Are y'all seeing the "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" fault in your browser? Not a very helpful error message, is it? If you lot are a daily WordPress user, then it'due south e'er good to be aware of common errors like these that might prevent y'all from getting access to your website.

In today's mail, nosotros're going to take a deep dive into the "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" mistake and examine why you might see this and what you can do to ready it quickly. Just put, it'south an indication that the system is unavailable and the fourth dimension given for one to connect has elapsed, and at present the request has timed out. But what does that actually hateful?

Let's observe out!

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What is the ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT Error?

An ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT fault typically ways there is something incorrect with your local network connection. However, that's non always the case.

According to the WordPress support documentation, a connexion timed out error appears when your website is trying to do more than your server can manage. Information technology's particularly common on shared hosting where your retentivity limit is restricted.

When y'all visit a website and it doesn't load, your browser will try for around 30 seconds or so until it terminates the connection. Subsequently which it will render an "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" fault, indicating a communication problem. In Google Chrome yous might run across this as "This site can't be reached. Domain.com took besides long to respond."

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error in Chrome
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error in Chrome

Due to all the unlike web browsers, operating systems, and servers, the fault tin can present itself in a number of different ways. But most of them have the same or like meaning. "ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED" and "ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED" are two very closely related errors that tin can usually exist solved with the aforementioned troubleshooting steps below.

Some other common fault code that appears under 'This site can't be reached' is the DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN, which is a DNS error that essentially means the domain that was requested doesn't exist.

Below are a few examples of how the fault might nowadays itself in unlike browsers.

Mozilla Firefox

In Mozilla Firefox the fault volition show as "The connection has timed out." The server at domain.com is taking too long to reply.

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error in Firefox
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT fault in Firefox

Microsoft Border

In Microsoft Edge, the error volition prove as "Hmmm… can't attain this page. Domain.com took too long to respond." In Border, however, it does besides contain the "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" error.

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error in Edge
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT fault in Edge

Safari

In Safari, the error will show as "Safari Can't Open the Page. Safari tin't open the page domain.com because the server where this page is located isn't responding."

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error in Safari
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error in Safari

How to Set the ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT Mistake

Where should you start troubleshooting if you see this error on your WordPress site? Without a not bad deal of context, it can sometimes be frustrating and overwhelming where to fifty-fifty begin. Typically these are either customer-side bug (problems with your network connection or firewall) or an issue with the server at which the site is hosted (retention limits, execution times, etc.).

one. Check Your Connexion

Google Chrome, Firefox, and Edge all recommend that you should check your network connection. While this might sound obvious, they all betoken to checking your connection first as information technology'southward one of the nearly common reasons for the error. Here are a few things we recommend:

  • Restart your habitation or part router. This merely takes a few minutes and solves more problems than a lot of people would like to admit. To completely power bicycle information technology, disconnect the power supply and and then await 30 seconds before plugging it dorsum in.
  • Check to see if you're on a bad or dull wifi connection. This is a mutual occurrence on busy public wifi hotspots such as coffee shops or airports.

2. Disable Firewall and Antivirus Software Temporarily

Firewalls and antivirus software are intended to protect users and their systems. They scan your device regularly and automatically block whatsoever suspicious activity. However, this blazon of security tin at times pb to connection issues.

This is because firewalls tin can often cake pages they don't need to or reject content that is completely prophylactic. We've seen this happen many times with software like AVG. To check whether this is the example for you, try disabling your firewall and antivirus programs. Of class, this is only advised if you know for sure that the site you're intending to visit is safe.

Additionally, you should only disable this kind of software temporarily. Switch it dorsum on after you lot've finished checking to see whether the error has been resolved, so you don't become vulnerable to attacks. If you repeatedly encounter errors because of your firewall or antivirus software, you lot may want to consider changing what you're using.

These types of tools too accept what is called a "false-positive" report y'all can fill up out. If y'all're 100% positive that a site your visiting is blocked and shouldn't be, you can let the software developer know. Hither are a few quick links:

  • AVG false positive form
  • Norton false positive form
  • Sophos false positive course

3. Disable Proxy Settings

Sometimes you might run across the ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error if you are utilizing a proxy service. This is usually pretty rare, peculiarly on the client-side. However, ane might have been set without you even knowing it. To disable or check to ensure no proxy settings are enabled, follow these steps.

Access the Settings carte du jour in your Chrome browser. This will open up up the complete card of options. Under the System department (you'll demand to click Advanced at the lesser to run across this), you lot should discover an entry titled Open proxy settings. Past selecting information technology, you lot'll be taken to the corresponding menu:

Open Proxy Settings in Chrome
Open up Proxy Settings in Chrome

Your next step depends on the system y'all're currently using. Windows users will desire to click on LAN Settings and uncheck the Use proxy server for LAN selection. If yous're a Mac user, you should immediately find yourself in the relevant menu. You'll then take to uncheck all selectable proxy protocols and cheque to encounter if the ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT message has been resolved.

Uncheck proxies on Mac
Uncheck proxies on Mac

If you're on Windows, you will see a "Local Area Network (LAN) Settings" window appear. You volition want to confirm that the "Use a proxy server for your LAN" pick is unchecked.

Disable Chrome proxy settings in Windows
Disable Chrome proxy settings in Windows

The aforementioned goes if you're using a VPN like ExpressVPN or TunnelBear. Make sure you're not connected by blow.

4. Change DNS Servers

The next matter you can endeavour is changing your DNS servers. By default, DNS servers are automatically assigned by your ISP. But you lot could try temporarily irresolute these to a public DNS server, such as Google or Cloudflare.

  • Some adopt to use Google's public DNS (8.8.8.eight and eight.8.4.4) long-term due to them sometimes being more reliable.
  • Cloudflare also offers secure and blazing fast free DNS (1.ane.1.1 and one.0.0.1) which we will be using in this example. If yous want to use Google'south the steps are the same, yous just replace the DNS server addresses with Googles.

Tip: If you're already using a free DNS server and having issues, removing information technology and defaulting back to your ISP'south DNS servers also sometimes ready things.

Google and Cloudflare aren't perfect 100% of the time and at that place have been a few instances where nosotros've noticed switching back has resolved the issue. This is especially true if y'all're using a Wifi hotspot in an airport or coffee store.

Windows

In Windows simply open up up Command Prompt by pressing the Windows logo key and R. So type "control panel" and hit Enter.

Run Control Panel Windows
Run Control Console Windows

Click on "Network and Internet" and so "Network and Sharing Center." On the left-manus side, click on "Change Adapter Settings."

Change adapter settings
Change adapter settings

Correct click on your electric current connection, this will either be Local Area Connection or Wireless Network Connection based on how you're connecting. Then click on "Properties."

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Wireless connection properties
Wireless connectedness properties

Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (or Version 6 if desired) and click on "Properties."

IPV 4 properties
IPV four properties

Make a note of whatsoever existing settings in case y'all need to revert back. Click "Use the following DNS server addresses." Enter the post-obit, or supervene upon the existing with these:

For IPv4:i.i.1.1 andi.0.0.ane
For IPv6:2606:4700:4700::1111 and2606:4700:4700::1001

DNS server addresses
DNS server addresses

Click OK, then Close. Restart your browser.

Mac

To change DNS servers on a Mac, go to System Preferences…

Mac system preferences
Mac system preferences

Click on the network icon and then click "Advanced."

Mac network advanced
Mac network advanced

Click on the "DNS" tab.

Mac DNS
Mac DNS

And then add Cloudflare's DNS server addresses.

For IPv4:one.1.1.i and1.0.0.i
For IPv6:2606:4700:4700::1111 and2606:4700:4700::1001

5. Flush/Renew DNS

Yous can also try flushing your local DNS enshroud. This is like to immigration your browser enshroud. It could exist that the site yous're trying to visit isn't resolving to the correct IP address. If you've just migrated your WordPress site to a new host, it'southward important to wait for things to fully propagate. This can sometimes take up to 24 hours, although it tin can be as little as a few minutes. This depends on your DNS provider and the TTL value of your DNS records.

Windows

In Windows simply open up Command Prompt and enter the following:

ipconfig /flushdns
Command prompt - flush DNS
Control prompt – flush DNS

Yous should encounter a "Successfully flushed the DNS resolver Cache" if information technology worked.

Mac

For macOS users, you tin can enter the following in the terminal:

dscacheutil -flushcache
dscacheutil -flushcache
Mac flush cache

Note: There is no success message on Macs.

6. Cheque Your Hosts File

Every computer has what they call a local hosts file. This is a file that contains manual DNS entries which are mapped to specific IP addresses. Typically this is only edited when yous desire to preview your DNS earlier switching over domains to a new host. Or perhaps you accept a local development site running using a tool similar DevKinsta, Vagrant or Docker.

At that place is a multitude of unlike ways this file could have been changed or edited. Therefore, it's always adept to check to ensure the website you're trying to admission isn't in in that location. Just follow the steps beneath.

Windows

The hosts file typically requires additional admission. And then the commencement stride is to open up your text editor equally an ambassador. Simply click on your start menu, search for your text editor, correct-click on it and select "Run as administrator." This can exist washed in any text editor such as Notepad, Notepad++, Cantlet, etc. We are using Sublime in our example below.

Run text editor as administrator
Run text editor as ambassador

Within your text editor click File → Open and browse to the following location:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\

Click on the hosts file and "Open."

open hosts file
Open hosts file

Double-bank check and make certain the website you're trying to visit isn't listed in there. If it is, remove it.

Mac

To check your hosts file on a Mac, nosotros recommend getting Gas Mask. It's a free application which can exist used as hosts file manager, hosts files editor, and switch between them. Information technology makes everything quick and easy! Otherwise, yous can follow the steps beneath to edit your hosts file on Mac manually.

Become to Utilities and and so click on "Terminal."

Mac utilities terminal
Mac utilities final

Enter in the post-obit control and printing Enter (you lot will most likely be prompted for your administrator countersign also).

sudo nano /private/etc/hosts

Double-check and make certain the website you're trying to visit isn't listed in your hosts file. If it is, remove information technology.

Edit hosts file on Mac
Edit hosts file on Mac

7. Check the DNS of Your Domain

You should also verify that the DNS of your domain is correctly pointed to your hosting provider. If you're a Kinsta client we have an in-depth postal service on how to signal your domain and or DNS to Kinsta. If you recently migrated your WordPress website to a new host, it could exist the DNS was cached incorrectly on your reckoner. In which case, step 5 above should resolve that. Or it may simply be too soon and you need to look a few hours for the DNS to fully propagate.

8. Clear Browser Cache

Web browsers shop information in cache on your estimator. This includes your browsing history, saved login data, and cookies – all of which are recorded in order to load the relevant pages more than chop-chop the side by side fourth dimension they're visited.

Although they're useful, caches can cause numerous issues when they become outdated. Fortunately, this problem is hands solved by clearing your enshroud.

Only before y'all practice that, you tin easily check to encounter if it's a browser cache event by first opening up your browser in incognito mode. Or you can try a different browser. If y'all're nevertheless seeing the error, then y'all will want to proceed with clearing your enshroud.

In this case, we'll exist using Google Chrome. Begin by opening up the primary menu (in the elevation-correct corner of your browser window). From there, select More Tools: You tin then click on Articulate browser information.

Chrome clear browsing data
Chrome clear browsing data

On the resulting page, you'll need to make certain that all listed file categories are selected. If they aren't, Chrome won't exist able to empty the entire cache. Instead, it will simply remove the most recent entries, which won't outcome in the desired effect:

Clear browsing data
Clear browsing data

An alternative method of completing this process is to enter the post-obit URL into your address bar:

chrome://settings/clearBrowserData

The resulting screen should grant you access to the aforementioned options we've outlined above. Here are some other helpful links for clearing enshroud.

  • How to Force Refresh a Unmarried Folio for All Browsers
  • How to Clear Cache for Google Chrome
  • How to Clear Cache for Mozilla Firefox
  • How to Clear Cache on Mac (Safari)
  • How to Clear Cache for Internet Explorer
  • How to Clear Enshroud for Microsoft Edge
  • How to Clear Enshroud for Opera

9. Look at The Maximum Execution Time

The rest of the troubleshooting steps we'll exist diving into are those that take to do with the configuration of your WordPress site or server that may help fix the "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" error.

The beginning is the maximum execution fourth dimension gear up for your site. On most servers, the default time is set to 30 seconds. This is the corporeality of fourth dimension a PHP script is allowed to run (afterward which information technology times out). On shared hosts, this is typically set low or left at the default.

You lot tin't easily alter this from WordPress as the php.ini file is located on your server. To change this, we recommend reaching out to your hosting provider to see if they can help. At Kinsta, we set the default maximum execution time to 300 seconds.

If you want to try and modify this yourself, it can ordinarily exist washed with 1 of the post-obit options. Both volition depend on how your hosting provider configures their servers.

Option 1 – Modify Max Execution Time in php.ini File

If you lot have a php.ini file in your home directory, find the max_execution_time parameter and alter it. For example, if it'south ready to thirty seconds, you can increase information technology to 300 seconds.

max_execution_time = 300

Option ii – Modify Max Execution Time in .htacess File

If the to a higher place selection doesn't piece of work, you lot might exist able to change it within your .htaccess file. But like with the php.ini file, this is typically located within your home directory. Place the following in the top of your .htaccess file:

php_value max_execution_time 300

ten. Temporarily Disable Your Plugins

Equally with nigh WordPress errors, a plugin tin can definitely exist the root of the problem. To determine if that's what's happening, you'll demand to disable all of your site's plugins. However, if you lot're getting the "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" fault it ways you don't have admission to your WordPress admin expanse. This ways you will need to SFTP into your site. We recommend using FileZilla.

In one case your SFTP client is gear up, connect to your website through it and navigate to your WordPress root folder. In example you can't find it, information technology's usually called public_html, html, public, www, or your site'due south proper noun. If you're a Kinsta client, it's your public folder.

WordPress root folder SFTP
WordPress root folder SFTP

Open that folder, and navigate to the wp-content directory. Inside, you lot'll see a binder calledplugins, which contains individual subdirectories for each of the plugins installed on your site (both active and inactive).

What you're going to practise now is correct-click on the plugins folder, and rename information technology to something else. We recommendplugins.old orplugins.deactivated, so yous tin can easily recognize information technology later.

WordPress plugins folder renamed
WordPress plugins folder renamed

WordPress will now not be able to find any of your plugins. When that happens, it will automatically disable those plugins.

Now, endeavor accessing your WordPress dashboard. If the timeout mistake is gone, then you can assume that one of your plugins was the culprit. All you accept to practice is effigy out which one was at mistake.

Return to thewp-content directory, and rename your original plugins folder correctly. And so, y'all'll need to disable each of your plugins one by one, until you find the culprit.

To do this, open thewp-content/plugins directory. Inside, you'll detect one folder for each of your plugins. The process yous're going to follow is much the aforementioned as before:

  1. Commencement with the first binder, and rename it to anything you like.
  2. Check your website to see if the error is gone.
  3. If it isn't, return the plugin folder from the previous step to its original proper noun.
  4. Move on to the next plugin on your list, repeating the above steps.

This process can take a while if y'all accept a lot of plugins, only it'south vital to cheque each plugin in turn. If at whatsoever point you identify the plugin that's causing the mistake, you tin uninstall it or replace it with another tool.

If y'all brand it to the end of these steps without finding a solution, yous tin can movement on to the next stage of troubleshooting.

11. Temporarily Revert to Default Theme

At present that you've ruled out your plugins every bit the cause of the timeout error, it's fourth dimension to do the same with your agile theme. In fact, your theme could also be creating compatibility bug.

Unfortunately, the process doesn't work the same as in a higher place. WordPress won't revert to the default theme if simply rename the theme binder, you would end up with an mistake like "The theme directory "theme name" does not exist." Or if you try to rename the entire theme directory folder, y'all end up with "ERROR: The themes directory is either empty or doesn't exist. Please check your installation."

Therefore, you need to admission your WordPress database by logging into phpMyAdmin. If you're a Kinsta client, this can exist found within the "Info" section of the MyKinsta dashboard.

MyKinsta phpMyAdmin
MyKinsta phpMyAdmin

Click into the "wp_options" table, and so click on the "Search" tab. Yous will desire to search under the "option_name" fortemplate.

phpMyAdmin wp_options table
phpMyAdmin wp_options tabular array

Under the "option_value" cavalcade you volition see the electric current proper noun of your theme. Alter this to one of the default themes, such as "twentynineteen."

wp_options template name
wp_options template name

Check your website again to see if this has fixed the error. If it did, it simply means it'due south a problem with your WordPress theme and you might want to effort reinstalling it or reverting to your nigh contempo backup.

12. Increment the Memory Limit

The WP_MEMORY_LIMIT parameter allows you to specify the maximum amount of retentivity that can exist consumed by PHP. If you are using shared hosting, it'south almost likely set to a low value such as 64M. At Kinsta, we set the default memory limit to 256M.

You can increase the memory limit past adding the following to your wp-config.php file. This must be placed higher up the wp-settings.php inclusion.

define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M' );
WP_MEMORY_LIMIT in wp-config.php
WP_MEMORY_LIMIT in wp-config.php

Not sure what your electric current PHP retentiveness limit is set to? If y'all have access to your WordPress dashboard and are running WordPress v.2 or above, you can see the PHP memory limit under the "Site Health" tool.

WordPress site health PHP memory limit
WordPress site health PHP retention limit

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Summary

Connectedness and timeout errors are never fun to troubleshoot, but hopefully, you have a picayune more knowledge in your toolbelt at present to help resolve it quickly.

Information technology'due south important to remember that the "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" mistake be a issue of a client-side problem such as your network connexion, or an consequence with the server where your WordPress site is hosted. Have any other tips to resolve this mistake? Let us know below in the comments.

(Suggested reading: Larn how to fix the ERR_CACHE_MISS error in Chrome)


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