With a global market share of 35.85%, and 2.65 billion internet users,[1] there is no doubt that Google Chrome is the most popular internet browser in use today. If you’re one the billion that use Google Chrome, it’s likely that you’ve seen one of the more common errors that occur in this browser: the “err_tunnel_connection_failed” error. This is a proxy error that occurs when Google Chrome is unable to create a tunnel to connect to the website host user, and as such, you get an unavailable webpage.
The heading of the error message screen will either say “This site can’t be reached” or “This webpage is not available”. Let’s dive into what this error means, why it occurs, what tunneling is exactly, and how you can fix the “err_tunnel_connection_failed” error.
What Does “Err_Tunnel_Connection_Failed” Mean?
When you open up a webpage in your Google Chrome browser, Google Chrome will send out an HTTP(s) request to the host server of that website, creating a tunnel in the process. If the creation of this tunnel fails or is blocked, then Chrome will fail to connect to the internet, and subsequently the webpage you are trying to reach.
What Does Creating a Tunnel Mean?
With computer networks, tunneling is used as a communication method that moves data from one network to another. This is what allows private network communications (say on your enclosed home network) to be sent across a public network (the internet) via a process called encapsulation. To give a brief rundown of encapsulation, this is simply a process that takes information from a higher layer in a network and adds a header to it, treating the higher layer as data, and allowing it to be sent over the network.
Why Is This Important?
Tunneling can be used by companies who want to block certain websites within an organization, so that they cannot be accessed from a public (or outside) network. Tunneling is most commonly used through patches, proxies, or VPN servers. When a VPN or proxy server is used, it strips away the header data from the user request to access the website, which can cause a discrepancy between expected data and the provided data, resulting in the error. This is why, the “err_tunnel_connection_failed” is considered a proxy exception error.
What Causes the “Err_Tunnel_Connection_Failed” Error?
While the most common reason behind Google Chrome throwing the “err_tunnel_connection_failed” error is due to incorrect proxy settings, it can also pop up due to incorrect domain configurations, conflicting browser data, and DNS connection issues.
7 Ways to Fix the “Err_Tunnel_Connection_Failed” Error
1. Update Google Chrome
If you have an older, outdated version of Google Chrome, the proxy exception error, “err_tunnel_connection_failed” could be caused by that. You can solve this by simply updating Google Chrome.
- Open the 3-dot menu in Chrome’s top-right hand corner.
- Click on the Update Google Chrome.
- You can also go to Help and About Google Chrome to see if you have the latest version.
- Once you are updated, close the browser, and restart it.
- See if the issue continues to persist.
2. Disable Any Proxy Use via Automatic LAN Detection
The most common reasons for the “err_tunnel_connection_failed” error message are problems from using a proxy or having proxy settings configured wrong. One way to check to see if this is the case is by disabling your proxy and setting up automatic LAN detection.
- Press your Windows Key on your keyboard, plus “R”.
- This brings up the Run application.
- Type in “inetcpl.cpl” and hit the OK button.
- This will bring up your Internet Properties window.
- From here, choose the Connections tab at the top.
- Then click on LAN settings near the bottom.
- In LAN settings, uncheck the Use a proxy server for your LAN.
- Check the Automatically detect settings option at the top and hit the okay button.
3. Reset Your Network Settings
Another way to fix the “err_tunnel_connection_failed” error is by resetting your network settings to void incorrect configuration problems. This is a relatively easy fix, but you do need to be comfortable using the Command Prompt tool to run the commands.
- Head to your computer’s search menu on your start bar.
- Type in “CMD” or “Command Prompt”.
- In the best results, right-click it.
- Choose to run it as an administrator.
- Type in the following commands, hitting Enter after each one:
- “ipconfig /flushdns“
- “ipconfig /registerdns“
- “ipconfig /release“
- “ipconfig /renew“
- “NETSH winsock reset catalog“
- “NETSH int ipv4 reset reset.log“
- “NETSH int ipv6 reset reset.log“
- Exit the command prompt and restart your computer.
4. Change Your DNS Address
Sometimes a faulty DNS server, like one provided by your internet service provider, can cause the err_tunnel_connection_failed message. If the DNS server is having issues, then changing it will fix the problem.
- In your computer’s taskbar, find your network icon (internet icon).
- Right-click on it, and select “Open Network & Internet Settings”.
- In the Status window, scroll down until you find Advanced Network Settings.
- Click on the option to Change Adapter Options.
- Right-click on your connected internet (Ethernet or WiFi) and open up Properties.
- Double-click on your internet protocol version (usually IPv4).
- Check the Use the following DNS server addresses option.
- In the Preferred DNS Server slot, put in “8.8.8.8“
- In the Alternate DNS Server slot put in “8.8.4.4“
- Hit OK, and restart Google Chrome.
5. Clear Your Browsing Data
Open up another web browser, such as Opera, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge and see if you get the “err_tunnel_connectioned_failed” error message. If you don’t, you know that it is just happening in Chrome. Having an excess amount of stored browsing data could be the culprit behind the error, so you should try clearing your browsing data.
- Open the 3-dot menu in Chrome’s top-right hand corner.
- Click on Settings in the pop up menu that you get.
- On the left-hand sidebar, click on Privacy & Security.
- Then click on Clear browsing data.
- Make sure the Time Range is set to All Time and check browsing history, download history, cookies and other site data, and cached images and files.
- Then click on the Clear data button.
- Restart Google Chrome to see if the issue persists.
6. Reset Your Google Chrome Settings Completely.
One of the easiest ways to fix the “err_tunnel_connection_failed” error is by restoring Google Chrome back to its original defaults. This will put it back to its original settings as if it was a fresh install.
- Open the 3-dot menu in Chrome’s top-right hand corner.
- Click on Settings in the pop up menu that you get.
- On the left-hand sidebar, click on Advanced.
- Choose to Reset and Clean Up.
- Now click on Restore settings to original defaults.
- Confirm by hitting Reset settings.
7. Remove Conflicting Browser Extensions.
If you have tried all of the above methods, and are still getting the “err_tunnel_connection_failed” error message when using Google Chrome, then you may have an extension causing issues. We recommend that you disable all Google Chrome extensions one-by-one to see if the issue resolves itself. Once the issue is fixed, remove the Chrome extension causing the problem, and restart your browser. To find your extensions, go to:
- Open the 3-dot menu in Chrome’s top-right hand corner.
- Go to More Tools and then Extensions.
- Remove your extensions one-by-one until you find the culprit.
Want to Still Use a Proxy Server? Here is How to Confirm Yours
It is important to note that Google Chrome uses proxy settings via Windows 10, so you check your proxy settings within Windows Settings.
- In your computer’s search menu, type in “Proxy Settings”.
- In the best results, double-click Change proxy settings.
- Then choose to set up an automatic script, or a manual one.
- If you are already running a proxy, you can confirm the address and port numbers in the manual area.
If after confirming that your proxy information is correct, you are still getting the “err_tunnel_connection_failed” error message, then you may need to contact your proxy service provider to submit a technical help request.
Wrapping It Up
To recap, the “err_tunnel_connection_failed” error message is a proxy error commonly seen in Google Chrome, that prevents you from accessing the internet. It occurs when a “tunnel” has been blocked, or has failed. Please let us know in the comments below if any of these solutions have fixed the issue for you.
[1] “Google Chrome Statistics For 2021”. Backlinko, 2021, https://backlinko.com/chrome-users
