ERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLE — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

ERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLE means your browser resolved the website's domain name successfully — it got the IP address — but when it tried to actually connect to that address, there was no route to get there. Think of it as knowing someone's address but finding no road that leads to their house. This usually means your network routing is broken, your internet is down, or the server's IP address is incorrect.

Affected Models

Google Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Chromium-based browsers
Windows
macOS
Linux

Common Causes

Your internet connection is down or your router has lost its external connection
The website's IP address is incorrect, private, or belongs to a reserved address range
Your routing table has been corrupted or changed, blocking the path to the server
A VPN split-tunneling configuration is preventing access to certain IP addresses
The website's server has been taken offline or its IP address changed

How to Fix It

Check your basic internet connection first. Try loading google.com or any well-known website. If everything is unreachable, your internet is down — not just this one site.

ERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLE on every site points to a connection or routing problem on your end.
Restart your router and modem. Unplug both, wait 30 seconds, plug the modem in first, wait for it to connect, then plug in the router. Test after 2 minutes.

A router restart resets its routing tables and often fixes connection problems.
Reset your network settings. Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run: netsh int ip reset, then netsh winsock reset. Restart your computer.

This repairs your computer's IP stack and routing configuration.
If you use a VPN, disconnect it and try again. VPNs change your routing. A misconfigured VPN can block routes to certain IP addresses.

If the page loads after disconnecting the VPN, your VPN's routing configuration is the problem.
Try accessing the site on your phone using mobile data (no Wi-Fi). If it loads there, the problem is with your home network routing — not the website.

This confirms whether it is your network or the server that is unreachable.

When to Call a Professional

If multiple websites show this error and restarting your equipment does not help, contact your ISP. If you are a network administrator and specific routes are missing from your routing table, you will need to diagnose and correct your network configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between address unreachable and connection refused?

ERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLE means there is no network path to the destination — the request could not even get there. ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED means the request arrived, but the server rejected it. Unreachable is a routing problem. Refused is a server policy problem.

Can this happen if I type an IP address directly into Chrome?

Yes. If you type an IP address directly and get ERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLE, there is no route from your computer to that address. This can happen if the IP is on a private network, a reserved range, or if your internet routing is broken.

Could a VPN cause this error?

Yes, quite commonly. VPNs change your network routing. If your VPN routes all traffic through a tunnel but the tunnel cannot reach certain addresses, you will get this error. A misconfigured split-tunnel VPN might block access to specific IP ranges. Disconnect the VPN and test to confirm.