Network Error

Network Error

Meaning

A Network Error occurs when a device, application, browser, or server is unable to establish or maintain communication over a network. It indicates that a request sent from a client could not successfully reach the destination server, or the server’s response could not be returned to the client.

Network errors can occur due to issues with internet connectivity, DNS resolution, firewalls, proxies, VPNs, server outages, routing problems, or network configuration.

Common Causes

1. No Internet Connection
  • Wi-Fi disconnected
  • Ethernet cable unplugged
  • Mobile data disabled
2. DNS Resolution Failure

The domain name cannot be translated into an IP address.

Example:

  • DNS server unavailable
  • Incorrect DNS settings
  • Domain does not exist
3. Server Down

The destination server is:

  • Offline
  • Under maintenance
  • Crashed
  • Restarting
4. Firewall Blocking

A firewall may block:

  • Incoming requests
  • Outgoing requests
  • Specific ports
  • Applications
5. Proxy Configuration Issues

Problems such as:

  • Invalid proxy settings
  • Authentication failure
  • Proxy timeout
6. VPN Problems

VPN may:

  • Disconnect unexpectedly
  • Route traffic incorrectly
  • Block specific services
7. Network Timeout

The server did not respond within the expected time.

Possible reasons:

  • Slow internet
  • High server load
  • Large requests
  • Congested network
8. SSL/TLS Certificate Problems

Examples:

  • Expired certificate
  • Invalid certificate
  • Self-signed certificate
  • Certificate mismatch
9. Incorrect URL

Examples:

  • Wrong domain
  • Typographical errors
  • Invalid endpoint
10. Router or Modem Issues
  • Router rebooting
  • ISP outage
  • Firmware issues
  • DHCP problems
11. Port Blocking

Required ports may be blocked.

Examples:

  • 80
  • 443
  • 22
  • 3306
  • 5432
12. CORS Restrictions

In web applications:

The browser blocks requests because the server does not allow cross-origin requests.

13. Rate Limiting

The server rejects requests due to:

  • Too many requests
  • API quota exceeded
  • DDoS protection
14. Authentication Failure

Examples:

  • Invalid API key
  • Expired token
  • Unauthorized request
15. ISP Outage

The Internet Service Provider is experiencing issues.

How to Fix

Step 1: Check Internet Connection
  • Open another website.
  • Restart Wi-Fi.
  • Test using another network.
Step 2: Verify the URL

Ensure:

  • Correct spelling
  • Correct protocol (HTTP/HTTPS)
  • Correct port

Step 3: Check Server Status

Verify that the server is online using:

  • Hosting dashboard
  • Server monitoring tools
  • Ping tests
  • Uptime monitoring services
Step 4: Flush DNS Cache
Windows

bash
ipconfig /flushdns

macOS

bash
sudo dscacheutil -flushcache

Linux

bash
sudo systemctl restart systemd-resolved

Step 5: Change DNS Server

Use:

  • Google DNS
  • 8.8.8.8
  • 8.8.4.4
  • Cloudflare DNS
  • 1.1.1.1
  • 1.0.0.1
Step 6: Disable VPN or Proxy

Temporarily disable:

  • VPN
  • Proxy
  • Corporate network

Test again.

Step 7: Check Firewall Rules

Allow:

  • Browser
  • Application
  • Required ports
Step 8: Verify SSL Certificate

Check:

  • Expiry date
  • Domain match
  • Certificate chain
  • Browser trust
Step 9: Restart Network Equipment

Restart:

  • Router
  • Modem
  • Switch
  • Computer
Step 10: Test Using Command-Line Tools
Ping

bash
ping google.com

Traceroute

Windows

bash
tracert google.com

Linux/macOS

bash
traceroute google.com

nslookup

bash
nslookup example.com

curl

bash
curl https://example.com

Step 11: Check Browser Console

Open:

Developer Tools → Network Tab

Look for:

  • 404
  • 500
  • CORS
  • Timeout
  • SSL
  • DNS errors
Step 12: Review Application Logs

Examples:

  • Apache logs
  • Nginx logs
  • IIS logs
  • Application logs
  • CloudWatch
  • Azure Monitor

Examples

Example 1

Error

Network Error

Reason

Internet connection lost.

Solution

Reconnect to the network.

Example 2

Error

ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT

Reason

Server took too long to respond.

Solution

Check server load, firewall settings, and internet connectivity.

Example 3

Error

ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED

Reason

DNS lookup failed.

Solution

Verify the domain name and DNS configuration.

Example 4

Error

ECONNREFUSED

Reason

The destination server is not accepting connections on the requested port.

Solution

Ensure the service is running and the correct port is open.

Example 5

Error

ECONNRESET

Reason

The connection was unexpectedly closed by the remote server.

Solution

Check server logs, network stability, and firewall settings.

Example 6

Error

ETIMEDOUT

Reason

The request exceeded the configured timeout period.

Solution

Increase the timeout, optimize the request, or resolve network latency issues.

Example 7

Error

AxiosError: Network Error

Reason

The Axios HTTP client could not complete the request due to connectivity, CORS, SSL, or server issues.

Solution

Inspect the browser’s Network tab, verify the API endpoint, check CORS configuration, and ensure the server is reachable.

Example 8

Error

Fetch failed

Reason

The browser’s Fetch API could not retrieve the requested resource.

Solution

Confirm the URL, verify internet access, and check for CORS or SSL-related problems.

Example 9

Error

SocketException: Failed host lookup

Platform

Flutter / Dart

Reason

The hostname could not be resolved by DNS.

Solution

Verify the hostname, internet connection, and DNS settings.

Example 10

Error

java.net.UnknownHostException

Platform

Java

Reason

The application could not resolve the server’s hostname.

Solution

Check DNS resolution, network connectivity, and ensure the hostname is correct.