Reload once, then try the same site on mobile data. If it loads there, the problem is your network: restart the router, turn off any VPN/proxy, pause antivirus web protection, and reset the network stack with netsh winsock reset. If it fails everywhere, the website itself is resetting connections.

What ERR_CONNECTION_RESET actually means

A “reset” is a TCP RST packet: one side of the connection told the other to drop it immediately. Chrome shows ERR_CONNECTION_RESET when that happens before the page finished loading. Firefox shows “The connection was reset” and Edge shows the same Chromium code.

The reset can come from the website’s server, but far more often it comes from something in the middle: a VPN, a corporate or school proxy, antivirus that inspects HTTPS traffic, a firewall, or a router with a bad MTU setting. That is why the same page often loads fine on a phone using mobile data.

How it shows up

  • “This site can’t be reached. The connection was reset. ERR_CONNECTION_RESET” in Chrome or Edge.
  • Only some websites fail while others load normally.
  • The error appears on one network (home or office) but not on mobile data.

Why ERR_CONNECTION_RESET happens

  • A VPN, proxy or “secure browsing” extension dropping or blocking the connection.
  • Antivirus or firewall HTTPS scanning resetting connections it doesn’t like.
  • A corrupted Winsock catalogue or stale TCP/IP settings in Windows.
  • Router problems, including an MTU that is too large for the line.
  • The website’s server or its firewall (for example a WAF) rejecting your IP address.

How to fix it, step by step

  1. Narrow it downOpen the site in an Incognito window, then on another device or on mobile data. If it fails only on your network, keep going. If it fails everywhere, the site is down or blocking you. Wait, or contact the site owner.
  2. Turn off VPN, proxy and filtering extensionsDisconnect any VPN. In Windows open Settings → Network & internet → Proxy and turn off Use a proxy server. Disable ad-block and “security” extensions at chrome://extensions, then reload.
  3. Pause antivirus web protectionTemporarily switch off the web/HTTPS scanning feature of third-party antivirus (Avast, AVG, Kaspersky, Bitdefender and similar). If the site loads, add it as an exception rather than leaving protection off.
  4. Restart the routerUnplug the router and modem for 30 seconds, plug them back in and wait for the lights to settle. This clears overloaded connection tables.
  5. Reset the Windows network stackOpen Command Prompt as administrator and run the commands below, then restart the PC. They rebuild Winsock and TCP/IP settings without touching your files.
  6. Clear Chrome's browsing dataGo to chrome://settings/clearBrowserData, choose All time, tick Cookies and Cached images and files, and clear. Sign back in to sites afterwards.
  7. Lower the MTU (advanced)If large pages reset but small ones work, the line may need a smaller MTU. Check your router’s WAN settings. 1492 is common for PPPoE broadband, and 1500 for most cable and fibre.

Command

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns

Run in an elevated Command Prompt (Run as administrator), then restart Windows. On a Mac, turning Wi-Fi off and on and removing VPN profiles in System Settings → VPN does the equivalent.

Check it's fixed: The site loads normally in a regular Chrome window on the same network, and stays loading after a few refreshes.

Keeping it from coming back

Run one security product at a time, keep the router firmware updated, and remove VPN or proxy apps you no longer use.