Quick fix for “err_connection_refused” in Google Chrome

While working on a project or something on the internet can be frustrating if there is an error and you are unable to understand that. ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED or ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED is such kind of error that you can see while browsing on chrome. There is not a single possible reason for this error. One can get confused, but most of the time, this is just a typical internet connection error that is caused by some problem in your internet connection.

The fastest and most straightforward solution for the error is to check your internet connection.

Quick fix for err_connection_refused

Here are the steps to check your internet connection to fix ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED

• Check if other websites are opening in your browser or not.
• Check on another browser like Firefox or opera mini.
• Check other internet apps on your computer.
• Reset your internet connection.
• Clear browser cache memory.

If none of the above is working and you are still getting the ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED error, then proceeds towards the other solutions. Unfortunately, we cannot get to know the root cause for this error without applying the different solutions. Some problem can also cause error 102 or ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED at the server-side, or the site you are trying to visit can be ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED This error happens to most of the non-WordPress site.

If you are the owner of the site, then you should immediately contact your hosting provider and if you are using a cheap hosting, upgrade to a premium one. Here is the list of the solution that you can apply.

• Check the status of that specific site
• Restart your router/reset your internet connection
• Take a look at your proxy settings
• Disable Antivirus/ Firewall
• Clear Browser cache memory
• Clear DNS Cache (DNS Flush)
• Disable Chrome Extensions
• Change DNS Address
• Reinstall the Browser
• Stop Synchronization with the Google Account

1. Check the Status of that Specific Site

There are many websites to check the status of the sites. They use different servers and internet connections to check the status of the site. Down for everyone or me is also an excellent service that you can use for this purpose. It will show you the report for the status of the website.

Now if this service is showing that the specific page that you are asking for is down for everyone, then you can do nothing but wait for that to be online, or you can contact the website owner if you have the email address of him/her.

2. Restart Your Router/Reset Your Internet Connection

It is a trendy solution for almost all type of internet connection, and the irony is that it works for most of the time. It may not be the solution for the ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED, but it takes only a few minutes, so it is worth a shot. You don’t have to reset your router, that is another thing. You have to turn off the device and after 1 minute, restart the device. Connect again, and the problem should be gone if the error was with your internet connection.

Use this method only if the website is offline for you only. If in the 1st step, the site is down for everyone, then you should not try the other methods. All you can do is to wait and watch for the website to come online.

3. Check Your Proxy Settings

With the increasing security concerns, more and more people are using proxy not only as a user but also as a company or firm.

This is a useful feature, but it can cause ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED error as if you are browsing online using a proxy server, and the target website refuses to accept your request, then you can see this error.

If you are using chrome, you can easily access the proxy settings and can alter them. To open the proxy settings in chrome, go to the menu from the top right corner option — open settings. Now click on the Advanced settings tab, and under the System, tab, click on the Proxy settings as shown in the picture below.

In the next window, click on LAN Settings. Now you can turn off all the possible connected proxy connections.

If you are on a Mac, then you will see a screen like this. All you have to do is to uncheck all the options under the proxy configurations.

Now check if ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED error is resolved or not. If not, then jump to the next solution.

After a recent update, another error occurs while dealing with the proxy. In this error, proxy won’t turn off, and if it does, it revert back after a while. So the solution to this problem is editing the relevant registry of the windows. Here are the steps to follow.

• First of all, access the registry. For that press Windows key ⊞ + R.
• A dialogue box will open in the bottom left corner. Type Regedit in that box and hit enter or click Ok.

  

• A new window will open, enter the following address in the address bar to navigate to the relevant directory. Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
  \SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
  \CurrentVersion\Internet Settings
  Directory
• Now right click on the DWOD file and modify its value from 0 to 1.
• Save the value and restart the computer.

Editing the registry can be risky, that’s why always make a backup of the file that you are going to edit. For some users, the following modifications work.

• Modify ProxyEnable value to 0
• Modify ProxyHttp1.1 value to 0
• Remove ProxyOverride key
• Erase ProxyServer key Save the files, and restart the computer

4. Disable Antivirus/ Firewall

This may seem odd to you, but antivirus programs can affect the connectivity of browsers like chrome. It can be due to some virus or unsecured connection. As the antivirus scan all the traffic going out or coming in, the suspicious traffic can be blocked by the antivirus program. Sometimes, the antivirus detects the safe traffic as a false positive, and thus, the ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED error can appear.

After disabling the antivirus, check again if the target website is opening or not. If the problem is not solved using this method, then you can use the next process.

5. Clear Browser Cache Memory

All browsers store information like logins, pictures, and other data in the memory to load them faster in the next sessions. They are pretty useful during office work to do the job quicker and more efficiently.

But when the browser cache gets loaded with a lot of crappy data, then that can cause problems during browsing and speed of the machine. One of the issues that an old cache memory can create is the mismatch of the old and new pages; thus, the error like ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED occurs.

Fortunately, it is pretty easy to solve this issue. All you have to do is to clear the browser cache memory. To remove the chrome cache memory, open the history. You can open an account using a shortcut “Ctrl+ H” key. In the history menu, click on the “clear browser data”. A new tab will open.

A new window will open. Click on the advanced tab, and then select all the options. Then click on Clear data. It will take some time, and all the data will be cleared. Once it is done, you can visit the target website, and the problem should have gone.

6. Clear DNS Cache (DNS Flush)

As we have cleared the browser’s cache memory, the same goes for the system data. It is stored in the form of DNS. DNS has all the information about the pages that the user has visited. It does the same thing as the browser cache to send and receive pictures for a faster experience, and it can cause the same problems as the problems caused by the browser cache.

The solution for this cache memory is also the same. But clearing (flushing) DNS is not that straightforward as clearing browser cache. But it is easy to clear, and it gives a high chance for the solution of ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED error.

DNS Flush (Windows)

To flush DNS, you have to enter a command as an administrator and you are done. Follow the steps, and you will eliminate the error.

• Open CMD with Administrator rights. Right-click on CMD and select open as administrator.

  

• Enter the following command and hit Enter.
  ipconfig /flushdns
• You are done.

  

Now restart the device and try to open the target website, and see if it is working fine or not.

DNS Flush (Mac)

The method for flushing DNS is not that different for the Mac devices. You have to open the Terminal, enter the command, and you are done. Here is how it has to be done.

• Click on Go, on the top.
• From the drop-down menu, select Utilities.

  

• In the next tab, select the Terminal.
• In the terminal, enter the following command.
  sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder && echo macOS DNS Cache Reset

  

7. Disable Chrome Extensions

On rare chances, chrome extensions also can interrupt your internet connection. But you can take a chance to check if it works or not. An as old or infected extension can cause problems like ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED error. To disable the extensions from your chrome browser, follow the steps. You also enter the following address in Google Chrome bar to open extension easily.

chrome://extensions

• Go to the menu by clicking on the top-right menu button in chrome.
• After that, click on Extensions.
• Here you can see all the extensions, that are being used in the Google chrome.
• Disable the extensions one by one, see if the problem is solved or not.

You can also solve the problem by updating the extensions. See in the extensions menu if any extensions need to be updated. Update the extensions if you don’t want them to uninstall.

8. Change DNS Address

If a DNS server gets loaded with traffic, it may probably crash and can cause an error like ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED, then the solution to that is simple. You have to change the DNS, and then you can access the website you are trying to visit.

An internet connection usually takes the DNS server address from your ISP, but if you are using the DNS of third-party then you reset that to the DNS of your ISP, that can also solve the problem of ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED.

But if you want to change the DNS, here is the procedure to do that.

For Windows:

Here is the procedure to change the DNS of a network connection on windows Pc.

• Go to the internet and network connection.
• Right-click on the connection, you are using right now on your Windows Pc.
• Click on properties.
• Now double click on internet protocol version 4.
  IP Version 4
• A new window will open where you can see the place for entering the custom DNS.

  

• Select “Use the following DNS server address.”
• Now you can enter the custom DNS Addresses. You can use the DNS servers of Google (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4); you can also use the DNS servers of Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1).
• Click, Ok, and you are done.

MAC:

You can also change the DNS server addresses in the Mac. Follow the steps to change the DNS address on mac.

• Go to the system preferences and select the network connection you are using right now.
• Now click on advanced.
• Now you will see a new tab. Click on DNS from the top bar of the new tab.
• You will see the current DNS of your Mac.

You can add a new DNS by clicking on the +. Or you can double click the DNS address to edit the. You can use the DNS servers of Google (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4); you can also use the DNS servers of Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1).

After editing the DNS address, save the preferences and now start browsing again. See if the ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED is resolved or not. If not, then the last option is to reinstall the browser.

9. Reinstall the Browser

This is the ultimate solution if the ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED error is not going with any solution for you is to reinstall the browser. Most probably the error goes with the resolution of clearing DNS, but if that is also not working for you, then you can use this procedure.

As you know, with time, Google chrome takes a lot of space and memory to accommodate its processes. So to solve this, the ultimate solution is to reinstall the browser. Uninstall the browser from the settings, and then install a fresh copy from the Google store. Now you can enjoy flawless browsing.

10. Stop Synchronization with the Google Account

This can be the solution for the ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED error, as recently when I faced the same error, I just stopped the synchronization between the browser and my google account, and it worked. ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED error gone forever.

To stop sync from chrome, enter the following URL in the search bar of your chrome browser.

chrome://settings/people

Here you can see your name with your email, in front of that there is a button of Turn Off. Click on that, and you are done.

Conclusion:

Many reasons cause ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED error, and you can find the exact until you apply the fixes one by one. But if the website you are trying to visit is offline, then there is no need to use more fixes. All you have to do is wait, or you can contact the owner of the website.

If the website is yours, then you can contact your hosting provider for the possible solution ASAP as this can affect your reputation.