Best Ways to Fix ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED Error in Google Chrome

You have just started Google Chrome on your computer. Next, you set up your WiFi and connect your computer, preparing to start browsing. But Chrome has other plans.

First, Chrome tells you that it is “unable to connect to the Internet” (ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED). Next comes a net ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED game where you are a simulated little dinosaur jumping over simulated cacti.

The Chrome error text ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED displayed in Windows 10 might not make your heart jump as high as it would if you have experienced the blue screen of death. But it is just as distressing, especially when you so desperately want to connect to the internet but cannot.

In this article, we will highlight different ways that can help you fix the error of being disconnected from the Internet on Google Chrome. We will also proffer solutions for the same error when it occurs on Microsoft Edge, Brave, or Firefox.

1. Restart Your Computer

When you are browsing the internet via Google Chrome or are just about to start browsing and then come face-to-face with the ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED error, the first thing that should come to your mind is that you are not enabled to connect to the internet. This is not a big deal (or should not be a big deal) since there are many ways to solve such issue.

Say that you have been using the computer for a while and it has started to slow down. Being a smart user, you suspect that this drop in performance might be related to the “Unable to connect to the Internet” error.

What you should do is restart your computer. Restarting your computer allows it to shut down temporarily and start up again, refreshed and ready to run. Now, try to connect to the internet and see.

If this suggestion works, you might want to use a reliable third-party app to improve Windows performance and speed. This saves you future trouble in fixing poor computer performance.

2. Restart Your Router and Modern

If a clean restart procedure does not fix the problem, the next thing you want to look at is the bridge that links you to the internet: your router/modem. Maybe you have not used this router for a while and it needs time to adjust. Maybe you have been using it for too long and it needs new pumping juice.

What you want to do is turn off the router or modem, wait at least 2 minutes, and turn it back on.

Now, try to connect to the internet and see if the error pops up or not.

3. Confirm Internet Connection Via WiFi and Personal Hotspot Settings

For some of us, using WiFi to connect to the internet is the most convenient method. After all, we can control how much data we are burning, the strength of the connection, and so on. But when we get an error message that you cannot connect to the internet, the same method we prefer over others may be responsible.

So, check if your WiFi is properly enabled to connect you to the internet. If you are using a personal hotspot, make sure that your computer can “ relate”  to the configuration.

Some of the new smartphone operating systems offer both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, for example. Check to see if you are currently using the 5 GHz band and step it down to the 2.4 GHz.

Once you’ve reconfigured the WiFi/hotspot settings, connect it to your computer, and your computer to the internet.

4. Inspect Your Network Cables (If Any)

If you are the kind of internet surfer who uses network cables instead of personal hotspots and WiFi, all you need to do in the face of the ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED error in Google Chrome is inspect your network cables.

Too many things could have gone wrong. Maybe the cable isn’t properly plugged in or a tiny rat has gotten used to sharpening its teeth with your cables. In any case, check to make sure that nothing is wrong.

If you still find nothing, unplug the cable, borrow one from someone else and try it out. If your computer connects to the internet, get a new cable. If it still does not, it’s time to turn to computer settings and software.

5. Fix Dead Proxy in LAN (Local Area Network) Settings

One of the more common reasons your computer is unable to connect to the internet is that you are using a dead proxy. A proxy by definition authorizes you to connect to the internet with a legitimate address. So when you are not successful in this endeavor, you need to check and tweak your proxy settings.

To fix proxy problems in Windows 10, use the Windows + S key to search for internet options. Click on the option that pops up with the same name and select the C onnections tab. Next, select LAN settings. Next, uncheck every option that is checked on the page, including Automatically detect settings.

Select OK and Apply, and try to connect to the internet once more.

6. Reset TCP/IP Configuration with Command Line (CMD)

If fixing a dead proxy does not solve the problem, you can further this exercise in internet address repairs by resetting your TCP/IP settings with CMD.

So, use the Windows + S key combination to search for command prompt. Right-click on the option with the same name and select Run as administrator. In the CMD console that pops up, enter the following commands one after the other:

netsh winsock reset

netsh int ip reset

ipconfig /release

ipconfig /flushdns

ipconfig /renew

After you enter each command, click on the E nter key to run them.

That should fix up the ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED error.

7. Disable Every Antivirus Software Package on Your Computer… and Turn Off Windows Firewall (Temporarily)

Antivirus software packages are usually programmed to detect very specific things. However, they can interfere with system operations, including connecting to the internet.

So, when you have tried all 6 options highlighted before and are still having to deal with the ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED error, disable your antivirus software temporarily and try to reconnect to the internet .

You can go further and extend this action to your Windows Firewall which serves the same general purpose as the antivirus. To disable your Windows Firewall, use the Windows + S combination to search for W indows D efender F irewall. On the page that turns up, click on T urn Windows Defender Firewall on or off (on the left window pane). Next, click on the Turn off Windows Defender Firewall option, and restart your computer.

This should fix the problem once and for all.

8. Return Google Chrome to Default Settings

Assuming that you are still unable to connect to the internet via Google Chrome, you could consider returning the browser to its default settings. This works the same way as restoring your computer to an earlier date when it was still functioning as expected.

Thus, when you are faced with the “unable to connect to the Internet” error and you suspect that the problem is within the browser settings but you don’t know exactly where, you should simply reset Google Chrome and return it to its default settings.

To reset your Google Chrome browser, first, make sure that one of its pages is open. (It might be the home page or the distress page with the ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED error glaring at you.) Next, click on the browser options (the 3 dots at the top right hand of your screen). Navigate your cursor to Settings and click on it. You can achieve the same result by typing chrome://settings/ into the search bar.

On the Chrome Settings tab, select the Advanced menu and click on Reset and clean up. On the page that comes up, select Restore settings to their original defaults. A Reset settings? pop up will come up and ask you to confirm. Click on Reset settings on this pop-up and wait for the protocol to run its course.

Try to connect to the internet once more and see if the ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED error shows up again.

9. Update Your Windows Drivers

If the ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED error continues to glare at you despite all you have done so far, you should update Windows drivers. As you know, these drivers run everything from your display configuration to how your hardware interfaces with your software, and so on.

Thus, when you suspect that the “unable to connect to the Internet” error is coming from your computer rather than Google Chrome or your router, try to update your Windows 10 drivers.

Some Windows manufacturers have dedicated software applications that can help you update all your drivers without too much effort on your part. HP, for example, has the HP Support Assistant app. If you cannot find your manufacturer’s provision on this front, simply update your drivers through Windows Update.

To update your drivers via Windows Update, use the Window + R combination to initiate the Run program. Next, type control update into the editing bar and OK. Follow the instructions and you should be able to update all your drivers.

10.  Try a Different Browser

If you still are unable to make headway and connect to the internet, simply try a different browser. Maybe Google Chrome has grown tired of you and wants a day of rest for itself. Don’t sweat it. You should only get worried when you have tried 2 or 3 other browsers and come face-to-face with the same problem.

Brave, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox are great options. Each of them offers roughly the same services as Chrome with varying effectiveness.

11.  Bonus: Update Your Google Chrome

Whether or not you have managed to fix the ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED error, you should consider throwing such problems right back to Google Chrome. All you need to do on this front is update the browser.

Many times, some of the problems that come about from using Google Chrome can easily be fixed with an update. The ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED error is one of these problems, so let’s try it out.

Once again, get to the Chrome Settings page by typing chrome://settings/ into the search bar or clicking the 3 dots at the top right-hand side of your screen and then selecting the Settings option. Next, select the About Chrome tab and click Update Google Chrome from the page that pops up. Wait for Chrome to update itself to the latest version and see if the problems you were facing are still there.

Note that if you don’t see the Update Google Chrome option, that is not a bad thing. It simply means that you are already running the latest version of the browser.

Fixing the ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED Error In Other Browsers

As we earlier mentioned, Google Chrome may be the problem. After doing all the proxy adjustments, and resetting and updating the Chrome browser, if you are still having to stare at the simulated little dinosaur jumping over simulated cacti, try other browsers.

Brave

If you were using Brave and met with the ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED error, simply type brave://settings/ into the search bar and select Additional settings. Next, click on the System tab underneath and the Open your computer’s proxy settings option on the System page. This will take you to one of the subpages of your Windows 10 Settings. Here, disable the Automatically detect settings option and try to connect to the internet again.

Microsoft Edge

If your preferred browser is Microsoft Edge, you can also implement the settings for Google Chrome and Brave. Simply type edge://settings/ into the search bar and select System and performance. In the System tab that pops up, click on the Open your computer’s proxy settings option and disable Automatically detect settings from the resulting page.

Mozilla Firefox

For Mozilla Firefox, fixing the ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED error requires you to get into the Options menu. Navigate your cursor to the Advanced submenu and click on the Network tab. Next, select Settings from the resulting page and make sure that Auto-detect proxy settings for this network is selected. If it is and this does not solve the problem, return to the same page and select Use system proxy settings. This should fix the ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED error on Firefox.

All in all, the ERR_INTERNET_DISCONNECTED error is not a death sentence. As long as you follow the suggestions put forward in this article, you should be able to connect to the internet and continue surfing.