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How to fix “This site can’t be reached” (ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT)

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT means your browser tried to connect to the website’s server and got no answer in time, so Chrome shows “This site can’t be reached”. If other sites load, the cause is usually the site’s server, its DNS or a firewall. If nothing loads, restart your router and check your connection.

Updated · HostUpIndia team

What ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT means

Chrome shows “This site can’t be reached” with “example.com took too long to respond” and the code ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT. Edge shows “Hmm… can’t reach this page” with the same code. Firefox says “The connection has timed out”.

A timeout means no answer at all. The request was lost on the way, or something dropped it without a reply.

  • Your internet connection, router or Wi-Fi has a problem.
  • A VPN, proxy, firewall or antivirus on your device blocks the site.
  • Old DNS data on your device sends the domain to an address that no longer answers.
  • The website’s server is down, overloaded or blocking your IP address.
  • The domain’s DNS points to an old or wrong server.

Other “This site can’t be reached” errors

Chrome uses the same heading for several errors. The code under it tells you which one you have.

  • ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT: the server never answered. This guide covers it.
  • DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN or ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED: the domain name could not be turned into an IP address. See how to fix DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN.
  • ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED: “refused to connect”. The server answered and turned the connection away. See how to fix ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED.
  • ERR_CONNECTION_RESET: “The connection was reset”. The connection started, then broke off, often because of a VPN, firewall or antivirus.
  • ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED shows under its own heading, “No internet”: your device is offline.

If you are visiting the site

Work through these in order, and reload the site after each step.

  • Open two or three other websites. If none load, the problem is your connection, not the site.
  • Restart your router: switch it off, wait 30 seconds, then switch it on.
  • Turn off Wi-Fi on your phone and open the site on mobile data. If it loads there, your network or internet provider is the cause.
  • Turn off any VPN or proxy. On Windows, open Settings › Network & internet › Proxy and turn off any manual proxy server.
  • Flush your DNS cache. On Windows, open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns.
  • On a Mac, run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder in Terminal.
  • Clear Chrome’s own DNS cache: open chrome://net-internals/#dns and select Clear host cache.
  • Clear the browser cache: press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Cmd+Shift+Delete on a Mac), choose cached images and files, and clear them.
  • Pause your firewall or antivirus web protection, then reload the site. If it loads, add the site as an exception and turn protection back on.
  • Open the site in another browser or a private window.
  • If it loads there, turn off your browser extensions one at a time to find the one at fault.
  • Still timing out on every network and device? The site is likely down. Try again later, or tell the site’s owner.

If it is your website: check the server and DNS

First find out who sees the error. If the site times out for everyone, look at the server and DNS. If it fails on only one network, see the firewall checks below.

  • Open the site on mobile data, ask someone elsewhere to try it, or use an online website status checker.
  • Check your email and client area for an outage or maintenance notice from your host.
  • Run curl -I https://example.com in a terminal, with your own domain. A reply that starts with HTTP means the server answers.
  • Look up the domain’s A record with dig example.com A +short (nslookup example.com on Windows).
  • Compare it with the IP address in your welcome email or client area. cPanel also shows it under General Information.
  • Check for an IPv6 record with dig example.com AAAA +short.
  • Note the current DNS records before you change any, so you can put them back.
  • If the A record holds an old IP address, update it where your DNS is managed. See how to connect a domain to your hosting.
  • If an AAAA record holds an IPv6 address your host did not give you, delete it. An old IPv6 address makes the site time out for visitors on IPv6.
  • Changed nameservers or DNS records in the last 48 hours? Some networks still use the old records. Wait, then test again.

If it is your website: check the firewall, ports and load

If the site loads on mobile data but not on your home or office network, the server’s firewall may be blocking your IP address. cPanel servers can block an address after repeated failed logins to cPanel, email or FTP.

  • Find your public IP address: search “what is my IP” on the network that gets the timeout.
  • Open a support ticket with that IP address and ask your host to check the firewall. Use mobile data if the client area does not load.
  • Update any old password saved in your email app or FTP client, so the block does not return.
  • Behind Cloudflare? A timeout between Cloudflare and your server shows as Cloudflare error 522. Check that the A record in Cloudflare holds your hosting IP address.
  • Then check that your server’s firewall allows Cloudflare’s IP addresses.
  • If only https:// times out and http:// loads, a firewall is likely blocking port 443.
  • On shared cPanel hosting, your host manages ports 80 and 443. Ask support if either does not answer.
  • On a VPS, check that ports 80 and 443 are open. On Ubuntu with UFW, run sudo ufw status, then sudo ufw allow 80,443/tcp if they are missing.
  • Check your provider’s cloud firewall too, if it has one.
  • Timeouts that come and go at busy times can mean the server is overloaded. On a VPS, run top and check CPU and memory use.
  • Still timing out? Open a support ticket with the times it happens, your IP address and the results of the checks above.

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