wget: unable to resolve host address
wget: unable to resolve host address means DNS could not turn the hostname into an IP, so the download never started.
This error stops a download before any HTTP happens. It points at DNS or networking on the runner, not at the URL or wget itself.
What it does
Before connecting, wget resolves the hostname to an IP address. If resolution fails it prints "unable to resolve host address" and aborts. Common causes are no network, a missing or wrong DNS resolver, a typo in the host, or an internal name not visible from the runner.
Common usage
# bound DNS resolution time
wget --dns-timeout=10 https://example.com/file.bin
# resolve a name to an explicit address (HTTP)
wget --header="Host: internal.example.com" http://10.0.0.5/app.bin
# check DNS independently
nslookup example.com || getent hosts example.comOptions
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
| --dns-timeout=<sec> | Bound the time spent resolving names |
| --inet4-only / -4 | Force IPv4 resolution |
| --inet6-only / -6 | Force IPv6 resolution |
| --bind-address=<addr> | Use a specific local interface/address |
In CI
When a download fails with this error, test DNS separately with nslookup or getent hosts before blaming wget. On runners with broken IPv6, forcing -4 often fixes resolution. For internal hosts, confirm the runner can see your private DNS zone.
Common errors in CI
wget: unable to resolve host address ‘example.com’ is the verbatim message. If only some hosts fail, suspect split-horizon DNS or IPv6 (try -4). Temporary failure in name resolution from the resolver means the DNS server itself is unreachable; that is a network/config issue on the runner.