Website Keeps Timing Out? Here’s What You Can Do
Anyone working with WordPress or just surfing the web has encountered the dreaded ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT error when a web page refuses to load. It’s a huge bummer for a user and a disaster for a website owner. So, let’s discuss what you can do when your website keeps timing out.
Website keeps timing out. What can be the reason?
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT is an error that usually means that your site has become a way too heavy for your server to handle, or maybe there’s a DNS error. In that case, it becomes unreachable, and after trying for 30 seconds, a browser will give up and show an error message, saying that it took too long to establish a connection.
How to fix it?
Server-side
First of all, you have to find out whether it’s a server-side issue or a client-side problem. There are have different fixes.
Execution Time
If you’re worried your website might be affected, check your maximum execution time. Usually, it’s set to 30 seconds. Call your hosting provider and talk to them about the issue. If you want to modify it yourself, you need to edit the php.ini document.
Plugins issue
Another issue might be with your plugins. Every website nowadays uses plugins, which are easy to install and very useful. So first, try to disable all plugins on your site. Find your WordPress directory and rename the folder with the plugins, making them inaccessible. And then go to your WordPress dashboard. Problem gone? Now we know who’s to blame. Now, you need to find the exact plugin that causes the problem.
Memory issue
Once again, we’re talking about WordPress, which is our CMS of choice. It allows you to alter the maximum allocated memory for PHP. Change the WP_MEMORY_LIMIT parameter, and the error might go away. Usually, it can be set to 64 MB, which is low. You can easily double that number.
User-side
Can’t reach a particular website? The problem might lie with you. First of all, disable your firewall and antivirus if you use them. Sometimes they block perfectly good pages. Second, check your internet connection. Is everything alright? Maybe restart the router and check the Wi-Fi signal. It can be spotty on public hotspots. And the final thing you can do is change DNS servers. Your ISP provides you with those, but you can always change them to something else. Google’s public DNS is considered a good option (8.8.8.8). You can also try Cloudflare.