# Why does my DOKS node show a NotReady status?

A DOKS node shows a `NotReady` status if the node is unhealthy and not accepting pods. There are three scenarios for a DOKS node not being ready:

- The node never joins the cluster after being created. Multiple different issues can cause this problem and the exact cause can be difficult to determine. However, in most cases, we recommend you to recycle the node [using the control panel](https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/kubernetes/getting-started/quickstart/index.html.md#recycle-nodes). If the problem happens again, then [open a support ticket](https://cloudsupport.digitalocean.com).
- The node joins the cluster but never becomes ready. Similar to the previous scenario, there can be multiple causes. We recommend recycling the node and opening a support ticket if the problem persists.
- The node becomes `NotReady` sometime after being `Ready`. These cases happen most often when the node becomes overloaded. We recommend specifying [resource requests and limits](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/manage-resources-containers) on all your workloads and making them reflect the actual needs of the workloads.

## Related Topics

[How to Troubleshoot CoreDNS Issues in DOKS Clusters](https://docs.digitalocean.com/support/how-to-troubleshoot-coredns-issues-in-doks-clusters/index.html.md): Gather information to resolve CoreDNS-related DNS problems in DOKS clusters.

[Why can't my VPC-native pods connect to my Droplets?](https://docs.digitalocean.com/support/why-cant-my-vpc-native-pods-connect-to-my-droplets/index.html.md): For Droplets created before 2 October 2024, you must manually add VPC peering routes to interconnect with VPC-native DOKS clusters

[How to Troubleshoot Load Balancer Health Check Issues](https://docs.digitalocean.com/support/how-to-troubleshoot-load-balancer-health-check-issues/index.html.md): Health checks often fail due to firewalls or misconfigured backend server software.