Estimated Time to Fix: 5 minutes

Summary

The "This site can't be reached" error (often accompanied by ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED, ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED, or DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN) appears when your web browser cannot establish a connection to a web server. This guide provides step-by-step instructions to clear network caches and restore your browsing connection.

Symptoms

• Seeing a grey blank page with the message "This site can't be reached" or "Server IP address could not be found".
• Error codes ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED, ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT, or DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN.
• Web pages fail to load in Chrome or Edge, while other apps or smartphones connected to the same Wi-Fi work normally.

Before You Start

None required.

Instructions

1. Verify Internet and Network Status

Before troubleshooting system settings, verify whether the connection issue is global or specific to one website.

1. Open a new browser tab and visit google.com or bing.com.
2. If no websites load, check your computer's Wi-Fi or Ethernet icon in the bottom-right system tray.
3. If connected to Wi-Fi, disconnect and reconnect to your network.
4. If you are trying to access a work-related website (such as an internal intranet or payroll portal), connect to your company's VPN first.

2. Flush the Windows DNS Cache

Windows stores DNS lookups in a temporary cache. If a server IP address changes or the cache becomes corrupted, your browser fails to locate the site.

⚠ This step needs administrator rights

On a work computer you may not have these, and that is normal - it is not something you did wrong.

Why it needs them: the DNS cache and network sockets are shared by everything on the computer, so Windows will not let a standard account clear them.

Nothing here is permanent. Both commands clear temporary data that Windows rebuilds automatically the next time you visit a site. Nothing you have saved is affected.

Rather not, or the option is greyed out? Skip to step 3 and step 4 — a VPN or proxy problem and a stale browser cache cause this error at least as often, and neither needs admin rights.

1. Press the Windows Key, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
2. Type the following command and press Enter:

   ipconfig /flushdns

3. You will see the confirmation message: Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.
4. Type the following command to reset network sockets and press Enter:

   netsh winsock reset

5. Close the Command Prompt window and refresh your browser tab.

3. Reset Your Corporate VPN or Proxy Connection

If your company uses a VPN or web proxy filter, an unstable proxy socket can block web traffic.

1. Open your VPN software (such as Cisco AnyConnect or GlobalProtect).
2. Click Disconnect, wait 5 seconds, and click Connect.
3. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
4. Click Network & internet > Proxy.
5. Ensure Automatically detect settings is toggled On.
6. If Use a proxy server is enabled under Manual proxy setup, toggle it Off (unless explicitly required by your IT department).

4. Clear Browser Cache and Restart Your Browser

Stale browser cookies or cached redirect loops can trigger connection errors.

1. In Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete to open the clear browsing data window.
2. Set Time range to All time (or Past 7 days).
3. Check the box for Cached images and files.
4. Click Clear data (or Clear now).
5. Close all browser windows completely, reopen your browser, and navigate to the website.

Troubleshooting

WARNING

If ipconfig /flushdns does not resolve the issue and all websites fail to load across all devices, restart your home Wi-Fi router by unplugging its power cord for 30 seconds.

Symptom / Error	Potential Cause	Solution
ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED	DNS server lookup failure	Run ipconfig /flushdns in Command Prompt
ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED	Firewall, proxy, or server offline	Disconnect VPN or disable manual proxy in Windows Settings
Only internal work sites fail	Missing corporate network connection	Connect to your company VPN client
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN	Invalid URL or bad DNS server	Check for typos in the domain name or change DNS to 8.8.8.8

Related Articles

• How to Clear Browser Cache and Cookies
• How to Fix DNS Server Isn't Responding on Windows
• How to Fix No Internet Secured Wi-Fi Error

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