If you receive an error message Your connection was interrupted, A network change was detected, ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED, in your Chrome browser this post suggests ways to fix the problem. Although this post focuses on Chrome, you may also use these suggestions to fix a similar issue in Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, or any other web browser.
Your connection was interrupted in Chrome
What follows is a bunch of options that can be performed with any browser. But before you begin, disable your VPN software, scan with your antivirus software and then proceed.
- Check Wi-Fi router
- Flush DNS cache
- Reset Winsock
- Check LAN settings
- Check if any browser extension is controlling proxy settings
- Use another DNS server
- Set up your computer for WiFi only.
A network change was detected Chrome error
1] Check Wi-Fi router
If you are using a Wi-Fi router to connect your computer to the Internet, the primary solution is to check if the router is working fine. Sometimes, the Wi-Fi router creates problems that may result in this error message. If it is not functioning properly, you may restart the router and check whether it is working now.
2] Flush DNS cache
Flushing the DNS cache can solve this issue for you. This particular technique is being used by many people after a significant change in the network. To do so, open a Command Prompt with administrator privilege. You can search for cmd, right-click on the result, and choose “Run as administrator.” Following that, run this command:
ipconfig /flushdns
It doesn’t take more than 2 seconds to complete the whole process.
3] Reset Winsock
Reset Winsock and see if that helps you.
4] Reset TCP/IP
Sometimes, resetting your Internet Protocol V4 settings can troubleshoot this issue. For that, you need to run a simple command. To reset TCP/IP, open a command prompt, type the following and hit Enter:
netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt
This will reset all the registry values & settings for TCP/IP settings. After executing this command, you will have to restart your computer.
5] Check LAN settings
The wrong configuration of the proxy server can cause this issue, and you would not be able to access the internet on your computer. To address this concern, open Internet Options, switch to Connections tab and select LAN settings. Make sure the following option is NOT checked – Use a proxy server for your LAN (these settings will not apply to dial-up or VPN connections).
Related: How to access and change WiFi Router Settings.
6] Check if any browser extension is controlling proxy settings
If you use any shared account service and you have installed any extension or add-on for that service, there is a high chance that the extension is controlling your browser’s proxy settings. As a result, you could get such problems when the extension fails to fetch any data from the root server. In Google Chrome, you can check this from Advanced Settings. If you have such an extension, you should disable it and check if your internet connection is back or not.
7] Use another DNS server
If you keep getting this same issue for a long time, you might need to consider changing the DNS server. In this case, you can change your default DNS settings and try using another one. You may use Google Public DNS, Open DNS, Yandex DNS, Comodo Secure DNS or any other and see. DNS Jumper & QuickSetDNS are free tools that will help you change your default DNS settings with a click.
8] Set up your computer for WiFi only
Says Doug in the comments below:
- Go to the Control Panel
- Then to Network Sharing Center
- Click on Change Adapter Settings
- Then disable Ethernet and make sure WiFi is enabled
- Save settings.
If nothing helps, you may have to reset your browser or reinstall it and see if that works for you.
Here is the solution. You computer is set up to pick WiFi or Ethernet. If it is set up for both you are switching between one and the other and it is disconnecting. Probably your Ethernet card is going bad. So…. Set up your computer for Wifi only Go to the control panel. Then to Network Sharing Center. Then Click on Change Adapter Settings. Then disable Ethernet and make sure WiFi is enabled. Save settings.
Why does Chrome keep doing this and M/S Edge does not – I prefer Chrome otherwise – it is much easier to control and Edge does its own thing. Just came to this blog today because the ERR is getting overwhelming and it is also constantly downloading Proxy something
It was doing it in IE also. I don’t use Edge.
I haven’t had the problem since I altered the setting over a month ago.
doug, it was great to see what you wrote then had me thinking, computer was doing my head in with dns error, we have new lenovo ideacentre with all the gizmos and chrome was doing my head in, i had my ethernet connected to the computer and to the modem, also i put in my key and password for wifi, obviously the computer didnt know which internet to use…..solution was i took my ethernet out the back off computer and now its only running on the wifi, NOW IT WORKS PERFECTLY…….thanks very much, the wife was giving me such headaches over it, now im headache free from the wife……..for a short while anyway…..:)
Thank you Doug. Your solution was the real answer. I had both a wired connection and an active wireless card/adapter. Once I disabled my wireless adapter in Windows settings, Chrome started working normally. I tried several other things including some of the recommendations on this page, and I even reinstalled Chrome, but none of that helped. Disabling the wireless adapter/card, so only the ethernet (wired) connection was active was the solution. .. But why do Edge and Firefox deal with the situation where both are active while Chrome cannot?
I’m afraid that I don’t use Edge or Firefox.
But IE was affected also. Outlook hiccuped but I can’t remember what it said.
Only Chrome coughs up this nonsense … it isn’t the computer, the network, or the network software … it’s Chrome. Nothing fixes the problem except using a different browser.
My computer does this regardles of which browser i am using. Today i started using my phone as a wifi hotspot and the problem stopped. So what can i do in order to fix it? I dont want to always have to use my phone but its strange how using my phone as a hotspot fixed it when none of the other solutions have seemed to help.
December 2018 on a Dell Latitude Windows 10
Disabling my Ethernet connection (Local Area Connection) in Control Panel=>Network and Internet=>Network Connections, then restarting Chrome did the trick for me. Only happens with Chrome. Good thing I don’t need the Ethernet connection enable very often.