How to use it
- Check the site with the live tool below.
- If it is up, reload without the cache and try a private window.
- Turn off VPN, proxy and extensions, then flush DNS.
- Test on another network, and restart the router if only your network fails.
- Read the exact error text in the table and follow the matching fix.
Step one: is it the site or you?
Use the checker above. If it reports the site as down, stop here. Nothing on your device will bring back a site that has stopped working, and fiddling with settings only creates new problems. Try again later.
If it reports the site as up, the rest of this guide applies. The break is somewhere on the path from your browser to the site, and the path has a few parts: the browser, the device, the network and the DNS lookup. We test them from the cheapest to the most invasive.
Read the error before you guess
The wording of the browser's message points to the cause. These are the ones people see most in Chrome and Edge, with the closest equivalents elsewhere.
| Message | Likely cause | First fix |
|---|---|---|
ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED, Firefox "We can't connect to the server", Safari "Can't find the server" | The domain name could not be resolved: typo, expired domain or DNS trouble. | Check the spelling, then flush DNS. |
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET | The device has no working connection or DNS server. | Reconnect to Wi-Fi, restart the router. |
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT | The request left but nothing came back: a firewall, a dead route or an overloaded server. | Test on mobile data, turn off VPN. |
ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED | The server answered and said no, or nothing is listening on that port. | Usually the site's problem. Check with the live tool. |
ERR_CONNECTION_RESET | The connection was cut mid-way, often by a firewall, antivirus or a mobile network. | Pause security software HTTPS scanning, try another network. |
ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID, NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID | The certificate is expired or untrusted, or your clock is wrong. | Fix the date, time and time zone on your device. |
ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS | A cookie or cached redirect loops. | Delete cookies for that site. |
ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR | The secure handshake failed, sometimes caused by security software. | Try another browser and another network. |
If the page does load but is blank, half styled or shows old content, the cause is almost always the cache. If you get an error page from the site itself, with a number such as 403 or 503, it is not a connection problem at all. Read our explanation of status codes.
Fix it in this order
Reload without the cache and try a private window
Press Ctrl+Shift+R (Cmd+Shift+R on a Mac). Then open a private or incognito window, which starts without extensions and old cookies in most browsers. If the site loads there, an extension, a cookie or the cache is at fault. Clear the cache and cookies for that one site, or disable extensions one at a time. Ad blockers and privacy tools are the most frequent culprits.
Turn off your VPN and proxy
A VPN sends your traffic through another server. If that server is slow, blocked by the site, or fails to pass DNS requests, you see timeouts and resets. Disconnect, reload, and see if it changes. Also check the proxy settings of your system and browser, because some programs switch a proxy on and leave it set after you remove them.
Flush the DNS cache
Your device remembers the addresses it looked up. If a site moved to a new server and your device still holds the old address, you land nowhere. Flushing forgets those entries. The steps for every device are in our guide on how to flush DNS.
Try another network and restart the router
If the site loads on mobile data and not on your home network, restart the router: unplug it for thirty seconds and plug it back in. That clears its DNS cache and reconnects it to your provider. If it still fails at home, change the DNS server in the router to a public resolver, or ask your provider whether they block the address.
Check the date, time and security software
Certificates are only valid at a specific time. A device clock that is off by a day can break every secure site. Set date and time to automatic. Next, look at antivirus or firewall products that scan encrypted traffic. Pause that feature for a minute. If the site works, add an exception for it instead of leaving protection off.
Look at the hosts file
The hosts file is a local list that overrides DNS. Programs, and sometimes malware or old tests, add lines there that point a domain somewhere else. On Windows it is C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts, on Mac and Linux /etc/hosts. Lines starting with # are comments. If you see the domain you cannot open on a line without a #, that line is the reason.
When only one app fails
If the website opens in the browser but a game or app does not connect, the app has its own cache and often its own servers. Look for the app on our service status list, which has fixes for each one. Reinstalling is the last step, not the first.
When none of it works
Test with a second device on the same network. If it also fails, the cause is the network or the site. If only one device fails, reset that device's network settings or ask someone to check it. When the site fails everywhere for hours, contact the site's support through a channel that does not use that site, for example its social account, and wait for their notice.
Frequently asked questions
Why is one website not loading when everything else works?
Either that site is down, or something is wrong between you and that one address: a stale DNS entry, a blocklist, a firewall rule, a browser extension or an expired certificate. A live check tells you which of the two it is.
Why does a website load on my phone but not on my computer?
The computer has a local problem. The usual suspects are a VPN or proxy, security software that scans HTTPS traffic, a wrong date and time, a corrupted DNS cache or a broken browser extension.
What does ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED mean?
Your browser could not turn the domain name into an IP address. The domain may be mistyped, expired or removed, or your DNS server is not answering. Flush the DNS cache and try another DNS server.
Will clearing my cache help?
It helps when the page loads blank, loads old content or throws a certificate or redirect error. It does not help when the server is down or your connection is cut.
Can my router cause one site to fail?
Yes. Routers cache DNS answers and some run content filters. Restarting the router clears its cache. If the site works on another network, check the router settings for parental controls or DNS filtering.
Is a VPN the cause?
It can be. Some sites block VPN addresses, and a VPN can break DNS or send traffic through a slow or failing server. Turn it off for a minute and test again.