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Website is online but isn't responding to connection attempts

Lately I am unable to access a website I used just few weeks ago. I get a "This site can’t be reached" - "took too long" to respond error page.

I get the same on different browsers and even incognito. But it works fine on my phone (using same wifi) and if I switch on a VPN.

I have already tried several suggestions I found online:

- delete cookies and data

- switch off proxy

- check if network adapters needed update

- reset networks

- ipconfig command prompts

Nothing worked. Any help would be welcome.

Answer
Answer

Hi

Welcome to Microsoft community.  

I understand that you're having trouble accessing a website that used to work for you, and it’s frustrating that you’re encountering a "This site can’t be reached" error. Since the site works fine on your phone and with a VPN, it seems like the issue may be specific to your PC’s network settings. Here are a few additional troubleshooting steps you can try:

Flush DNS Cache:

Open Command Prompt as an administrator (right-click the Start button and select "Windows Terminal (Admin)" or "Command Prompt (Admin)").

Type the following command and press Enter:

ipconfig /flushdns

This will clear your DNS cache and might resolve any DNS-related issues.

Change DNS Settings:

Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network and Sharing Center.

Click on your connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet), then click on "Properties".

Scroll down to "IP settings" and click "Edit".

Change the DNS settings to "Manual", and set the Preferred DNS to 8.8.8.8 and the Alternate DNS to 8.8.4.4 (Google's public DNS).

Check Firewall Settings:

Go to Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall.

Click on "Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall".

Make sure your web browser is allowed through both private and public networks.

Disable IPv6:

Go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network Connections.

Right-click on your active network connection and select "Properties".

Uncheck "Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)" and click OK.

Reset TCP/IP Stack:

Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following commands one by one:

netsh int ip reset
netsh winsock reset

Restart your computer after running these commands.

Check Security Software:

If you have any third-party antivirus or firewall software, try temporarily disabling it to see if it’s blocking the connection.

Check Router Settings:

Sometimes, the router’s settings can interfere with your connection. Restart your router and check if there are any settings that might be blocking access to the site.

After trying these steps, please see if you can access the website again. If the problem persists, let me know, and we can explore further options!

Best regards  

Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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Question Info

Last updated April 17, 2025 Views 912 Applies to: