What Does the CONNECTION_RESET Error Mean & How Do You Fix It?

Error Meaning

The browser failed to contact the hosting server. You'll see ERR_CONNECTION_RESET online whenever your browser can't connect to the website's hosting server. You might also see the error message "NET::ERR_CONNECTION_RESET" or phrasing like, "This site can't be reached; The connection was reset." In other web browsers, the message might look a little different. For example: Edge browsers say "Hmmm… can't reach this page" or "This page isn't working" with the ERR_CONNECTION_RESET error code. Firefox browsers display "The connection was reset" with the PR_CONNECT_RESET_ERROR error code. Safari browsers show a "Safari can't establish a secure connection to the server" message.

Common Causes

Internet connection problems. Any interruption in your network or internet connection can cause this error to appear. This can be an issue if you're using Wi-Fi and the signal drops or if you're connected to Cellular Data and lose access to mobile data.

Server issues. An incorrectly configured server or a server that's too busy can give you a ERR_CONNECTION_RESET error.

Browser cache. Outdated or corrupted data can interrupt the communication between your browser and the internet, resulting in this error message.

Firewall or antivirus. Some of these settings can block you from visiting certain sites.

Hardware and driver issues. Outdated or old hardware can cause issues like the ERR_CONNECTION_RESET error.

Common Fixes

Refresh the page. Sometimes the simplest fixes are the ones that work. Refreshing gives your browser a chance to load the page again, which might help if the website server is busy or you have a weak/intermittent internet connection. Refresh the page by clicking the refresh arrow to the left of the top toolbar or press Cmd + R (Mac)/Ctrl + R (Windows).

Clear browser data. Since corrupted cookies and cached files can trigger the error message, you want to delete what your browser has stored to see if the page will load. You can read this wikiHow article for specific steps to clear your browser's cache and cookies according to what browser you're using. Alternatively, use a Private or Incognito window so you don't have to delete your browsing history. Since this doesn't solve the error in your main browser, it's a temporary solution that'll let you access the site quickly.

Check your Internet connection. Your internet connection can be weak and trigger the caching error message. You want to troubleshoot your router and network to make sure that's not the problem. Restarting your router seems to fix most problems.

Check the website's server status. If the server is offline, you'll see this error, but there aren't quick ways for you to fix this. Instead, you can only wait until the website's servers are back online. You can use a site like https://www.downdetector.com to see if sites are down or experiencing heavy volume, another reason for the ERR_CONNECTION_RESET error.

Disable browser extensions. Since some extensions can interrupt communication between your computer and the website's server, turning these off will eliminate that interruption so the page can load. Follow the steps outlined in this wikiHow article to disable your extensions or add-ons for your specific browser. Generally, you can find a "Manage extensions/Add-ons" page. You can turn them on one by one and load the page to see if you get the error message; as soon as you do, you know that the last extension/add-on you turned on is causing the error message. Then you can update or uninstall that extension/add-on.

Check your firewall or antivirus settings. Follow the steps in this wikiHow article to check your Firewall and see if it's blocking the site. If you're confident that the site you're trying to see isn't malicious, you can turn off your firewall or antivirus software on your computer. You can also open ports to allow the traffic from that site.

Disable your VPN or proxy. While these are great tools to protect your security, they can also be the cause of the connection error. So turn these off if you're using them and see if the page loads. If you're on an iPhone or iPad, make sure to turn off the VPN.

Reset your DNS settings. This gets rid of any DNS issues causing the caching error. The process is different for Windows and Mac computers: Flush and reset Windows DNS Cache: Run Command Prompt as an admin and enter "ipconfig /flushdns". Press Enter to send the command. Enter "netsh int ip reset". Press Enter to send the command. Restart your computer. Flush and reset Mac DNS Cache: Open Terminal and enter "sudo dscacheutil -flushcache". Press Enter to send the command. Enter the admin password and press Enter. Enter "sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder" and press Enter to send the command. Restart your computer.