The connection error ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED often occurs while you are trying to access the internet. This error is very common among users of the Google Chrome browser.

It usually happens when something is wrong with your network configuration. This error reduces your productivity by hampering your internet experience.

However, if you encounter it, you should fix it with some operations. This guide will review what this error is, its causes, and possible solutions for it.

Your Connection Was Interrupted a Network Change was Detected ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED

What Causes the ‘A Network Change Was Detected’ Error?

This error message usually pops up when the internet connection switches from one network to another while you are viewing a web page. It can also occur while you are downloading content.

When this change happens, it confuses the browser and disrupts the current data flow. This error occurs due to the following reasons:

• Your computer has been infected by malware.
• Your network adapter is out of date
• Your network configuration is incorrect

How do I fix ‘A network change was detected’ Error?

Depending on what caused this error, there are several ways for you to fix it. But if the connection error keeps happening with Chrome, for instance, you should try accessing another browser. Frequently, the problem is not your network or computer, but the browser itself.

You can try a lighter browser that requires fewer resources, and it loads considerably faster. It would help if you used a browser that is fully-equipped with the most productivity tools one could wish for. The browser should have workspaces to messengers and battery saver. It should also include an ad blocker and a VPN.

You need to activate each of them or pin particular icons to the sidebars for easy access. This operation will guarantee a faster response time and almost zero errors. However, if you are still getting this error, try restarting your modem and check if it resolves it.

Sometimes your computer or modem configuration might not be correct, which prevents you from accessing the internet. To fix this, you need to follow the steps below.

• Step 1: – Press the power button on your modem to turn it off. 
• Step 2: – Wait for 30 seconds and press the power button to turn it back on again. 
• Step 3: – After turning on your modem, check if you have resolved the issue.

If these operations fail, do not worry. There are several solutions that you could try out to fix this problem. They include the following:

Solution 1 – Check your computer for malware

You may be getting this ‘A network change was detected’ error due to a malware infection. If you want to fix the problem in this case, you need to perform a full system scan.

There are many good antivirus tools that you can use for this purpose. Take Bitdefender, for instance; This tool will protect your PC against malware attacks and should fix the error.

To check your computer for malware, you can follow the steps below.

• Step 1: – Once you install the antivirus tool, run a deep system scan. The tool will find all the vulnerabilities that affect your system, including outdated programs, duplicated files, malware, weak passwords, etc.
• Step 2: – Look thoroughly at each issue and take the necessary actions. Malware affects network connectivity, but with Bitdefender, you are safe from online attacks.

Solution 2 – Update all the drivers

When this issue does not appear in only one browser, it might be that your network adapter driver is outdated or that your network configuration is not correct. To fix this, you can use a third-party tool such as DriverFix.

This tool scans for outdated drivers on your computer and then downloads the latest ones if that is the case.

You can update the drivers yourself, but with DriverFix, you will avoid permanent damage and file loss. This damage is caused by downloading and installing the wrong driver version. To update all the drivers, you need to follow the steps below.

• Step 1: – You need to download the third-party tool.
• Step 2: – Install the program and launch it.
• Step 3: – Scan for all outdated and missing device drivers.
• Step 4: – Click on the Update ‘Your Drivers Now’ button when the scan is complete.
• Step 5: – Now, follow on-screen prompts to install each driver.

VPN software helps you protect your privacy online, but this software can sometimes interfere with Google Chrome. When this happens, you are likely to encounter this connection error. Instead of removing or disabling the VPN, you should rather use a VPN solution that does not interfere with other processes or programs.

There are many services that you can try out. One of those services includes Private Internet Access, a VPN service developed by Kape Technologies. It has numerous servers all over the world and grants unlimited bandwidth. It also grants P2P support and Wi-Fi security for added protection.

It is easy to use, and you can set it up instantly. So if you encounter this connection error because of your VPN software, you can switch to this one.

Solution 4 – Reinstall Google Chrome

Another excellent solution to fix the network change error is to reinstall Google Chrome. As I mentioned earlier, the issue appears mainly in this browser. There are several ways to reinstall Chrome, but the best one is by using uninstaller software.

If you are not familiar with, uninstaller software can get rid of any application from your computer. It also removes any leftover files and registry entries associated with the application. Using one of these tools ensures that the application is completely removed from your computer.

If you need good uninstaller software, you can try IOBit Uninstaller. To reinstall Chrome using this tool, you should follow the steps below.

• Step 1: – Download the tool and launch the program. 
• Step 2: – Now locate Chrome in the main dashboard and uninstall it.
• Step 3: – Once you uninstall Chrome, install it again and check if you have fixed the issue.

Solution 5 – Flush the DNS settings

This solution is another excellent way to fix this connection error. You can easily perform this solution by following the steps below.

• Step 1: – Press the Windows Logo Key + X simultaneously on your keyboard. This operation will open up the Power User Menu.
• Step 2: – Choose Command Prompt (Admin) from the list.
• Step 3: – Once the Command Prompt opens, type in ipconfig /flushdns and press the Enter button on your keyboard.
• Step 4: – Once you receive the message that the DNS was flushed, you can now close Command Prompt and check if you have resolved the problem.

If you could not fix it by flushing DNS settings, you should try resetting IP/TCP.

• Step 1: – Press the Windows Logo Key + X simultaneously on your keyboard. This operation will open up the Power User Menu.
• Step 2: – Choose Command Prompt (Admin) from the list.
• Step 3: – When the Command Prompt opens, enter the following lines:

netsh in tip set dns

netsh winsock reset

• Step 4: – Close Command Prompt and check if the issue is resolved.

Why Does My Network Keep Changing?

Your computer can switch networks frequently because of a setting in your network properties. This feature may be advantageous for your computer to ensure that you have the best possible connection at all times.

However, the downside to this feature is that you may encounter connection problems as a result. But, you can prevent it by learning more about network options.

The Default Network

Windows remembers all of the networks that you successfully connect to and automatically assigns one of these to be the default network. Typically, you will find that this is the most secure network with the strongest signal.

When you turn your computer on, Windows automatically connects to this network and will remain connected to it under normal circumstances. You can see all of the networks that your computer has saved by accessing the wireless network list.

Wireless Network List

You can access the Wireless Network list by following the steps below:

• Step 1: – Right-click on the “Internet Access” icon in the taskbar and then click on “Open Network and Sharing Center.” 
• Step 2: – Now, click on the blue “Manage Wireless Networks” entry on the left-hand side. Suppose you see “Automatically Connect” on any of these networks. In that case, your computer will connect to them when you come within range, provided that you have entered the network’s security key at least one time before. You can change this behavior by editing the network’s properties.

Network Properties

All the networks in the list have properties that are classified into two groups: connection and security. To access these networks smoothly, you need to know the following points:

• To view these properties, you need to right-click on a network and then click on “Properties.” 
• To view a network’s security key, click on the “Security” tab, and then click on the “Show Characters” checkbox below the “Network Security Key” box. 
• To see the network’s default behavior settings, click on the “Connection” tab. All networks in the wireless network list have the “Connect Automatically When This Network Is in Range” checkbox ticked by default. To change this behavior, click on this checkbox.

Preventing Network Switching

When you have two of the networks in your wireless network in the same location, your PC might switch from one to the other frequently. It does this while trying to remain connected to the network with the strongest signal. 

You can prevent network switching by following the steps below.

• Step 1: – Right-click on one of the networks and then click on “Properties.” 
• Step 2: – Deselect the option that says, “Connect to a More Preferred Network if Available.” Also, make this change with all of the networks in the list to prevent this behavior completely.

How to Fix Network Connection Issues with Chrome

There are several ways that you can fix connection errors, such as the ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED. I have listed a couple of solutions below.

Solution 1 – Use Google’s Public DNS

You can fix network connection errors by using Google’s public DNS. If the default DNS server is causing the ‘A network change was detected issue,’ you should use this solution. You need to perform some operations to do this. I will show you the required steps in the guide below.

To use Google’s Public DNS, you need to follow these steps:

• Step 1: – Press the Windows Logo Key + X simultaneously on your keyboard and click on Network Connections.
• Step 2: – Click on Change adapter options.
• Step 3: – Once the Network Connections window opens up, you need to find your current connection, right-click on it and click on Properties.
• Step 4: – Click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click on the Properties button.
• Step 5: –  Click on Use the following DNS server addresses option and type in the following values:

Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8

Alternate DNS server: 8.8.4.4

• Step 6: – When you are done, click on OK to save changes and check if you have resolved the issue.

Solution 2 – Clear browsing data in Chrome

If you think that your browsing data is causing the ‘A network change was detected issue’ in Chrome, you should use this solution. You need to perform some operations to do this. I will show you the required steps in the guide below.

To clear your browsing data in Chrome, you need to follow these steps:

• Step 1: – Click on the Menu icon in the top right corner and select Settings.
• Step 2: – Click on Advanced.
• Step 3: – Go to the Privacy section and click the Clear browsing data button.
• Step 4: – Set the Time range to All time and check all options. Now click on the Clear data button.

Solution 3 – Disable Energy Efficient Ethernet feature

When this Ethernet feature is causing the ‘A network change was detected issue,’ you should use this solution. You need to perform some operations to do this. I will show you the required steps in the guide below.

To disable the energy-efficient Ethernet feature, you need to follow these steps:

• Step 1: – Open Device Manager.
• Step 2: – Locate your network adapter on the list and double-click it.
• Step 3: – Go to the Advanced tab and click on Energy Efficient Ethernet. Now set it to Disabled and click on OK to save changes.
• Step 4: – Once you finish, check if you have resolved the problem. If you do not have the Energy Efficient Ethernet option available, this solution doesn’t apply to you, and you can skip it.

Solution 4 – Disable prediction services in Chrome

If you think that the prediction services in Chrome are causing the ‘A network change was detected issue,’ you should use this solution. You need to perform a few operations to do this. I will show you the required steps in the guide below.

To disable prediction services in Chrome, you need to follow these steps:

• Step 1: – Open Google Chrome and go to the Settings page.
• Step 2: – Scroll down and click on Advanced.
• Step 3: – Now, you should see two ‘Use a prediction service…’ options. Disable them both.
• Step 4: – Once you disable both these features, the problem should be completely resolved. Bear in mind that by disabling these features, certain websites might load a bit slower.

Solution 5 – Use either Ethernet or Wi-Fi on a single device

According to user reports, ‘A network change was detected’ error can appear if you are using both Ethernet and Wi-Fi connection on your computer simultaneously. This can also lead to other problems besides this one.

In order to fix the problem, you need to use just Ethernet or Wi-Fi. But make sure you choose the best adapters on the market for your Ethernet. You can disable one network on your computer and check if you have resolved the problem.

Do not use Google’s IPv6 DNS

You need to select Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP /IPv6) and click on Properties. Once the Properties window opens, click on Obtain DNS server address automatically and then click on OK to save changes. Once you finish making changes, the issue should be fixed, and you should be able to visit any website without issues.

Conclusion

You are likely to encounter the error ‘A Network Change was Detected’ while using Google chrome. This error usually occurs due to wrong network configuration settings. Sometimes you may be able to fix it by restarting your modem. This guide has given you the necessary solutions to fix this error, and I believe you can now fix it.

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