ERR_PROXY_CONNECTION_FAILED: Fix Proxy Settings and Proxy Servers

ERR_PROXY_CONNECTION_FAILED means your browser is set to send traffic through a proxy server and cannot connect to that proxy. Chrome and Edge display "No internet" with the note "There is something wrong with the proxy server, or the address is incorrect." Firefox says "The proxy server is refusing connections," and Safari says it cannot connect to the proxy server.

The website is not at fault. The browser never got as far as asking for the page. The usual reasons are a proxy setting left behind by software that has since been removed or stopped, a proxy address that is mistyped, a proxy service that is down, or a network that blocks the proxy port.

If you reach the proxy but it declines to open a tunnel to a site, you will get ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED instead.

If you are a visitor

1. Look at what proxy is configured

Chrome and Edge use the operating system's proxy settings by default.

• Windows 10/11: Settings, Network and Internet, Proxy. Check "Automatically detect settings," "Use setup script" and "Use a proxy server." From an Administrator prompt, netsh winhttp show proxy shows the system-level proxy used by some services.
• macOS: System Settings, Network, your connection, Details, Proxies. Or run networksetup -getwebproxy Wi-Fi and networksetup -getsecurewebproxy Wi-Fi.
• Linux (GNOME): Settings, Network, Network Proxy. Also check environment variables:

env | grep -i -E "^(http|https|no|all)_proxy"

2. Turn off a proxy you did not set up

If you do not use a proxy at work or school, disable "Use a proxy server" and "Use setup script," leave "Automatically detect settings" on or off as needed, and reload. Removed VPNs, ad-blocking suites, debugging tools (Fiddler, Charles, mitmproxy) and some malware leave a proxy entry that points to a program no longer running.

3. Reset Windows proxy settings

netsh winhttp reset proxy

Then restart the browser. You can also clear the user-level proxy in the registry path HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings, but use the Settings UI unless you know what you are editing.

4. Run a malware scan

If a proxy setting keeps reappearing after you remove it, something is re-enabling it. Run your security scanner and review startup programs and browser extensions.

5. Check the VPN

A VPN that sets a proxy and then crashes leaves the setting behind. Reconnect and cleanly disconnect, or uninstall the client and reboot.

6. Test with another browser or device

Firefox can use its own proxy settings (Settings, General, Network Settings) so it may work when Chrome does not. If a second device on the same network works, the issue is configuration on the first.

7. If you are supposed to use the proxy

At an office or school, confirm the proxy host name and port with your administrator, check that you are on the right network (or connected to the corporate VPN), and look at whether a PAC file URL is reachable. A PAC (proxy auto-config) script that cannot be downloaded, or that returns a proxy that is down, produces this error. Open the PAC URL in a browser to check that it loads.

If you own or run the proxy

Is the service running and listening?

sudo systemctl status squid       # or tinyproxy, nginx, haproxy, privoxy
sudo ss -ltnp | grep -E ':3128|:8080'

If nothing is listening, start the service and read its log for the reason it stopped.

Reachability from the client side

From a client machine:

nc -vz proxy.example.net 3128
curl -v -x http://proxy.example.net:3128 https://example.com/ -o /dev/null

"Connection refused" means nothing listens on that port or a host rule rejects it. A hang suggests a firewall or security group drops it. The Port Checker tests whether a public proxy port is open from outside, and Down From Where tells you whether remote locations can reach it.

Firewall and binding

Check that the proxy is bound to the correct interface (not just 127.0.0.1) and that firewalls allow clients. On Squid, http_port 3128 binds all interfaces by default; confirm that http_access allows the client's network. A reverse-proxy or Docker configuration may also publish the wrong port.

Address changes

If the proxy lives on a dynamic address or a cloud instance that was rebuilt, clients may point to an old IP address. Use a stable DNS name and update PAC files and group policies together. Use What Is My IP on the proxy host to verify its public address.

PAC and WPAD

Make sure the PAC file is served with Content-Type: application/x-ns-proxy-autoconfig, has no syntax errors, and returns DIRECT as a fallback: return "PROXY proxy.example.net:3128; DIRECT";. A PAC that returns only a dead proxy leaves clients with no way to browse. Watch out for WPAD auto-discovery handing out unexpected addresses on shared networks.

Monitor the proxy

Proxy outages stop everyone behind them. Monitor the port with an uptime monitor TCP or HTTP check, and alert the on-call person before users call. See uptime monitoring for small business.

Confirm the fix

1. Reload a few unrelated sites. All should load.
2. Run the system proxy check again: netsh winhttp show proxy should show "Direct access (no proxy server)" if you meant to use none.
3. Run the Website Health Check on a site of your own to confirm it is reachable from outside your network.
4. For a proxy you run, verify the port with the Port Checker.

Next steps

• Read website down for everyone or just me.
• Review ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED if the proxy answers but refuses.
• See This site can't be reached for the other connection variants.
• Check DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NO_INTERNET if no site loads at all.

FAQ

Why do I get this error when I never set up a proxy?

Software you installed earlier probably set one. Common sources are VPN clients, security suites, developer tools and malware. Disable the proxy in the system settings.

Is this the same as having no internet?

It looks similar, but only traffic through the proxy fails. Turning the proxy off often restores access immediately.

Why does Firefox work when Chrome fails?

Firefox can use its own proxy configuration, so it may bypass the broken system setting that Chrome follows.

Is a proxy needed for the websites I own?

No. Proxy errors are about how a visitor reaches the internet, not about the destination site's configuration.

This page is general information written by our editorial team and updated when documentation changes. Servers and providers differ, so test changes safely first. See our editorial policy and disclaimer.