How to Fix the ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT Еrror

“ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT” can be stressful to deal with in today’s digital age, where the internet is such an essential part of our lives.

Your browser displays this error message when it fails to connect to a website’s server in time. Naturally, this disrupts our online experience, and we want it quickly fixed.

In this article, we will discuss what the “ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT” error means, what causes it, and how to fix it. Furthermore, we will show you 6 fixes tailored specifically for WordPress websites timing out, so read on.

Generally, a browser needs about 30 seconds to reach a website’s server. However, if the site takes longer than that – you’ll get the net err_connection_timed_out.

How to Fix “err_connection_timed_out”

It can be frustrating when you can’t access your favorite websites or use online services due to a connection timed out. However, following the troubleshooting steps in this section, you can usually fix the issue yourself.

Keep reading to learn basic and advanced troubleshooting steps for fixing timeout errors. Last but not least, we’ll show you 6 fixes for solving the err_connection_timed_out in WordPress, so read on.

Basic Troubleshooting Steps to fix a connection timeout error

Here, we’ll provide you with some simple solutions to help you troubleshoot and resolve a connection timeout error on your device. These steps can help you quickly get back online and stay connected to the internet.

Try a different device

If you get a connection to server timed out error for a site, first try reaching it from another device. For example, if you cannot access a site from your computer, try loading it from your mobile device. Doing that helps you determine whether the issue occurs only on your end.

In case you can reach the same site from another device, proceed with the next steps to troubleshoot the timeout.

Check your internet connection

You may be experiencing slow network issues if you receive the message “This site can’t be reached err connection timed out” only on your computer. This error usually occurs when using busy public networks like those in malls and airports. Try and switch the network you are using to resolve the error.

Restart your router

If you are at home and there are interruptions in your internet connection, you may experience an err_connection_timed_out in Chrome. Address this disturbance by restarting your router device. To do that, press the power button and allow it some time to cool off. Then turn it on again and give it time to connect to the Internet again.

Still seeing the “This site can’t be reached, took too long to respond” error? Keep investigating using the following fixes.

Clear your browser cache and cookies

Web browsers store the cache of your browsing data, saved logins, and cookies. Thanks to it, you access pages you frequently visit faster. As beneficial as it is, it also holds some drawbacks, especially if the stored cache is out of date. An expired cache can prevent you from reaching a site serving the timed-out error.

Luckily, there is an easy fix: clearing outdated information. Learn how to do that on major browsers from our post “How to clear your browser cache and cookies”.

For mobile devices, read the following guides:

• How to clear the cache on Android devices
• How to clear the cache on iPhone

Disable browser extensions

Extensions are add-on applications that add more functionality to your browser. If you encounter the error “This site can’t be reached“, try disabling browser extensions that might be conflicting.

In Google Chrome, click the three dots menu > More Tools > Extensions to see the list of installed extensions. By disabling them, you can check if any are causing the error and resolve the issue.

Chrome will list all the installed extensions, and you can slide the toggle next to each to disable them.

Mozilla Firefox users can find the extensions list by clicking on the burger menu in the upper right corner. Select the Add-ons and themes option to get to the Extensions page.

Firefox displays the list of installed extensions. You can slide the toggle next to each to disable it.

Check for browser updates

Outdated browser versions can be incompatible and obsolete software may cause the timeout error. Thus, updating your browser ensures that it meets all compatibility requirements.

Thereby, an update may fix the connection timing out.

Additionally, the latest browser versions often include bug fixes and performance improvements.

Solve err_connection_timed_out by restarting your browser or initiating an update from the settings menu.

Update Google Chrome

For Chrome, look for the About Chrome section or restart your browser to check for updates.

Check Mozilla Firefox for updates

Firefox users can update their browsers by going to the General settings page and checking the Firefox Updates section.

If there is an update available, Firefox will proceed with installing it. Restart your browser and check if the error persists.

Disable your Firewall or Antivirus temporarily

Antivirus and Firewalls provide a powerful defense against cyber threats, various types of malware, and unauthorized access attempts. However, if they are too strict, they may block your access even to legitimate websites, causing a timeout.

To test whether your Firewall or Antivirus blocks the site you intend to access, try temporarily disabling them. After these are off, try relaunching the site and see if that solves the err_connection_timed_out.

In case you still see the error, turn back on your security software to keep your data safe and continue investigating the next steps.

If the antivirus or firewall software causes the problem, you can add the website to a whitelist. This way, the software will not filter your access to that site. Alternatively, contact its support or look for another program.

Advanced Troubleshooting Steps

In this part, we’ll show you how to tweak more advanced settings on your computer to fix an err_tmed_out error.

Flush DNS Cache

A DNS cache is a temporary database stored on your computer that keeps recently accessed DNS information. Generally, a DNS cache is beneficial for your smooth browser experience as it expedites DNS resolution.

However, if the DNS information in the cache is incorrect or outdated, it can cause errors like the err_timed_out error. This is because your computer is using the wrong DNS information to try and connect to the website, resulting in a connection timeout.

Thus, you can clear your local DNS cache to force your computer to look up the DNS information again to get the latest data.

• How to flush DNS cache on Windows

Flush your Windows DNS cache by launching the Command Prompt as an administrator and executing the command below.

ipconfig /flushdns

• Flush DNS cache on Mac

To clear the DNS cache on a MacOS, run the Terminal and paste the command below, then click Enter.

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache

Renew IP

The ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error occurs when your computer fails to connect to a website properly. Often this is due to an outdated or conflicting IP address. By releasing and renewing the IP address, you can obtain a new and unique IP address.

This eliminates conflicts and enables a proper connection, effectively resolving the err_timed_out error. Further in this section, we’ll show you how to do that for Mac OS and Windows, so read on.

• Windows

To renew your IP address on Windows, launch the Start menu and select “Command Prompt (Run as administrator).”

When the Cmd loads, run the commands from the list below by pasting them and clicking Enter for each.

ipconfig /registerdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
netsh winsock reset

When ready, restart your computer and check if the “This site can’t be reached err_connection_timed_out” error is gone.

• MacOS

To resolve err_connection_timed_out on a Mac, open System Preferences.

Then select the Network icon, and click Advanced. Under the TCP/IP tab, hit “Renew DHCP lease” to release and renew your IP address.

In case you’re still getting “The connection has timed out” in your browser, proceed with the next steps.

Reset TCP/IP Windows

Resetting TCP/IP on Windows clears outdated settings that may cause timeout errors. Such errors may occur when your device can’t connect with another server due to incorrect TCP/IP settings.

By resetting TCP/IP, you can remove invalid settings that affect your network connection. Moreover, this improves your connection stability and resolves timeout errors.

To reset TCP/IP on Windows 10, you can follow these steps:

• Open Command Prompt as an administrator.

• In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:

netsh int ip reset

Allow Windows a few seconds to execute the command and provide you with its output.

• Restart your computer to apply the changes, as Windows advises.

After restarting, Windows will reset your TCP/IP settings to their default values. If that was the source of the issue, the err_connection_timed_out in Windows 10 should be gone.

Update Network Adapter Driver in Windows

Updating your network adapter driver in Windows can help improve your network connectivity and performance. Follow the steps below to update your network adapter driver:

• Press the Windows key + X and select “Device Manager” from the menu.

• Expand the “Network adapters” category and locate your network adapter.

• Right-click on your network adapter and select “Update driver“.

• Choose “Search automatically for drivers” and wait for the process to complete.

• If there is an available update, follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

• Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Provided that your browser still displays a “Site cannot be reached, took too long to respond”, keep reading for more solutions.

Change DNS Server – Mac and Windows

When experiencing the err_connection_timed_out error while accessing your site, try changing your DNS server settings to resolve it. To do that, switch the DNS servers provided by your ISP to a public DNS like Google’s (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4).

This way, you can improve your internet connection’s performance and resolve the err_connection_timed_out error on your computer.

Read on to learn how to change your DNS servers on Windows or MacOS.

Windows

To change your DNS servers in Windows, click on the Start menu and search for “Control Panel.”

In the Control Panel, select “Network and Internet” and then “Network and Sharing Center“. Next, navigate to “Change adapter settings” to launch the “Properties” menu of your active network.

Locate “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)“, then load the “Properties” menu with a right-click. After that, set Google’s Public DNS servers (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) under “Use the following DNS server address.

Click “OK” and restart your computer to save and apply your changes to the system.

MacOS

Mac users can change their Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) DNS servers to Google’s from System Preferences. In there, select the Network icon and open the Advanced settings menu.

Next, go to the DNS tab and use the “+/-” buttons to add Google’s DNS servers, then click OK.

Restart your browser and check if the site you try to reach loads normally.

Check your local hosts file

The hosts file system is a text file that maps domain names to IP addresses. It allows manual DNS translations, and you can edit it to preview websites. To avoid conflicts, timeouts or DNS probe errors, examine your hosts file contents.

Check our article on How to edit the hosts file on Windows, Mac, or Linux to learn more information.

Disable Proxy Server

A proxy server is an intermediary between a device and the internet. When using a proxy server, all internet traffic passes through the server before reaching its destination.

If the proxy server is misconfigured or experiencing issues, it can block your access to a website, resulting in a timeout error. Disable the proxy server to try to eliminate this error and restore the device’s connection to the internet.

Modify Chrome Flags

Chrome flags are experimental settings that can be used to enable or disable certain features. While these features can enhance the browser’s functionality, they can also cause issues such as the “err_timed_out” error. Disabling certain Chrome flags, such as those related to network or experimental features, can help resolve this error.

Sadly some flags may interfere with the browser’s ability to establish an internet connection. Additionally, some Chrome flags may cause the browser to consume extra resources, leading to slow or unresponsive behavior.

To disable Google Chrome flags, type the following in the browser’s address bar:

chrome://flags/

This will launch the Chrome flags page, where you can find all experimental flags that are active for your browser.

There you can use the Reset all button at the top to reset all flags. Alternatively, disable specific flags from the appropriate drop-down menu next to each.

6 Fixes for err_connection_timed_out on WordPress

Err_connection_timed_out is a common WordPress error indicating that the server failed to load a resource. This problem can result from various causes like plugin or theme conflicts, version incompatibilities, or misconfigurations. All these factors cause a WordPress site to use extra server resources and take longer to load.

If you’re experiencing the err_connection_timed_out error on your WordPress site, don’t panic. In this section, we’ve compiled six effective solutions to help you troubleshoot and fix this issue. These fixes will help you get your website back up and running smoothly, so keep reading to learn more.

Fix 1: Check for WordPress updates

First, you should check for available WordPress updates. To do that, log in to the WordPress dashboard and go to the “Updates” section.

If there are updates available, click the “Update Now” button. Alternatively, use a plugin or tool that automates the update process and alerts you when updates are available.

Using SiteGround’s WordPress Autoupdate tool, clients can benefit from a core update process that includes a site backup before implementation.

Fix 2: Increase PHP memory limit

Increasing the WordPress PHP memory limit can help resolve a connection timeout error by allowing more resources for website operations. To do this, access your hosting’s File Manager and add the snippet from below in the wp-config.php file.

define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M' );

Fix 3: Adjust Max Execution Time

Insufficient max_execution_time value for WordPress can cause a connection timed-out error by not allowing enough time for website operations.

Fix 4: Disable WordPress plugins temporarily

A faulty plugin can cause an err_connection_timed_out error in WordPress by consuming excessive server resources. Regularly updating WordPress plugins can also prevent this issue from occurring.

To resolve this error, disable WordPress plugins individually or simultaneously to determine the culprit.

Read our helpful posts on disabling WordPress plugins if you can’t access your Dashboard.

• How to disable all WordPress plugins from the database?
• How to disable all WordPress plugins from Site Tools

Fix 5: Switch to a default theme

A corrupted WordPress theme can also cause a website timeout. Therefore, switching to a default theme eliminates potential conflicts or problems caused by the previous theme.

Default WordPress themes are stable, reliable, and optimized for performance. Thus, you may safely change your active WordPress theme with one of the defaults to troubleshoot an issue.

Remember to backup your site before making any changes and proceed with activating a default theme from your WordPress Dashboard. Then go to Appearance > Themes, select a default theme from the list, and Activate it.

If a corrupted theme was at fault, you should be able to load your WordPress site after changing to a default one.

In case the error prevents you from accessing the dashboard, read this guide to learn how to change the WordPress theme from the database.

Fix 6: Enable WordPress Debug Mode

Enabling WordPress debug mode can help pinpoint a specific component causing an err_connection_timed_out error. It provides detailed error messages and logs that can identify the root cause of the problem.

Turn on WordPress debugging by adding the following lines in your wp-config.php file.

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true);
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);

Save your changes and clear your browser cache before reloading your WordPress site. The Debug mode will show you a pointer to the culprit for your WordPress connection timeout error.

How does the connection timed-out error appear in different browsers?

While the timeout error can appear in any browser, the way it is displayed may vary. In this section, we’ll take a closer look at how the connection timed-out error appears in different browsers:

Google Chrome

The Chrome err_connection_timed_out error shows up with the “This site can’t be reached, took too long to respond” message.

Below the initial error message, Chrome explains that the site took too long to respond. Then it gives you a few troubleshooting suggestions.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox displays, “The connection has timed out The server at is taking too long to respond.”

Under that initial message, Firefox provides valuable troubleshooting suggestions for resolving the issue.

Microsoft Edge

In Microsoft Edge, you’ll see the message “Hmmm…can’t reach this page”. This browser also suggests a few checks you can do to solve the issue.

Safari

Safari browser has a more wordy message for this error under the initial “Safari Can’t Open the Page.” It then adds that “Safari can’t open the page because the server where this page is located isn’t responding.” Still, that doesn’t give you any hints on how to resolve the issue.

Figuring out the underlying cause of the problem is crucial in troubleshooting the error and getting back to smooth web browsing. Keep reading to learn more about the most common culprits for the “err_connection_refused” error.

Common Causes of “err_connection_timed_out” Error

Dealing with the “err_connection_timed_out” error can be a bothersome interruption to your browsing activity. To troubleshoot and fix the issue effectively, it’s crucial to understand the usual causes of this error.

Some of the most common ones include problems with your internet connection, website server issues, conflicts with your browser or firewall settings, and DNS cache errors. In this section, we’ll examine these causes in more detail, so keep reading.

Main factors causing err_timed_out

• Internet Connectivity Issues – Incorrect IP and TCP configurations or network congestion can lead to the err_connection_timed_out error in your browser.
• DNS Server Problems – If the website’s DNS server isn’t working correctly, your browser won’t be able to connect to the site, resulting in a net err_timed_out error. That can stem from issues with the DNS server.
• Incorrect DNS settings on your computer – Outdated DNS cache, an incorrect local IP address, or misconfigurations in your local hosts file can also trigger the timeout error.
• Firewall or Antivirus Interference – A firewall or antivirus program with overly restrictive settings or misconfigurations may block your browser’s access to certain websites. That can lead to “a website took too long to respond” error showing in your browser.
• Browser Issues – Outdated or incompatible browser extensions, cookies, and cache can cause a website to load slowly or not at all. Any of these can result in a timeout error.

Summary

Finally, ERR CONNECTION TIMED OUT is a common problem you can resolve by following the steps and suggested fixes in this article.

WordPress users can solve the problem by disabling plugins, updating themes and plugins, and checking firewall settings.

To ensure seamless web browsing for your visitors, it is critical to identify the root cause and apply the appropriate fix.