The ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED Chrome error usually wouldn’t let you visit any website on Chrome, even though you Internet seems to be working fine. This error could be specific to Chrome or entirely on your PC. Most of the times, this error occurs throughout the PC, and you won’t be able to access internet on browsers other than Chrome as well. And very rarely, the ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED error just occurs on Chrome. Whatever the case be, the good thing about this error is that it is very usual among broadband users, and there are simple solutions to fix this problem.
In this article, we have tried to cover almost all possible solutions to fix ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED error in Chrome. We will begin with the method with the most success rate to solve ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED error, and so on.
How To Fix Fix ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED Chrome Error
#1 – Restart Router To Fix ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED Error
As soon as you get this error on Chrome, the first thing that you should do is restart your WiFi Router. Simply switch off the power connection of your router, and switch it back on after a moment. This will most probably solve the fix ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED problem for you. In case you do not have access to the power switch of your router, or if you do not use a router, or if the error was not fixed by restarting the router, then give the next method a try.
#2 – Flush DNS and Reset TCP/IP
In this method, you will have to flush DNS and reset TCP/IP on your PC to solve ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED error. This method is also known as Resetting your Network settings. You can carry out this method in Command Prompt with administrator privileges. To flush DNS and reset TCP/IP, follow these steps:
Step 1: Run Command Prompt in Admin mode. Press the Windows key to open the Start menu, then enter Command Prompt in the Start menu’s search bar. Make a right click on the Command Prompt option that shows up in the search result, then select the Run as Administrator option from the right-click menu.
Step 2: When the Command Prompt window opens, enter the commands mentioned below. You will have to press the Enter key on your keyboard after you type each line of the following commands:
ipconfig /flushdns nbtstat –r netsh int ip reset netsh winsock reset
Running these commands will flush DNS and reset TCP/IP on your computer. The problem isn’t solved yet; first restart your PC. Then, run Chrome and try to access any website. The ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED error is still showing up? Try this next method.
#3 – Set DNS Setting To Google DNS
The DNS address on your computer is usually set to Obtain DNS server address automatically. If your Internet Service Provider has provided a specific DNS address, it could be set to that as well. It might be possible that the currently set DNS address could be causing the ERR NETWORK CHANGED error in your PC. In this method, we will try to set the DNS address manually on your computer to the universal Google DNS address. Here are the steps to follow to change the DNS manually:
Step 1: On the bottom right side of your screen on the Taskbar, there is a Network icon available. From this icon, you can connect your PC to WiFi networks. Right click on this Network icon. From the network right-click menu that appears, click on the Open Network and Sharing Center option. This will open the Network and Sharing Center window.
Step 2: In the View your active networks section available in the Network and Sharing Center window, click on the network your PC is connected to. Look in front of the Connections option to find the current network your PC is connected to. Refer to the below screenshot.
Step 3: In the Internet Connection Status window that opens, Select the Properties option.
Step 4: This will open the internet connection Properties window. Here, check out the Networking tab. You will get a list; from that list, make a double-click on the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) option.
Step 5: This again will open a new window as shown below. Here, you have to check if the DNS address is set to some value, or if it is set to obtain DNS address automatically. Whatever the case be, select the Use the following DNS address option, and enter the following Google Public DNS server address.
8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4
When you have entered the DNS address mentioned above, select the Validate settings upon exit option. After that, click on the Ok button to apply the changed DNS settings.
Now, Restart your PC. Start the Google Chrome browser on your PC and try to load any website. Did this solve the ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED Chrome error? If not, in the next method we take a stab at disabling Proxy on your PC.
#4 – Disable Proxy to Fix ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED Error in Chrome
The ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED Chrome error may occur if a proxy setting is being used in your PC. You can try to fix this error by disabling proxy settings. Chrome gives you the option to open Proxy settings of your PC through Chrome settings. You can open proxy settings of your PC from here and make the required changes. Give the following steps a try:
Step 1: Open Chrome Settings menu. To do so, click on the Chrome menu button. It’s the 3 dots that are present on the right side of the address bar of Chrome. This will open the Chrome menu options, where you have to click on the Settings button.
Step 2: Here, you need to open the Advanced Settings menu of Chrome. The Advanced menu button is available at the very bottom of the Settings menu. Click on it to expand the Advanced Settings menu.
Step 3: In the Advanced Settings menu, go to the System section. Here, you will find the Open Proxy settings button; click on it. In the older versions of Chrome, the Open Proxy settings button is usually available in the Networks section of Chrome’s Advanced Settings menu.
Step 4: The Internet Properties window will open up. Here, in the Connections tab, you will find a LAN Settings button; click on it.
Step 5: A new window will open up. Here, see if the Use a proxy server for your LAN option is selected. If so, uncheck it and select the Automatically detect settings option. When done, click the Ok button to apply changed proxy settings.
After that, you will have to restart your PC. Open Chrome and try to connect to any website. In case this process didn’t fix ERR NETWORK CHANGED Chrome error, try the next method.
#5 – Update/Reinstall Network Adapter Driver To Fix ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED Chrome Error
If your Network Adapter Driver is outdated or faulty, it could be the reason you are getting ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED error in Chrome. You can try to update the Network Adapter Driver and if your Driver is already updated, reinstalling it would help. Follow the below-mentioned steps to update Network Adapter Driver:
Step 1: Open the Device Manager on your PC. For this, press the Windows + X keys together. This will open the Win +X menu; select the Device Manager from there.
Step 2: Find the Network Adapters option from the list of drivers in Device Manager. Expand the Network Adapters option, and select the LAN or Wireless internet driver, according to what type of connection you use. Now, make a right click on the driver and select the Update driver software option from right-click menu.
Step 3: A new update driver window will open. Here, select the Search automatically for updated driver software option. It will begin searching for a newer version of installed network driver. If found, the driver will be updated automatically.
In case, you get the message that the latest version of the driver is already installed, then you can try to reinstall the driver.
Before you go ahead with this process of reinstalling network driver, download the new network driver to install in advance. For this, go to the website of your PC’s manufacturer. There, look for latest driver compatible with your PC and the version of Windows installed on it. Download it, and remember the location where it is stored.
For that, follow the step 1 and step 2 mentioned above, but instead of clicking on Update driver software, click on the Uninstall option. This will uninstall the network driver.
Now, go to the folder containing the newly downloaded network adapter driver. Run it to install the network adapter driver on your PC.
When the Update or Reinstallation process is finished, restart your computer. Open Chrome and test if the internet is working properly now. If you are still getting ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED error, try out the next method.
#6 – Delete WLAN Profiles
You can try to delete the current WLAN Profiles in your PC to get rid of ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED Chrome error. Follow these steps to carry out this method:
Step 1: Run Command Prompt as administrator. For this, open the Start menu, and type Command Prompt in the Start search box. From the list of search results, right click on Command Prompt result, then select Run as Administrator option from right-click menu. When prompted by a permission dialog box, press the Yes key.
Step 2: In the Command Prompt window that opens, type the following command mentioned below, and press the Enter key:
netsh wlan show profiles
Step 3: A list of all WLAN profiles on your PC will appear.
Now use the following command to delete all the WLAN profiles one by one:
netsh wlan delete profile name="[PROFILE NAME]"
For example, if you want to remove the WLAN profile named AndroidAP, use the command in the following way:
netsh wlan delete profile name="AndroidAP"
Follow the method and delete all WLAN Profiles.
Now, this will delete even the current WLAN profile. You may have to reconnect to your internet by entering its password. Once connected, open Chrome and see if the internet has started to work or you’re still getting ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED error.
#7 – Clear Chrome Browsing Data
If you are getting the ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED error specifically in Chrome, you can try to clear Chrome browsing data and see if the error is fixed for you. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Type chrome://settings in the address bar of Chrome, then press Enter. This will open Chrome’s Settings.
Step 2: Click on the Advanced option available at the bottom of the Settings menu to open Chrome’s Advanced Settings.
Step 3: Here, go to the Privacy and Security section, and click on the Clear Browsing Data button.
Step 4: A new pop-up menu will appear. Here, select all the options to clear all data from Chrome. In the Clear the following items from drop-down menu, select the All Time option. When done, click on Clear Data button.
Once clean up is finished, restart Chrome and see if the error is still there.
Closing Words
While trying out these methods to fix ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED Chrome error, the first few methods will take care of the issue most of the times. And even after trying out all the methods, you are not able to fix the issue, it is always a good step to contact your Internet Service Provider and inform them about the issue.