Time Out Error Message
Server Connection Timeout Error Explained – Crazy Domains
Some errors explicitly state its cause, and some simply identify a problem with no further explanation. Server Connection Timeout Error is one of the latter. Though it appears like an issue with the server, it is not always the case.
We’ll help you better understand about connection timeout error and how you can resolve this. Continue reading this article to learn.
Browser requests data at a predetermined time. If the server takes so long to respond, a timeout error displays. This error is meant to prevent devices from waiting ceaselessly for the server to respond. The possible causes may be a server issue, outdated browser and cache, blacklisted sites, sporadic internet connection, faulty extensions, etc.
In this article, we go through some of the possible causes and some simple to not-so-complex helpful tips to execute, to solve the issue.
Table of Contents
Clear Browser Cache
Restart Internet Router
Check and Update Browser
Run Compatibility Mode
Disable Faulty Extensions
Use Browser’s Default Settings
Unblock Blacklisted Sites
Adjust the Lan Settings
Clear DNS Cache and IP
Contact Your ISP
Important: Troubleshooting tips are generalized to accommodate the different browsers and operating systems. However, please be assured that the instructions are only slightly different from your end.
1. Clear Browser Cache
If there is one unwritten rule in troubleshooting, it is to clear cache first. The same is true for timeout error. There are cases that the error displays due to cache. Make sure to clear browsing data first before proceeding to a next solution.
Here is the fastest way to clear cache on major browsers (Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera and Edge):
Open your preferred browser.
On your keyboard, press Ctrl+Shift+Del simultaneously.
A pop-up box will appear. Make sure to select cache or history.
Click the appropriate button to clear cache.
2. Restart Internet Router
Users attest to restarting the router to resolve the issue. You can effortlessly replicate this tip with no harm done.
3. Check and Update Browser
Sometimes, your browser is the culprit. A smaller version or an outdated browser can cause havoc. Today, most computers require a 64-bit architecture to achieve full performance. Hence, a smaller version limits its capability. Also, outdated browsers may have bugs and compatibility issues, responsible for the error.
Check if your browser is up to date by following these steps:
Open a browser.
Go to About Browser Name in your browser’s settings or menu.
If necessary, update the browser.
4. Run Compatibility Mode
Running a browser compatibility mode is rather simple. In some cases, it fixes the connection timeout error. You can do it with these easy steps:
Right-click on your browser’s icon.
Select Properties.
On the Properties window that opens, click the Compatibility tab.
Tick the box for Run this program in compatibility mode for:
Select an older version of Windows on the drop-down menu.
Click Apply, then click OK to save changes.
Important: You might have to repeat these steps to find the right setting that works for you.
5. Disable Faulty Extensions
There are chances that your extensions interfere with the browser, causing an error. In this case, you have to examine whether your extensions are functional or not, then eventually eliminate the dysfunctional extension as you check.
Look for your browser’s menu, and select More tools.
Select Extensions.
A list of extensions will display. Disable all extensions by unchecking the Enabled checkbox.
Restart your browser.
If the error disappears, enable extensions one by one while simultaneously checking if the error reappears. When it does, disable the faulty extension.
Important: If you are using the faulty extension often, consider updating it to the latest version and see if it eliminates the problem.
6. Use Browser’s Default Settings
Timeout errors sometimes appear due to the browser’s configuration. It is advised to reset the browser’s settings to default in order to fix this issue. Here’s a general guide to help you do so:
Look for your browser’s menu, and select Settings.
On the Settings tab or page, look for Advanced.
Locate the Reset button, and click it.
If a confirmation message appears, click Reset to continue.
After resetting, all the cached data, cookies, history and extensions will be discarded. If the error is caused by the browser’s configuration, the reset should fix it completely.
7. Unblock Blacklisted Sites
There is a probability that you have blacklisted a specific website, which is why you can’t access it. You can check if you’ve blocked some websites, and if necessary, you can unblock it by following these steps:
Open your computer’s File Explorer and navigate to the following folder:
System (C:) > Windows > System32 > drivers > etc
Right-click on the hosts file and open it with Notepad.
Scroll down to the bottom, and delete any sites listed.
Save the hosts file (Ctrl + S).
8. Adjust the LAN Settings
Conflicts with the connection may result to this error. Just in case, try adjusting the LAN settings by following these steps:
Open Control Panel.
Select Internet Options.
A new window will display. Select Connections.
Click on LAN Settings.
Another window will appear. Deselect Automatically Detect Setting and Use a Proxy Server for your LAN.
Click OK.
Restart your computer.
9. Clear DNS cache and IP
DNS cache can cause a timeout error. Lest, clearing the cache might fix the issue. For your reference, we have provided instructions to renew DNS and IP address for Windows 10 and Mac OS.
Clear DNS cache in Windows 10
On your computer, click Start.
Type cmd on the search box.
In the command prompt window, enter the following as shown below:
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /registerdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
netsh winsock reset
Clear DNS cache in Mac OS
On your computer, navigate to the following path:
Applications > Utilities > Terminal
dscacheutil -flushcache
sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
There are reported cases where the ISP (Internet Service Provider) enables website filtering, resulting to blacklisted sites. To make sure this is not the case, contact your ISP.
Congratulations! You just learned about the Server Connection Timeout error. If you need any further assistance, or if you have any questions, please let us know. We’d love to help!
What would be a user-friendly error message for HTTP …
We have a HTTP request timeout implemented in our mobile app, and we display an error popup when the response doesn’t come on time (we will put the timeout somewhere between 30 and 60 seconds).
I want to display a friendly and informative message to the user, but without scaring them too much, and without putting too much technical jargon.
There are multitude of reasons why the timeout can occur:
user has poor internet
user is traveling by metro, and temporarily has poor internet
our server is slow
some failure in the middle of the network
so I’d like the message to cover them all.
We can start with
There was a problem with your request. Please try again later.
but it’s not very actionable (no info to the user what and why went wrong), and moreover the user might not understand what “request” stands for.
I am thinking about something like “make sure you have a good network range” but I don’t know how to write it in a friendly way.
The case of “no internet at all” (radio disabled / airplane mode) is a separate thing that I can handle in a separate message (for now I put Problem with internet connection. Please make sure that your device is not switched to airplane mode)
What is your advice for the informative error message?
asked Apr 11 ’16 at 11:47
1
You could have the app check the signal strength and accordingly give out a message.
For E. G
If the network is strong and there still is a timeout, you could show something like this
Looks like the server is taking to long to respond, please try again
in sometime.
If the network is weak, you could show something like this
Looks like you have an unstable network at the moment, please try
again when network stabilizes.
If checking the signal strength is not possible for some reason, try a generic message like
Looks like the server is taking to long to respond, this can be caused by
either poor connectivity or an error with our servers. Please try again in a while
answered Apr 11 ’16 at 12:29
TDsouzaTDsouza5844 silver badges11 bronze badges
Your use cases list out a perfect opportunity to move to an offline first implementation by using service workers. You can get started by reading more here:, but the overall sentiment is to cache some parts of your application on the user’s side, and let the application handle failures more gracefully by waiting to post until connectivity is restored. There are a few apps you can look at for inspiration with this pattern, but chief among them is Facebook.
Figuring out different causes and states, to then provide contextually appropriate messaging to the user, can end up being a game of whack-a-mole. It seems like what is most important to you is providing a salient action to your users in the case they’re unable to reach your site. Offline first allows you build in such a way that the user doesn’t need to take any action, where they can trust that their intent will be carried out.
If you’re interested in a nice solution, I’d suggest –
You can also Google “service workers” and learn more about how they might be helpful for your application.
answered Apr 11 ’16 at 13:30
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How to Fix a 408 Request Timeout Error – Lifewire
The 408 Request Timeout error is an HTTP status code that means the request you sent to the website server—e. g., a request to load a web page—took longer than the website’s server was prepared to wait. In other words, your connection with the website “timed out. ”
The most common cause of a 408 Request Timeout error is an incorrect URL. It could also be caused by a slow connection or connectivity issues.
Lifewire / Theresa Chiechi
408 Request Timeout Errors
These error messages are often customized by each website, especially very large ones, so this error may present itself in more ways than these common ones:
408: Request TimeoutHTTP Error 408 – Request Timeout
The error displays inside the internet browser window, just as web pages do.
How to Fix the 408 Request Timeout Error
Retry the web page by selecting the refresh button or trying the URL from the address bar again. Many times a slow connection causes a delay that prompts the 408 Request Timeout error, and this is often only temporary. Trying the page again will often be successful.
If the error message appears during the checkout process at an online merchant, duplicate attempts to check out may end up creating several orders—and repeated charges! Most merchants protect against these errors, but some smaller ones may not.
Your internet connection could force page-load delays. Visit another website like Google or Yahoo. If the pages load as fast as you’re used to seeing them load, the problem prompting the 408 Request Timeout error is probably with the website.
If all websites are running slow, however, your internet connection may be adversely affected. Run an internet speed test to benchmark your current bandwidth, or contact your Internet Service Provider for technical support.
Come back later. This is a common error message on very popular websites when a huge increase in traffic by visitors (that’s you! ) is overwhelming the servers. As visitors leave the website, the chances of a successful page load for you increases.
Contact the webmaster or another site contact about the error message.
The webmaster of most websites can be reached by email if you write to, replacing with the actual website name. Next, try replacing the first part with help or admin.
Errors Like 408 Request Timeout
The following messages are also client-side errors and so are somewhat related to the 408 Request Timeout error: 400 Bad Request, 401 Unauthorized, 403 Forbidden, and 404 Not Found.
Several server-side HTTP status codes occasionally pop up, including 500 Internal Server Error. See all of them in our HTTP Status Code Errors list.
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