“Connection Timed Out” Error in WordPress – Causes and Fixes

What is the ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT Error?

Encountering the ‘ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT’ error can be frustrating, as it often points to network issues. However, as a WordPress development company in Ernakulam, we know that server limitations can also be a major cause.

According to WordPress support, this error occurs when a website requests more resources than the server can handle, which is especially common in shared hosting environments with memory restrictions. When you try to access a website, your browser waits for about 30 seconds. If it fails to establish a connection within this timeframe, it triggers the ‘ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT’ error. In Google Chrome, you may see a message like “This site can’t be reached. Domain.com took too long to respond.”

Here are some examples of how the error may look in different web browsers.

Mozilla Firefox

In Mozilla Firefox, the error message will say, ‘The connection has timed out.’ It means that the server at domain.com is not responding quickly enough.

Microsoft Edge

In Microsoft Edge, you’ll see the error message ‘Hmmm… can’t reach this page. Domain.com took too long to respond.’ In Edge, it also includes the ‘ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT’ error.

What causes WordPress Connection Timed Out?

The WordPress Connection Timed Out error can occur for several reasons, including:

1. Using resource-heavy plugins.
2. Incompatibility with your website’s themes.
3. Running out of PHP memory limit.

Consider migrating to a dedicated server to effectively resolve these timeout issues. However, for those opting to remain on shared hosting, the solutions outlined below can prove invaluable in addressing and fixing this connection timeout error. As an established IT company in Kakkanadu, Ernakulam (Kochi), we understand the diverse hosting needs of businesses. Our expertise extends to guiding clients through seamless transitions, ensuring optimal performance, whether on dedicated servers or shared hosting environments.

Heavy Plugins: If you have many resource-intensive plugins, try turning them all off. Then, re-enable them one by one. When you discover the plugin causing the problem, it’s best to uninstall it.

Themes Incompatibility: If your theme is causing issues, switch to a default theme first. This should fix the problem. Later, you can contact your theme provider to address the issue or switch to a different theme if necessary.

PHP Memory Limit Exhaustion: To resolve this, you’ll need to increase the PHP memory limit.

How to Resolve WordPress Connection Timed Out?

When faced with the ‘Connection timed out’ error on your WordPress site, deciphering its origin can pose a challenge. Troubleshooting becomes crucial, considering potential issues on your end, such as network or firewall issues, or on the server where your site is hosted, like memory or execution time limits. As your trusted IT Company in Kakkanadu, Ernakulam (Kochi), we provide comprehensive support to navigate and resolve such technical challenges.

Check your connection

Google Chrome, Firefox, and Edge all suggest that you start by checking your network connection. It might sound obvious, but it’s a common reason for this error. Here are some things to try:

1. Restart your home or office router. This quick action can fix many issues. To do it, unplug the power supply, wait for 30 seconds, and then plug it back in.

2. Make sure you’re not on a weak or slow Wi-Fi connection. This often happens in crowded public Wi-Fi places like coffee shops or airports.

Turn off your firewall and antivirus software for a little while.

“Firewalls and antivirus software play a crucial role in safeguarding your computer by consistently monitoring and identifying potential threats. However, these protective measures, such as those found in AVG software, may occasionally lead to the unintended consequence of blocking safe websites or content. As an experienced IT company in Kakkanadu, Ernakulam (Kochi), we recognize the importance of balancing security protocols with seamless online experiences. Our team is adept at navigating such intricacies to ensure your systems are not only protected but also optimized for efficient performance.

To see if your security software is causing the issue, you can temporarily turn it off, but only if you’re certain the website you’re visiting is safe. Remember to turn it back on afterward to stay secure.

If this keeps happening, you might consider switching to different security software. These programs also have a way to report when they mistakenly block a safe site. Here are some links for reporting false positives:

• AVG false positive report
• Norton false positive report
• Sophos false positive report

Turning Off Proxy Settings:

Sometimes, the ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error can occur if you’re using a proxy service. This is rare, especially on the user’s end, but it’s possible that proxy settings were set without your knowledge. To disable or check if proxy settings are enabled, follow these steps:

• Open the Settings menu in your Chrome browser. This will show you various options.
• Look for the ‘System’ section. You might need to click ‘Advanced’ at the bottom to see it.
• Inside ‘System,’ there should be an option called ‘Open proxy settings.’ Click on it to access the related menu.

To open Proxy Settings in Chrome, follow these steps based on your system:

For Windows:

• Click on ‘LAN Settings’.
• Uncheck the ‘Use proxy server for LAN’ option.

For Mac:

• You should be in the relevant menu already.
• Uncheck all the selectable proxy protocols.
• Check to see if the ‘ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT’ error is fixed.

Deselect proxies on Mac.

If you’re using Windows, a window called ‘Local Area Network (LAN) Settings’ will pop up. Check to make sure that the ‘Use a proxy server for your LAN’ option is not selected.

If you’re using a VPN like ExpressVPN or TunnelBear, double-check to ensure you’re not accidentally connected.

Change DNS Servers

Troubleshooting the ‘Connection Timed Out’ issue can include adjusting your DNS servers. Typically, these servers are automatically assigned by your ISP. Nevertheless, exploring alternative options, such as utilizing public DNS servers like Google or Cloudflare, can be an effective solution. As a prominent IT company in Kakkanadu, Ernakulam (Kochi), we understand the significance of these technical nuances. Our team is well-versed in optimizing DNS configurations to enhance the overall connectivity and performance of your systems.

Some people prefer Google’s public DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) for long-term use because they tend to be reliable. Cloudflare also offers a secure and fast free DNS (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1), which we’ll use as an example here. If you want to use Google’s DNS, just follow the same steps but use Google’s DNS server addresses.

Tip: If you’re already using a free DNS server and encountering issues, switching back to your ISP’s DNS servers might also help. Google and Cloudflare are not perfect all the time, and sometimes going back to your ISP’s servers can resolve the problem, especially when using public Wi-Fi hotspots in places like airports or coffee shops.”

Windows

On Windows, you can open Command Prompt by pressing the Windows logo key and ‘R.’ Then, type ‘control panel’ and press Enter.

Select ‘Network and Internet,’ and then choose ‘Network and Sharing Center.’ On the left, click ‘Change Adapter Settings.’

Right-click on your current connection, which could be either ‘Local Area Connection’ or ‘Wireless Network Connection’ depending on how you’re connected. Then, select ‘Properties’.

Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (or Version 6 if desired) and click on “Properties.”

Before making changes, remember your current settings in case you need to go back to them. Click ‘Use the following DNS server addresses,’ and then enter the following numbers, or replace the existing ones with these:

For IPv4:

• Preferred DNS server:- 1.1.1
• Alternate DNS server:- 0.0.1

For IPv6:

• Preferred DNS server:- 2606:4700:4700::1111
• Alternate DNS server:- 2606:4700:4700::1001

Click OK, then Close. Restart your browser.

To adjust DNS servers on a Mac, open ‘System Preferences…

Click on the network icon and then click “Advanced.”

Click on the “DNS” tab.

Then add Cloudflare’s DNS server addresses.

For IPv4: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
For IPv6: 2606:4700:4700::1111 and 2606:4700:4700::1001

Clear Your DNS Cache

Another troubleshooting step worth exploring is clearing your local DNS cache, akin to clearing your browser’s cache. This action becomes particularly relevant when the website you’re attempting to visit fails to connect to the correct IP address. If you’ve recently migrated your WordPress site to a new hosting provider, patience is key as you await the full update. This process can take up to 24 hours, although it may occur more swiftly depending on your DNS provider and the TTL (Time to Live) value of your DNS records. As an experienced IT company in Kakkanadu, Ernakulam (Kochi), we understand the importance of meticulous DNS management for seamless website connectivity, ensuring a smooth transition for your WordPress site.

Windows

On Windows, just open Command Prompt and type the following:

ipconfig /flushdns

If it worked, you’ll see a message that says ‘Successfully flushed the DNS resolver Cache.

Mac

For macOS users, you can enter the following in the terminal:

dscacheutil -flushcache

Note: On Macs, there won’t be a success message.

Check Your Hosts File

Each computer maintains a local hosts file with manual DNS entries mapping to specific IP addresses. Typically, users modify this file when previewing DNS changes before transitioning to a new hosting provider or when running a local development site with tools like DevKinsta, Vagrant, or Docker. Given the potential for various factors to alter or edit this file, it’s prudent to check if the website you’re attempting to access is listed there. Follow the steps below to perform this check. As a Reputed IT company in Kakkanadu, Ernakulam (Kochi), we understand the intricacies of DNS management, ensuring a seamless online experience for our clients.

Windows

To access the hosts file, you’ll need additional permissions. Start by opening your text editor as an administrator. Here’s how: Go to your start menu, search for your text editor, right-click on it, and choose ‘Run as administrator.’ This works with any text editor like Notepad, Notepad++, Atom, etc. In our example, we’re using Sublime Text.

Open your text editor and go to ‘File,’ then choose ‘Open.’ Now, browse to the following location:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\

Click on the hosts file and “Open.”

Make sure to look for the website you’re trying to visit in the file. If you find it, delete it.

Mac

For Mac users, examining your hosts file is made easy with Gas Mask, a user-friendly and free application that efficiently manages and edits hosts files. This tool simplifies the process, offering a convenient way to check and modify your hosts file. Alternatively, if you prefer manual editing, follow the steps below to make the necessary adjustments to your hosts file on Mac. As a trusted IT company in Kakkanadu, Ernakulam (Kochi), we understand the significance of streamlined processes in managing crucial files and configurations for optimal performance.

Go to Utilities and then click on “Terminal.”

Type in this command and hit Enter (you may be asked for your admin password):

sudo nano /private/etc/hosts

Check carefully to ensure that the website you want to visit isn’t mentioned in your hosts file. If it is, delete it.

Verify Your Domain’s DNS

Ensuring the correct alignment of your domain’s DNS settings with your hosting provider is paramount for seamless website connectivity. As a reputable IT company in Kakkanadu, Ernakulam (Kochi), we understand the importance of this configuration. For our Kinsta clients, we provide a comprehensive guide on setting up your domain and DNS with Kinsta. If you’ve recently migrated your WordPress website to a new host, be mindful of potential DNS caching issues on your computer. In such cases, following the earlier outlined steps can resolve the issue. Alternatively, a bit of patience may be required as you wait for the DNS changes to take full effect.

Clear Your Browser’s Cache

Web browsers store information on your computer to speed up page loading, including browsing history, login data, and cookies. These stored data help websites load faster when you visit them again. However, caches can create problems when they become outdated. You can easily check if the issue is due to your browser’s cache by first opening your browser in incognito mode or trying a different browser. If the error persists, then you should clear your cache. In this example, we’ll use Google Chrome. Start by opening the main menu (usually in the top-right corner of your browser window). From there, select ‘More Tools,’ and then choose ‘Clear browsing data.

On the next page, ensure that all the listed file categories are checked. If they’re not, Chrome will only delete the most recent entries in the cache, which won’t fully clear it as you want.

Another way to do this is to type the following address into your browser’s address bar:

chrome://settings/cle

Check the Maximum Execution Time

Now, let’s explore some troubleshooting steps related to your WordPress site or server configuration that might resolve the ‘ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT’ error.

First, let’s look at the maximum execution time set for your site. Typically, servers have a default execution time of 30 seconds, which is the duration a PHP script is allowed to run before timing out. On shared hosting, this time limit is often kept low or left at the default setting.

Modifying this timeout isn’t straightforward through WordPress since the php.ini file is on your server. We, as a trusted IT Company in Kakkanadu, Ernakulam (Kochi), recommend contacting your hosting provider for assistance. At Kinsta, we set the default maximum execution time to 300 seconds.

If you want to attempt it yourself, you can usually do so using one of the following methods, depending on your hosting provider’s server configuration.

Option 1 – Change Max Execution Time in the php.ini File

If there’s a php.ini file in your home directory, locate the ‘max_execution_time’ setting and adjust it. For instance, if it’s currently set to 30 seconds, you can increase it to 300 seconds.

max_execution_time = 300

Option 2 – Adjust Max Execution Time in .htaccess File

If the previous method doesn’t work, you can try changing the maximum execution time in your .htaccess file. Similar to the php.ini file, this file is usually found in your home directory. Add the following line to the top of your .htaccess file:

php_value max_execution_time 300

Temporarily Deactivate Your Plugins

As with many WordPress issues, a problematic plugin can be a potential cause for the ‘Connection Timed Out’ problem. To identify whether a plugin is the culprit, the recommended approach is to deactivate all plugins on your site. However, if you’re confronted with the ‘ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT’ error and cannot access your WordPress admin area, utilizing SFTP becomes essential for site connection. We suggest employing FileZilla for this task.

When connected through your SFTP client, navigate to your WordPress root folder, which may be identified by folders named public_html, html, public, www, or your site’s name. For Kinsta clients, the designated folder is typically your public folder. As an established IT company in Kakkanadu, Ernakulam (Kochi), we understand the intricacies of plugin management for optimal website performance.

Temporarily Deactivate Your Plugins, find public folder.

Inside that folder, you’ll find another folder named ‘plugins.’ This folder contains subdirectories for each of the plugins installed on your site, whether they are active or inactive.

Here’s what you need to do: Right-click on the ‘plugins’ folder and choose to rename it. We suggest renaming it to something like ‘plugins.old’ or ‘plugins.deactivated’ so that you can easily identify it later.

Now, WordPress won’t be able to locate any of your plugins, and it will automatically deactivate them.

Try accessing your WordPress dashboard again. If the timeout error is no longer there, it means one of your plugins was causing the issue. Your next step is to identify which plugin is the culprit.

Navigate back to the ‘wp-content’ directory and rename the ‘plugins’ folder to its original name. Then, you’ll need to systematically disable each of your plugins, one by one, until you find the one causing the error.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Start with the first plugin folder and rename it to something else.
2. Check your website to see if the error is gone.
3. If the error persists, revert the plugin folder to its original name.
4. Move on to the next plugin in your list and repeat the above steps.

This process can take some time, especially if you have many plugins. It’s essential to check each plugin individually. If you identify the plugin responsible for the error at any point, you can uninstall it or find a replacement.

If you’ve gone through all your plugins without a solution, you can proceed to the next troubleshooting step.

Temporarily Revert to Default Theme

With the assurance that your plugins are not the source of the timeout error, the next step involves scrutinizing your active theme. Occasionally, theme-related compatibility issues can contribute to connection timeout problems. As a dedicated IT company in Kakkanadu, Ernakulam (Kochi), we recognize the significance of addressing these issues to ensure seamless website performance.

However, the process for checking the theme is a bit different. Simply renaming the theme folder won’t work because it will result in an error message like ‘The theme directory “theme name” does not exist.’ Attempting to rename the entire theme directory folder will also result in an error message like ‘ERROR: The themes directory is either empty or doesn’t exist. Please check your installation.’

To check your active theme, you’ll need to access your WordPress database by logging into phpMyAdmin. If you’re using Kinsta hosting, you can find phpMyAdmin in the ‘Info’ section of the MyKinsta dashboard.

After logging in to your database, go to the ‘wp_options’ table, and then click on the ‘Search’ tab. Look for the ‘option_name’ field and search for ‘template’.

Under the “option_value” column you will see the current name of your theme. Change this to one of the default themes, such as “twentynineteen.”

After completing this step, check your website to see if the error is gone. If the error is gone, it means there was an issue with your WordPress theme. You can consider reinstalling the theme or restoring it from your most recent backup.

To increase the memory limit for your WordPress site, you can adjust the WP_MEMORY_LIMIT parameter in your wp-config.php file. By default, it might be set to a low value like 64M on shared hosting. At Kinsta, we set it to 256M. You can raise the limit by adding the following line to your wp-config.php file, making sure it’s placed above the inclusion of wp-settings.php:

define( ‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’ );

If you’re not sure about your current PHP memory limit, and you have access to your WordPress dashboard with WordPress 5.2 or later, you can check the PHP memory limit using the ‘Site Health’ tool.

How We Can Support You?

With our roots firmly in Kakkanadu, Ernakulam (Kochi) and with over 12 years of experience, we have established ourselves as a leading force in the IT industry, providing tailored services that are both advanced and reliable. As a dedicated IT Company in Kakkanadu, Ernakulam (Kochi), whether you’re initiating a new project, require assistance with existing systems, or need expert IT consultation, we’re your trusted collaborators in achieving success. Our services extend beyond development; we are your partners in progress. Our solutions are tailored to align with your unique objectives, and we work closely with you to transform your vision into reality. Contact us for all your IT-related needs, be it Website Development, Software Development, Mobile App Development, or expert consultation. Together, we can harness technology’s potential to reach greater heights.