ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT means Chrome tried to reach a website but never got an answer back in time. Most of the time, the problem is your own network or a firewall, not the website. The fastest test is to open the same page on your phone using mobile data. If it loads there, the problem is on your computer or Wi-Fi, and a router restart plus a DNS change usually fixes it.
Applies to
- Devices: Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Android, and iPhone.
- Browser: Google Chrome. Not version-specific.
- Account: none needed. This is a network error, not a sign-in error.
What does ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT mean?
When you open a page, Chrome sends a request and waits for the server to answer. If nothing comes back within about 30 seconds, Chrome gives up and shows ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT with the message “This site can’t be reached.” The keyword is timed out. Chrome did not get a “no”, and it did not get a wrong address. It got silence. That silence points you to a small set of causes.
Why this happens (find your branch first)
There are four common causes. Each one has a signal that tells you it is yours, so you do not have to try every fix.
- Your network or router. Signal: every site times out, and other devices on the same Wi-Fi are also slow or failing.
- The website itself is down or overloaded. Signal: only one site fails, everything else loads, and it also fails on your phone using mobile data.
- A firewall, antivirus, VPN, or proxy is blocking it. Signal: it started right after you installed security software or a VPN, or joined a work or school network, or only certain sites are blocked.
- Something inside Chrome or your device. Signal: the page fails in Chrome but opens fine in another browser on the same computer.
The 30-second diagnosis
Run these three quick tests before you change any settings. They tell you which branch above is yours.
- Phone test. Open the same page on your phone with Wi-Fi turned off, using mobile data. Loads there means the trouble is your computer or Wi-Fi. Fails there too means the site is the problem.
- Other-browser test. Open the same page in Edge, Firefox, or Safari on the same computer. Loads there means the problem is inside Chrome. Fails there too means it is your system or network.
- Other-site test. Try a different website in Chrome. If everything times out, it is your network. If only one site fails, it is that site or a block.
If it’s your network
Use this branch when every site times out.
- Restart your router. Unplug the power, wait 30 seconds, then plug it back in. Give it a minute to reconnect.
- Restart your computer. This clears stuck network states that a page reload cannot.
- Forget and rejoin your Wi-Fi. Open your Wi-Fi settings, remove the network, then join it again with the password.
- Change your DNS servers. In your device network settings, set DNS to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare). Slow or broken ISP DNS is a common cause.
If it’s the site
Use this branch when only one site fails, and it also fails on mobile data. In that case, the site is down or overloaded, and there is nothing to fix on your end. Check it with a “is it down right now” service, then wait and try again later. Be honest with yourself here: if the phone test failed too, no amount of clearing cache on your computer will help.
If it’s a firewall, antivirus, VPN, or proxy
Use this branch when the error started after a security tool or network change, or only blocks some sites.
- Turn off your VPN and reload the page.
- Turn off proxy settings. On Windows and Mac, open Chrome Settings, go to System, and click Open your computer’s proxy settings. Turn off any manual proxy you did not set on purpose.
Warning: the next step turns off protection on your device. Only do it for a moment to test, and turn it back on right after.
- Briefly disable your antivirus or firewall and reload the page. If it loads, the security tool was blocking it. Turn protection back on, then add the site to that tool’s allow list instead of leaving protection off.
- On a work or school network, the block may be on purpose. If so, contact the network admin. You cannot fix an intentional block from the browser.
If it’s Chrome only
Use this branch when other browsers open the page, but Chrome does not.
- Delete your browsing data. Go to Settings, Privacy and security, Delete browsing data. Choose Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data, then click Delete data. If your menu says Clear browsing data instead, that is the same screen under its older name.
- Test in Incognito. Press Ctrl+Shift+N (Cmd+Shift+N on Mac). If the page loads in Incognito, an extension is the cause. Turn extensions off one by one to find it.
- Clear Chrome’s host cache. Type chrome://net-internals/#dns in the address bar and click Clear host cache. This is safe and only clears saved lookups. The button sits at the top of that page, above the sockets section.
Warning: the next two steps use the command line and a system file. Type carefully and only change what is described.
- Flush your system DNS. On Windows, open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns. On Mac, the reset happens on restart.
- Check the hosts file (advanced). A wrong line in the hosts file can send a real site to a dead address and cause a timeout. On Windows, it is at C:\\Windows\\System32\\drivers\\etc\\hosts. Remove any line that points the affected site to an address like 127.0.0.1, then save.
If only localhost times out
Developers see ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT on localhost or 127.0.0.1 when the local server is not actually running, or is running on a different port than the one in the address. Confirm the server started without errors, match the port number exactly, and try 127.0.0.1 in place of localhost. A firewall on the machine can also block the local port.
What does not fix ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT
This error attracts more bad advice than any other Chrome connection code, because the symptom is vague enough that everything sounds plausible. These are the fixes worth skipping, and why.
- Flushing DNS as your first move. A timeout means no reply at all. A real DNS failure does not time out, it returns DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN almost instantly. Flushing DNS helps only in the narrow case where a stale record points at a dead address, which is why it sits fifth in the Chrome-only branch above rather than first.
- Reinstalling Chrome. If the page also fails in Edge or Firefox, Chrome was never the problem, and reinstalling it changes nothing. Run the other-browser test before you spend time on this.
- Clearing the cache when every site times out. A whole-network failure is not stored in your browser. Cache clearing belongs in the Chrome-only branch and nowhere else.
- Disabling IPv6. A popular suggestion in forum threads, rarely the cause on a modern network, and it can create new problems on connections that need it. Try it last, if at all.
- Restarting the router when only one site fails. Your router is carrying every other site fine. It is not selectively failing one destination.
The pattern behind all five: match the fix to the branch. A timeout on every site and a timeout on one site have almost nothing in common, and a fix aimed at the wrong branch cannot work no matter how many times you repeat it.
How it compares to other Chrome connection errors
Chrome uses different codes for different failures. Knowing which one you have narrows the cause fast.
| Error | What it means | Where it usually points |
|---|---|---|
| ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT | No reply at all within the time limit | Your network, a firewall, or a down or overloaded site |
| ERR_CONNECTION_RESET | Connection opened, then dropped partway | Firewall, antivirus, or an unstable network |
| ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED | The server actively said no | Wrong port, server not running, or a block |
| ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED | Chrome sees no network at all | Wi-Fi or adapter, before any site is tried |
| DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN | The name could not be turned into an address | DNS, or a typo in the address |
FAQ
Is ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT my fault or the website’s?
The phone test answers this. Open the page on mobile data with Wi-Fi off. If it loads, the site is fine, and the problem is your network or computer. If it also fails, the site is down, and you just wait.
Does clearing the cache really fix it?
Only in the Chrome-only branch, where the page works in another browser. If every browser fails, clearing Chrome’s cache will not help, and you should look at your network or a firewall instead.
Why does it happen on only one website?
That site is likely down or overloaded, a security tool is blocking that address, or a stray line in your hosts file is sending it to a dead address. The phone test and the hosts file check sort this out.
Should I flush my DNS first?
Usually not. Timeouts mean silence, and DNS failures normally announce themselves with NXDOMAIN instead. Run the phone and other-browser tests first, then flush DNS only if you land in the Chrome-only branch.
Can a VPN cause or fix this error?
Both. A VPN can cause a timeout if its server is slow or down, so turning it off is a good test. A VPN can also route around a block on a restricted network, so turning it on sometimes helps. Try each way once.
Bottom line
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT means silence, not a refusal, so the first job is to find where the silence comes from. Run the phone test and the other-browser test, match your result to a branch above, and fix only that branch. If a site fails everywhere, including mobile data, it is down, and the wait is the fix.
