It can be annoying to see ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT Error pop-up, just when you are trying to access an interesting website on your computer. You will find below the steps to Fix Err Connection Timed Out Error in Chrome browser on a Windows computer.
Err Connection Timed Out Error in Chrome
Connection Timed Out Error in Chrome browser appears with an Error code ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT and an error message reading “Unable to access the network”.
There could be a variety of reasons for this problem, ranging from the website being unavailable, busy or congested DNS server to other network connectivity issues.
So, let us go ahead and take a look at some of the methods that are known to Fix Err Connection Timed Out Error in Chrome Browser.
1. Clear Chrome Browser Cache
Starting with a simple fix, clear the Chrome browser Cache on your computer. This will rule rule out the possibility of the problem being due to corrupted cookies or cached error pages.
Click on 3-dots Chrome menu icon > More Tools > and Clear Browsing Data… option in the drop-down menu.
On the next screen, clear Browsing History, Cookies/Site Data and Cached Images/Files by clicking on the Clear Data button.
Now, try to access the same webpage and see if you are still getting Err Connection Timed Out Error in Chrome browser.
2. Check If Hosts File Has been Modified
Sometimes the Hosts File located at C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc can get modified and blocks access to certain websites.
Right-click on the Start button and click on Run in the menu that appears.
In the Run Command Window, type C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc and click on OK.
Next, double-click on the Hosts File and open the File using Notepad.
In the Hosts File, delete all the entries containing names of websites that you are trying to access and Save the file.
Basically delete all the entries without the # sign and you will be fine.
3. Disable Proxy Servers
Using Proxy Servers can lead to Chrome browser being unable to resolve connections for certain websites.
Click on the Start button > Settings Icon.
On the settings screen, click on Network and Internet option.
On the next screen, click on Proxy in the side menu and disable the option for Automatically detect settings under Automatic Proxy Setup.
On the same screen, scroll down and disable Use a Proxy server option under manual proxy section.
4. Run Network Troubleshooting Commands
The next step is to run Network Troubleshooting Commands, in order to Flush the DNS Cache, Reset TCP/IP Stack and Renew the IP Address.
Right-click on Start button and click on Command Prompt (Admin) in the menu that appears.
In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands (in the same order) and hit the enter key after each of these commands.
- netsh winsock reset
- netsh int ip reset
- ipconfig /release
- ipconfig /renew
- ipconfig /flushdns
Note: There needs to be a space after ipconfig in commands 3, 4 and 5 above.
Once the above commands have been executed, type Exit and press the enter key to close the Command Prompt window.
Restart your computer for the changes to take affect and see if you are still getting Err Connection Timed Out Error in Chrome browser.
5. Reset Chrome Browser
Change in browser settings can also cause network connectivity issues. This can be fixed by resetting Chrome browser to its default settings.
Click the 3-dots Chrome Menu icon located at the top right corner of your screen and click on Settings in the drop-down menu.
On the Settings screen, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Advanced.
Scroll down more and click on Reset Settings.
On the confirmation pop-up, click on the Reset button.
Note: Reset will remove cookies and Chrome extensions.
6. Disable IPv6
Some users have reported fixing Err Connection Timed Out Error in Chrome by disabling IPv6 protocol.
Click on the Start button > Settings > Network and Internet.
On the next screen, scroll down and click on Network and Sharing Center.
On the Network and Sharing Center screen, click on your Current Network.
On the next screen, click on the Properties button.
On the Network properties screen, uncheck the option for Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and click on OK to save the setting.
Restart your Computer for the changes to apply.
7. Switch DNS Servers
If you are frequently encountering ERR Network Timed Out Error in Chrome, you can consider switching to Google’s fast and free DNS service using steps as mentioned in this article: How to Change DNS Servers in Windows 10