How to Fix ERR_CONNECTION_RESET Error in Chrome – Complete Guide

Have you ever tried opening a website in Chrome only to see ERR_CONNECTION_RESET?

This error means that the connection between your browser and the website server was unexpectedly closed or reset. As a result, Chrome cannot complete the request and the website fails to load.

The ERR_CONNECTION_RESET error can be caused by problems with your internet connection, DNS settings, browser cache, VPN or proxy, firewall, server configuration, or even the hosting server itself.

In this guide, we will explain what ERR_CONNECTION_RESET means and show you practical ways to fix it on Windows, macOS, Linux, and VPS-hosted websites.

What Does ERR_CONNECTION_RESET Mean?

When you open a website, your browser establishes a connection with the website's server.

Normally, the process looks like this:

Browser → DNS → Server → Website

If the connection is unexpectedly terminated before the website responds properly, Chrome may display:

This site can't be reached

The connection was reset.

ERR_CONNECTION_RESET

In simple terms, the connection was established or attempted, but something interrupted it before the request could finish.

Common Causes of ERR_CONNECTION_RESET

There isn't one single cause of this error. Some common reasons include:

• Unstable internet connection

• Incorrect DNS configuration

• Corrupted browser cache

• VPN or proxy problems

• Firewall blocking the connection

• Antivirus software interfering with traffic

• Incorrect network settings

• Router problems

• Website server configuration issues

• Nginx or Apache configuration problems

• Incorrect SSL/TLS configuration

• VPS firewall blocking traffic

• Server overload or downtime

• ISP-related connection problems

The first step is to determine whether the problem occurs only on your device or affects the website itself.

How to Fix ERR_CONNECTION_RESET

1. Check Your Internet Connection

Start with the simplest solution.

Open a few other websites in Chrome.

If multiple websites are not loading, your internet connection may be the problem.

Try:

• Disconnecting and reconnecting to Wi-Fi

• Restarting your router

• Switching to mobile data

• Connecting to another Wi-Fi network

If the website works on mobile data but not on Wi-Fi, the issue may be related to your router, ISP, or DNS configuration.

2. Restart Your Router

A router can occasionally experience temporary network or DNS issues.

Turn off your router and wait for around 30 seconds.

Then turn it back on and wait for the connection to become stable.

After reconnecting to the internet, open Chrome and try accessing the website again.

This simple step can resolve temporary connection problems without changing any configuration.

3. Clear Chrome Browser Cache

A corrupted browser cache can sometimes cause connection problems.

To clear Chrome's cached data:

1. Open Chrome.

2. Go to Settings.

3. Open Privacy and security.

4. Select Delete browsing data.

5. Select cached images and files.

6. Clear the data.

7. Restart Chrome.

You can also test the website in an Incognito window.

If the website works in Incognito mode but not in your normal browser, cached data, cookies, or browser extensions may be involved.

4. Disable Browser Extensions

Some Chrome extensions can interfere with website connections.

This can happen particularly with:

• VPN extensions

• Proxy extensions

• Ad blockers

• Security extensions

• Privacy extensions

Temporarily disable your extensions and try opening the website again.

If the error disappears, enable the extensions one by one to identify which extension is causing the problem.

5. Flush DNS Cache

Your operating system stores DNS information locally.

If the cached DNS information becomes outdated or incorrect, it can cause connection problems.

Windows

Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

ipconfig /flushdns

You should receive a message confirming that the DNS resolver cache was successfully cleared.

Restart Chrome and test the website again.

macOS

Open Terminal and run:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

Enter your password if requested.

Then reopen your browser.

6. Change Your DNS Server

Your internet provider normally assigns a DNS resolver automatically.

If that DNS resolver is slow or experiencing problems, changing to another DNS service can help troubleshoot the issue.

You can test with:

Google DNS

8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4

Cloudflare DNS

1.1.1.1
1.0.0.1

After changing your DNS settings, restart your network connection and try opening the website again.

7. Disable VPN or Proxy

If you are using a VPN or proxy, temporarily disable it.

VPNs and proxies route your traffic through another server. If that connection is unstable or incorrectly configured, Chrome may show ERR_CONNECTION_RESET.

After disabling the VPN or proxy, reload the website.

If the website starts working, the VPN or proxy configuration may be responsible for the issue.

8. Temporarily Check Firewall or Antivirus Software

Firewalls and antivirus applications monitor network traffic.

In some situations, they may incorrectly block or reset a connection.

If you recently installed or changed security software, check whether the website is being blocked.

Do not permanently disable your firewall or antivirus just to access a website.

Instead, check its logs or allowed applications and create an appropriate exception if necessary.

9. Reset Windows Network Settings

If the problem continues on Windows, resetting the network stack can help.

Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

netsh winsock reset

Then run:

netsh int ip reset

You can also refresh your IP configuration:

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Restart your computer after running these commands.

Then try accessing the website again.

10. Check the Website From Another Device

This is an important troubleshooting step.

Try opening the same website from:

• Another computer

• Your smartphone

• Mobile data

• Another Wi-Fi connection

If the website works everywhere except your computer

The problem is probably local to your device, browser, DNS, VPN, proxy, or firewall.

If the website fails everywhere

The problem may be related to:

• DNS

• Hosting

• VPS

• Web server

• SSL configuration

• Firewall

• Website downtime

This distinction can save a lot of troubleshooting time.

11. Check DNS Resolution

If you manage the website, verify that its domain resolves correctly.

On Windows, run:

nslookup example.com

On macOS or Linux:

dig example.com

or:

nslookup example.com

The domain should return the correct IP address of the hosting server.

For example:

example.com → 203.0.113.20

If the domain resolves to an incorrect IP address, check your DNS records.

12. Check Your DNS A Record

For a website hosted on a VPS, the domain's A record should normally point to the public IPv4 address of the VPS.

For example:

Type: A
Name: @
Value: YOUR_VPS_IP
TTL: 3600

For www, you may use an A record or CNAME depending on your configuration.

For example:

Type: CNAME
Name: www
Value: example.com

If your VPS IP has changed but the DNS record still points to the old IP, the website may not work correctly.

13. Check Nginx Configuration

If your website is hosted on an Ubuntu VPS using Nginx, check the Nginx configuration.

Run:

sudo nginx -t

If the configuration is correct, you should receive a successful syntax test.

If there is an error, Nginx will usually show the configuration file and line where the problem was detected.

After fixing the configuration, reload Nginx:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

You can check the service status with:

sudo systemctl status nginx

14. Check Whether Ports 80 and 443 Are Open

Websites normally use:

HTTP  → Port 80
HTTPS → Port 443

If these ports are blocked by a firewall, visitors may not be able to connect properly.

If you are using UFW on Ubuntu, check its status:

sudo ufw status

If required by your server setup, HTTP and HTTPS can be allowed with:

sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp

Then verify the firewall rules again.

Only open ports that your server actually needs.

15. Check Server Resource Usage

If your website is hosted on a VPS and the server is overloaded, connections may fail or be terminated unexpectedly.

Check CPU and memory usage:

top

You can also check memory:

free -h

And disk usage:

df -h

If the server is running out of memory, CPU, or disk space, investigate the processes consuming the resources.

For websites using Node.js, PHP, databases, or other applications, also check the relevant application logs.

16. Check Server Logs

Server logs can provide useful information when troubleshooting connection resets.

For Nginx, you can check:

sudo tail -f /var/log/nginx/error.log

You can also check the access log:

sudo tail -f /var/log/nginx/access.log

Try opening the website while watching the logs.

If a request reaches Nginx, you may see information about the request or an associated error.

17. Check SSL/TLS Configuration

If the error happens specifically when opening the HTTPS version of your website, SSL/TLS configuration should also be checked.

For example:

https://example.com

may fail while:

http://example.com

works.

In this situation, check:

• SSL certificate

• Certificate and private key paths

• Nginx HTTPS server block

• Port 443

• TLS configuration

• Certificate expiration

• DNS configuration

For Nginx, start with:

sudo nginx -t

Then check the SSL-related configuration and logs.

18. Restart the Web Server

If the configuration is correct but the web server is behaving unexpectedly, restarting the service can sometimes resolve a temporary issue.

For Nginx:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

After restarting, check:

sudo systemctl status nginx

Make sure the service is running correctly before testing the website.

ERR_CONNECTION_RESET vs Other Errors

Different browser errors usually point toward different problems.

ERR_CONNECTION_RESET

The connection was unexpectedly reset.

ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED

The server actively refused the connection, often because the service is not listening on the required port.

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT

The connection did not receive a response within the expected time.

DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN

The domain could not be resolved through DNS.

ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR

There is likely an SSL/TLS or HTTPS configuration problem.

Understanding these differences helps you choose the right troubleshooting method.

Quick ERR_CONNECTION_RESET Fix Checklist

Before making complicated server changes, go through this checklist:

✓ Check your internet connection
✓ Restart your router
✓ Try another network
✓ Open the website in Incognito mode
✓ Clear Chrome cache
✓ Disable browser extensions
✓ Flush DNS cache
✓ Try another DNS server
✓ Disable VPN or proxy temporarily
✓ Check firewall settings
✓ Run nslookup or dig
✓ Check domain A records
✓ Verify VPS IP address
✓ Test Nginx configuration
✓ Check ports 80 and 443
✓ Check VPS CPU and RAM usage
✓ Review Nginx error logs
✓ Check SSL/TLS configuration

When Should You Contact Your Hosting Provider?

If you have completed the local troubleshooting steps and the website still shows ERR_CONNECTION_RESET, the problem may be related to the hosting environment.

Contact your hosting provider if:

• The VPS is unreachable

• Network connectivity is unstable

• The server is overloaded

• Firewall rules are causing unexpected blocks

• The VPS public IP is not responding

• Nginx or another web server repeatedly stops

• The problem affects multiple users and networks

Provide your hosting provider with the domain name, approximate time of the issue, and any relevant server or browser error messages.

This can help them investigate the problem faster.

Final Thoughts

The ERR_CONNECTION_RESET error can be caused by something as simple as a temporary network problem or as complex as a VPS, firewall, Nginx, or SSL configuration issue.

Start with the easiest checks: test your internet connection, restart the router, clear browser data, flush DNS, and try another network.

If the issue only affects a website hosted on your VPS, move on to DNS, firewall, ports, Nginx, SSL, server resources, and logs.

By identifying whether the problem is on the client side, network side, DNS side, or server side, you can usually find the cause of the connection reset much faster.

If you are running websites, applications, or development projects on a VPS, reliable server infrastructure and proper network configuration are essential for stable website connectivity.