Request timed out

How to Fix “Request timed out”

Connection / Ping Error 📄 All browsers, Command Prompt, Terminal

⚡ Quick answer

"Request timed out" appears when you ping an IP address or hostname and no response comes back within the time limit. It means the packets you sent were not answered — either because the destination is offline, is blocking pings, or your packets are being lost along the way.

First, check if your internet is working and what your current IP address is:

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What Causes the “Request timed out” Error?

"Request timed out" is most commonly seen in Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux) when running a ping command. Unlike a browser error, this is a lower-level network diagnostic message. It means your device sent ICMP echo request packets to an IP address and received no reply within the timeout window (usually 4 seconds). This can happen because: the destination host is offline or unreachable, the destination has a firewall that blocks ping requests (very common — Google, Cloudflare, and most websites block ICMP), your own firewall is blocking outgoing pings, there is packet loss somewhere along the network path, or the IP address does not exist.

How to Fix It — 5 Methods

1 Understand that many servers block ping by design ▶

This is the most important thing to know: "Request timed out" does not always mean something is broken.

Most servers, firewalls, and routers are configured to silently ignore ping requests for security reasons. If you ping google.com and get "Request timed out", Google's website is still perfectly accessible — they just block ICMP pings.

To verify a server is actually reachable, try visiting it in your browser instead of pinging it.

2 Test with a reliable host that allows pings ▶

Some hosts are known to respond to pings. Use these to test your connection:

ping 8.8.8.8 — Google DNS (responds to pings)
ping 1.1.1.1 — Cloudflare DNS (responds to pings)
ping 9.9.9.9 — Quad9 DNS (responds to pings)

If these respond with replies, your internet connection is working fine. If they also time out, you have a genuine network problem.

3 Check Windows Firewall ping settings ▶

Windows Firewall blocks outgoing pings by default in some configurations. To allow them:

Search for "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security" in Start
Click "Inbound Rules" → "New Rule"
Select "Custom" → All Programs → Protocol: ICMPv4
Allow the connection

Or temporarily disable the firewall to test if it is the cause.

4 Check for packet loss with traceroute ▶

If you suspect genuine network issues rather than firewall blocks, run a traceroute to see where packets are being dropped.

Windows: tracert 8.8.8.8

Mac/Linux: traceroute 8.8.8.8

Look for * * * entries — these indicate hops where packets are being dropped. If the drops happen at the first hop, your router is the problem. If they happen further along, it is a network or ISP issue.

5 Use a VPN to route around network problems ▶

If traceroute shows packet loss in your ISP's network, a VPN can route your traffic through a different path.

Connect to PureVPN or IPVanish
Run your ping test again — if it now works, your ISP's routing had an issue
The VPN will work as a long-term fix if your ISP's route to specific IPs is consistently bad

🔒

Some errors are caused by ISP blocks or network restrictions

A VPN bypasses them instantly by routing through a different server.

PureVPN → IPVanish →

✅ Fixed it? Visit tools.examineip.com to confirm your IP address and connection are working correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does "request timed out" mean the website is down?

Not necessarily. Most websites block ping requests for security. A ping timeout does not mean the site is down — it may simply be ignoring your ping. Try opening the site in your browser to check if it is actually accessible.

What is the difference between "request timed out" and "destination host unreachable"?

"Request timed out" means your packets were sent but no reply came back within the time limit — the destination may be blocking pings or may be offline. "Destination host unreachable" means a router along the path actively reported that it cannot find a route to the destination.

Why does pinging 8.8.8.8 work but pinging google.com times out?

Google allows pings to its DNS server (8.8.8.8) but blocks pings to its website servers (google.com). This is normal — it means your DNS resolution may also be failing. Try running nslookup google.com to check if DNS is working.

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Last updated: March 29, 2026 • Report an error