CheckWebsiteNow

Connection errors

ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED

The website server refused the connection.

Quick answer

Your browser found the server address, but the server said "no" when the browser tried to connect. Usually the web server is not running, or a firewall or proxy blocks the connection.

When to wait: If the server is restarting, try again in a few minutes.

If you are visiting the website

  1. Check the address and port Look for typos in the address. If the link contains a port number after a colon, such as :8080, make sure it is the right one. A wrong port is a very common reason for a refused connection.
  2. Try another device or browser Open the same address on your phone or in a different browser. This shows whether the problem is your device or the website.
  3. Try another network Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data, or the other way round. If the site works there, your network, a company filter or your internet provider may be involved.
  4. Check proxy settings A proxy (a middle server that forwards your traffic) that is switched off or broken can refuse every connection. If you did not set one up on purpose, turn it off.
    Windows
    Open Settings > Network & internet > Proxy. Under Manual proxy setup, select Set up next to 'Use a proxy server' and turn it off if you do not need it.
    macOS
    Apple menu > System Settings > Network > choose your network service > Details > Proxies. Turn off any proxy you did not set up on purpose, then click OK.
  5. Clear the stored address of the site Your device remembers the server address for a while. If the site moved to a new server, the old address may refuse you. In Chrome or Edge you can also open chrome://net-internals/#dns (edge://net-internals/#dns) and click 'Clear host cache'.
    Windows
    Open Command Prompt and run: ipconfig /flushdns
    macOS
    Open Terminal and run: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder (it asks for your Mac password). Restarting the Mac does the same.
    Android
    Turn Airplane mode on, wait about ten seconds, then turn it off again. A restart of the phone also works.
    iPhone and iPad (iOS)
    Turn Airplane mode on in Control Center, wait about ten seconds, then turn it off again. A restart of the iPhone also works.
  6. Pause security software briefly Some firewalls and antivirus tools block single sites. Pause the web protection for one test, reload the page, then turn the protection back on right away.

If you run the website

  1. Reproduce it from outside Run curl -v https://example.com (use your domain) from a computer outside your network. If curl reports that the connection was refused, nothing is accepting connections on that port.
  2. Check the web server is running On a Linux server, sudo systemctl status nginx (or apache2 / httpd) shows whether the service is active. Restart it if needed and read its error log for the reason it stopped.
  3. Check it listens on the right port and address sudo ss -tlnp lists listening TCP ports and the program behind each one. You should see ports 80 and 443. A server that listens only on 127.0.0.1 accepts local connections but refuses visitors.
  4. Check firewall rules Make sure the server firewall and any cloud security group allow incoming TCP on ports 80 and 443. A rule that rejects traffic produces exactly this error.
  5. Check DNS points to the current server After a move, the domain may still point to the old machine. Compare dig example.com A +short with your server's public IP address.
  6. Check your hosting provider's status Your host may have a known outage. Their status page or support can confirm it.

Is it the website or me?

If the error appears on every device and every network, the website is the likely cause. If it only happens on one device, look at that device's proxy, VPN or security software first.

An outside check, like the one on CheckWebsiteNow, tests the site from a different network. That helps you tell a local problem from a real outage.

What this error is not

It is not a name problem: your browser found the server address. It is not a certificate problem either, because the secure connection never started.

Clearing cookies or cache rarely helps here. The refusal happens before any page data is exchanged.

Seeing it on localhost?

Developers often see this error on addresses like localhost:3000. It almost always means the local development server is not running, crashed, or uses a different port.

Check the terminal where you started the server for the real port. If localhost fails but 127.0.0.1 with the same port works, the server listens only on IPv4 (the older address format).

For developers: what happens technically

The browser sends a request to open a TCP connection (the basic link that web traffic uses). The other side answers with a reset packet that says no program is accepting connections there.

Chromium lists this as error -102, "A connection attempt was refused." A firewall that silently drops packets causes a timeout instead, not a refusal.

Common questions

Does ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED mean the website blocked me?

Usually not. Most often the server is not running or not listening on that port. A firewall can reject single addresses, so if the site works on another network but never on yours, ask the site owner or your network admin.

Will clearing my browser cache fix it?

Rarely. The connection is refused before the browser loads anything, so cached files play no role. Clearing the stored address (DNS cache) helps only when the site recently moved.

Why does the site work on my phone but not on my computer?

Something on the computer is in the way. Typical causes are a proxy setting, a VPN, a security tool or an old stored address for the site.

Likely causes

  • Common The web server is stopped or crashed. (Website side)
  • Sometimes A firewall, proxy or security tool blocks the connection. (Either side)
  • Sometimes The site moved and the old address no longer accepts connections. (Website side)

What to avoid

  • Do not turn off your antivirus permanently; at most pause it briefly to test, then turn it back on.

Is the website down? Check it now

One measurement point. Results explain what we saw, not a worldwide verdict.

Sources

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