How to Fix ‘This Site Can’t Be Reached’ Issue on Mac Chrome – Guide

Google Chrome is the most preferred browser out there. It’s fast, reliable and available on every possible platform to sync browsing history, bookmarks, passwords and autofill details. However, it is also not without its problems. The browser is notorious for using excessive amounts of RAM. This website cannot be accessed – this is another annoying Chrome issue when you visit any website. After all, you expect all websites to run smoothly and you don’t want to switch to a competing browser to access the webpage in no time. If you encounter an error in Chrome’s Windows app, you’ll see a similar pattern on Android, iOS, and Mac. This error means exactly what it says, the website address you are trying to reach cannot be reached with your search query. While it is entirely possible that you made a spelling mistake when entering the website address, in most cases it is because there is another underlying problem with the DNS (Domain Name System) server and the problem needs to be fixed or reset. The most common reason for the “This site cannot be reached” error is a DNS lookup error. The DNS network accesses websites through their domain name, which is the website URL you normally type into the top search bar of your internet browser. When you press Enter in your website’s browser, the browser accesses the website using its Internet Protocol (IP) address and the DNS networking system translates the website’s domain name to the Internet Protocol address.

How to Fix ‘This site cannot be accessed’ issue in Mac Chrome

Restart your internet connection

Even if you have a working internet connection, the error “This site cannot be accessed” may appear if there is some kind of error with it. While it may seem very simple, resetting your router or modem can quickly resolve this issue. Since restarting your connection usually only takes a minute or two, this is the first solution you should try. Most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) recommend unplugging the power cord from the router and waiting a full minute before plugging it back in. When it is back on, wait for the internet connection to restart and try to access the website again.

Disable your firewall and antivirus

In many cases, your operating system (OS)’s built-in firewall or any software you use can aggressively block pages and prevent your computer from establishing a connection to them. The easiest way to find out if this is the problem is to temporarily disable your firewall and antivirus software and try visiting the site again. As for disabling your antivirus software, your settings will depend on the tool you are using. In our experience, it’s rare for your firewall to stop you from loading a website unless it’s really dangerous.

Clear your browser’s cache

As you browse the web, Chrome stores a lot of data and files from the websites you visit. Your browser stores these files in a local cache, so it doesn’t have to completely reload websites every time you visit them. In some cases, you may encounter “This website cannot be accessed” error due to problems with your cached files. Assuming you’re using Chrome, you can do this by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Clear Browsing Data and selecting the Cached Images and Files option: Click Clear Data and you’re done. Wait for Chrome to do its work and try reloading the site that was causing problems earlier.

Clear your DNS cache

Your operating system stores a lot of data from websites you visit. It also stores your IP addresses in what we call a “DNS cache”. That way, your browser doesn’t have to look for up the same IPs through your DNS server whenever you want to establish a connection. If this sounds familiar, it’s because DNS caching works similarly to your browser’s cache, only it stores different types of data. This is fantastic feature which saves all user time. However, it can also lead to errors if your operating system caches outdated information for a website. In this case, you will need to “clear” or reset your DNS cache. Clearing the DNS cache is much simpler than it sounds. we have a complete tutorial on flushing your DNS cache on all major operating systems and browsers, so go ahead and check it out.

Change your DNS servers

Your ISP automatically assigns DNS servers for your connection. However, you can configure your internet settings to use a specific set of DNS servers. In Windows, you can do this by navigating to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center and then selecting the option Change adapter settings. On the next screen, right-click on your active internet connection and select Properties. In the list that appears, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties once more. A new screen will appear up, including a section that allows you to set custom DNS server addresses. You can use the two fields in the screenshot below to enter the DNS server addresses you want to use. In the screenshot, we are using Google’s public DNS addresses, which are “8.8.8.8” and “8.8.4.4”. However, there are many fantastic free DNS servers that you can use. If you’re using macOS, you can change your DNS settings by navigating to System Preferences > Network, selecting your network, and clicking Advanced. Then go to the DNS tab. You can add the custom DNS servers you want to use by clicking the (+) icon. After configuring your new DNS settings and pressing the OK button, you should be good to go.

Final note

I hope you like the guide How to Fix ‘This Site Can’t Be Reached’ Issue on Mac Chrome. In case if you have any query regards this article you may ask us. Also, please share your love by sharing this article with your friends.