to 48 hours for changes to fully propagate globally. During this time, some users may see the old site while others see the new one. Patience is key—sometimes waiting overnight allows backend connections to fully establish.

What's the most important lesson about prompting AI tools?

The quality of the answer is constrained by the precision of the question. AI systems are powerful but literal—if you don't ask exactly the right thing, you can get confidently wrong guidance, partial truths, or circular instructions. Prompting is a skill, and sometimes the smartest move is switching tools or asking simpler questions.