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Imagine you are working on an important project, and suddenly you are unable to access the internet. You get an error message that says that something is wrong and you cannot browse the internet. Frustrating right?
Firstly, you need to understand that the error is nothing new. If you follow the tips in this blog, you’ll be able to browse the internet again.
You see a significant ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error that is limiting you to access the internet. The error generally occurs if there is some problem with your internet. A site takes too much time to load or the connection is lost, you’ll receive this annoying error.
There are multiple ways in which this issue can be resolved. If you don’t have any idea on which actions to take to resolve this issue, in this blog you’ll learn some easy methods that’ll help you eliminate ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error and browse the internet like nothing ever happened.
A brief intro about ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT Error
The error ERR_CONNECTION _TIMED_OUT means that the connection is taking too long to call out the website. When a query is sent to the server, and the response takes more than 30 seconds, the browser ends the connection and stops communicating. You need to increase the time to connect with the server and stop displaying the error.
As a result, nothing is loaded, and the browser displays the standard ERR_CONNECTION _TIMED_OUT error message. But don’t worry. It’s a harmless message.
What Causes ERR_CONNECTION _TIMED_OUT error?
The ERR_CONNECTION _TIMED_OUT error can be due to various reasons. Once there is an error you’ll not be able to browse the internet. You might be facing the error due to the following reasons:
- The server cannot access the browser request.
- There is a lot of delay from the server with no response.
- The browser is not able to create a connection.
- The URL you are trying to access is not valid.
- The internet connection has limited access.
These are some of the reasons that might cause the error. Here are some methods that’ll help you resolve the error. All of these techniques are simple to use.
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How to Fix ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error?
Firstly, you need to understand that the problem or error is nothing big. With the following methods, you can quickly resolve the issue without any external help. But if you feel that the problem is technical, you can always contact a technical person, and ensure the issue is resolved quicker.
- Clear The Cache & Browsing Data
The cache and cookies normally create an issue that limits you to establish a connection with the server. To clear your browsing history and cache, you need to use this method.
The cache is data stored from when we visit a particular website. At times that data limits us from establishing a connection.
To clear the cache just put ‘Chrome: //settings/clearBrowserData’ in a new tab in Google Chrome.
Browse to the Advanced tab & choose the time from the start. Check all the boxes, especially the cache and cookies options.
Finally, click the Clear button to get the job done.
Now, you’ve cleared the device’s history and cache. Check by loading a page on the internet, and your issue is resolved. Enjoy browsing the internet.
- Modify The LAN Settings
Here’s what you need to do:
- Go to the Control Panel from the Start menu.
- Switch the view to a large icon & go to internet options.
- In the connection, tab click the LAN settings button.
- Now here, uncheck all options in the automatic configuration & the proxy server section.
- To finish, click OK.
- Restart, and you’ll be able to browse the internet with ease.
If you are still getting an error, there might be other reasons for it. Follow the steps below to get rid of the error.
- Alter Windows Hosts File
This method is recommended if you get an error on one website. When the error occurs on more than one website, you need to move on to the next method.
This means that the host’s file is creating an error for one website. So, you need to fix the issue by following these steps:
- Go to Accessories from the All Programs in the Start menu.
- Open Notepad by ‘run as administrator’ method.
- Once the Notepad app is opened, click on File menu & goto open from the list.
- Choose all types from the menu.
- Click on hosts from the list.
- If you see the IP address or hostname after the # sign, then you just need to delete the address.
- Save and restart the browser.
- Flush DNS OR Renew It
Maybe there are DNS issues, or the IP is restricting you to access the internet. You need to flush DNS or reset it to get back the access.
Follow the steps below to flush your DNS. It’s easy, and anyone can do it.
- Press the Windows + R button simultaneously, and you’ll access the Run app.
- Here type cmd and hit enter.
- Type the following code in the command box
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /registered
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
netsh Winsock reset
When you press the enter key, your DNS will automatically get flushed. You can restart your system and continue browsing the internet.
If you still are getting the same error, switch to the next solution.
- Verify The Firewall And Antivirus Settings
At times the firewall might seem to block the website that you are trying to access. It is done because the firewall thinks and questions the credibility of the website. But you know which website is safe. So, you can change the firewall settings to access the website.
The firewall limits access to the server, which is why you cannot access the internet. It protects the harmful files entering your system. If your browsing website is safe, you can turn off the firewall and easily browse the website. Or you can uninstall the firewall to access the internet. But it is always advised to turn off the firewall instead of uninstalling it.
Because then your device will be at risk. When you turn off the protective shield, it will be easy for hackers to breach your system and harm it. So, the best option is to turn off the firewall or antivirus settings and continue your work like nothing ever happened.
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- Disable The Plugins
If you are using WordPress, then the problem might be due to some plugins. To figure out the problem, you need to disable all the active plugins. If the plugins are disabled and you are still getting an ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error, this means you need to access the root folder and figure out the problem.
You can do that by using any FTP software. Once your FTP software is ready, you need to navigate to the root folder of WordPress. If you are unable to find the root folder of WordPress, find the public_html or html folder.
Open the folder and browse to the wp-content folder. Here find the Plugins folder. There will be individual subdirectories for each plugin. Both active and inactive directories will be present.
Just right-click the folder and rename it to something else. It is recommended to rename it in a way which helps you easily recognise it later.
Since WordPress cannot find the specific folder of the plugin, it will automatically disable the plugin.
Now, simply access the WordPress dashboard and see if the error is gone. If there is no error, then you’ve figured out the culprit. Now, you just need to figure out which plugin is causing the problem.
Return the original wp-content directory and rename your plugin folder to the old one. Now, disable the plugin one by one as mentioned above, and wait for the error to disappear.
You’ll follow the same process as you have done above. Find the folder of the plugin and make the changes in that folder.
Check and see if the error is gone or not.
If the error persists return to the original folder and rename it back to the original one. This means there is some other plugin which is causing the problem.
If there are a lot of plugins, this process might take a lot of time. But it is necessary to check every plugin and identify the problem yourself. The plugin that is causing the problem, you can either replace or simply uninstall.
If you are still facing the error, follow these last steps to get rid of it.
- Maximum Execution Time
For this step, you need to change some configuration in your site. Don’t worry; it’s not that difficult.
Every website has an execution time. When this execution time is not met, the server isn’t allowed to view the website. You need to modify the execution time so that you can visit the website.
In WordPress, you need to edit the php.ini file. For this, it is recommended that you contact a website developer because you are directly editing the main site’s code.
Tell them to use the maximum time of around 300 seconds.
If you are willing to modify it yourself, you can do it yourself too. You have two options to do so.
Find the php.ini file which will be placed in your root directory. When you find it, find max_execution_time parameter and make the changes in that. Change the value to a higher value and see if the error disappears or not.
Another option is to edit the execution time in the .htacess file. Just like php.ini, there might be a .htacess file. Once you find the file, you can change the value to 300 or above.
- Increase Memory
If none of the above worked for you, then the problem might be in the amount of memory that the PHP is consuming. When you change the memory value, the problem might go away.
To do that you need to change the default value, which might be 64M to a higher value.
You don’t have to do anything complex. Just find the wp-config.php file, and you need to change the value in that.
Where there is wp-memory-limit, change it’s value to 256.
You are done. You can even restart the system, and your problem will be no more.
Now, you have increased the memory, and the problem might go away. If you are using WordPress, you can access the PHP file from the Site Health tool to easily change the value without using any technical help.
Closing Thoughts
These are the simplest methods to clear the ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error. You don’t need to hire someone to get rid of the error. However, if you feel that you cannot handle some of the methods or it seems too technical, you can sign up at BionicWP and have our team fix all your WordPress powered sites technical issues .
Since you know that all the methods are simple, you know what you need to pay the developer to do. Maybe, you need to update some drivers to resolve the issue so that a developer will do it. However, it is necessary to remember that ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error is not a huge problem.
It’s a temporary error that can quickly be resolved with some hacks. Or maybe your windows drivers are out of date. Just updating them might resolve the issue. All and all, now you know that you don’t have to learn anything extra to resolve this issue. You can easily do it yourself.
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