---
title: "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT on Mac: why the site took too long · Kilobat Guides"
url: "https://kilobat.app/guides/err-connection-timed-out.html"
description: "Chrome on your Mac shows ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT and says the site took too long to respond. Find the layer that drops the connection."
---

Error messages

# ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT in Chrome on Mac

Chromium describes this error as: “A connection attempt timed out.” Chrome found the address, but the server did not answer in time.

Applies to: Google Chrome and other Chromium browsers on all current macOS versions. · Checked: 29 October 2026

## Symptoms

- Chrome shows “This site can’t be reached” and ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT.
- Chrome says that the site took too long to respond.

## Likely causes

- **A firewall that drops the connection.** A company, school or hotel network can drop traffic to some sites or ports.
- **A broken IPv6 path.** The site has an IPv6 address, but IPv6 does not work on your network.
- **A VPN or proxy.** Traffic goes through a VPN or proxy that cannot reach the server.
- **A Wi-Fi login page.** Some public networks hold traffic until you sign in.
- **The server is down.** If every network fails, the server does not answer.

## How to check

1. Open the same address on another device on the same network. If it fails there too, the problem is the network or the server.
2. Test the port from Terminal, with a 5-second timeout.

   ```
   nc -vz -G 5 example.com 443
   ```
3. Try IPv4 only, then IPv6 only.

   ```
   curl -4 -I https://example.com
   curl -6 -I https://example.com
   ```
4. Show the system proxy settings.

   ```
   scutil --proxy
   ```

## How to fix it

1. If you are on public Wi-Fi, sign in to the network. See [Wi-Fi login page does not appear on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/captive-portal-not-appearing.html).
2. If only IPv6 fails, read [IPv6 problems on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/ipv6-problems-mac.html).
3. If a VPN, proxy or security app is on, turn it off for a short test. Turn it on again after the test.
4. If a company network blocks the site, ask the administrator.

## With Kilobat

1. Kilobat's connection doctor tests the site layer by layer: network, proxy, DNS, rules, IPv4, IPv6, TLS and the server. It names the layer that failed.

   ```
   kilobat why https://example.com
   ```
2. These Kilobat checks are free. AI agents run them through MCP with `diagnose_connection` and `diagnose_network`. See [Find why one site or API won't connect](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/why-cant-it-connect.html).

## Questions

**Is a timeout different from a refused connection?**

Yes. A refused connection gets an answer at once. A timeout gets no answer, which often means that something drops the traffic.

## Sources

- [Chromium source: net/base/net_error_list.h](https://source.chromium.org/chromium/chromium/src/+/main:net/base/net_error_list.h)
- [Chromium source: components/error_page_strings.grdp](https://source.chromium.org/chromium/chromium/src/+/main:components/error_page_strings.grdp)
- [Google Chrome Help: Fix connection and loading errors in Chrome](https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/6098869)
- nc(1) and curl(1), man page installed with macOS 27.2

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with `man <name>` in Terminal.

## Related guides

- [“The request timed out.” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/request-timed-out.html): This is the macOS text for error -1001.
- [IPv6 problems on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/ipv6-problems-mac.html): Most networks give a Mac both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
- [Wi-Fi login page does not appear on a Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/captive-portal-not-appearing.html): Public networks often hold all traffic until you sign in on a login page.
- [“Safari can’t connect to the server” on Mac](https://kilobat.app/guides/safari-cant-connect-to-server.html): Safari found the address of the site, but the connection to the server did not open.
- [Find why one site or API won't connect](https://kilobat.app/guides/recipes/why-cant-it-connect.html): When the internet works but one address fails, Kilobat checks each layer in turn.