Error loading websites

This article offers solutions to errors you may receive in Firefox or Mozilla Suite when attempting to connect to some or all websites. Error messages may include "The document contains no data" and "The connection was refused when attempting to contact..." or an error page may tell you that the server could not be found or that the connection has timed out. Important: If you cannot get any website to load and you just updated your browser, it is almost certainly your firewall blocking the connection.

Error loading any website

If Firefox/Mozilla Suite will not connect to any website:

• As with anything else, the problem may go away once you reboot your system.
• Make sure you are connected to the Internet. To make Firefox/Mozilla Suite autoconnect when it starts, see this article.
• Make sure that File -> Work Offline is not checked.

Only Firefox/Mozilla Suite is having problems

If Firefox/Mozilla Suite can't connect and other programs such as Internet Explorer can...

Connection settings

Make sure your connection settings are correct. If you have Internet Explorer and it works, compare Internet Explorer's connection settings (e.g., Control Panel -> Internet Options -> Connections: LAN) to those of Firefox (Tools -> Options -> General -> Connection Settings) or Mozilla Suite (Edit -> Preferences -> General -> Connection Settings).

If your Firefox or Mozilla Suite connection settings are not correct but any changes you try to make are not saved after restarting the application, make sure you don't have a utility program such as "Hide IP Platinum" that modifies your connection settings. Even if the utility is no longer installed, the user.js file may still contain the modified settings [1]. To resolve this problem, open the profile folder and look for a user.js file. If found, either remove the user.js file or edit it to remove any "proxy" settings it may contain as outlined here, then reset the connection settings.

Firewalls

Make sure that your firewall program is configured to allow internet access to Firefox/Mozilla Suite. Most firewalls will ask you whether to allow a new program to connect to the internet, so it is important to always allow access for new or updated Mozilla applications. Even if you see permission in the firewall list of permitted programs, it could be for the previous program version, as firewalls require permission to allow an updated program to access the internet [2].

Some firewalls can be rather tricky to configure, or even to disable or uninstall. For more information on specific firewalls, including the Windows Firewall, Norton Internet Security, ZoneAlarm, McAfee, and others, see this article.

Panda Anti-Virus

Older versions of Panda Anti-virus can cause connection problems. Read this.

IPv6

• It may be a problem with IPv6 ("Internet Protocol version 6"). Here are the steps to disable IPv6 (if this doesn't work, re-enable it).
  1. Type about:config in the address bar, press Enter
  2. Find network.dns.disableIPv6.
  3. Right-click -> Toggle
  4. Restart Firefox/Mozilla Suite and try again.

All programs are having problems

Router

A recently installed router can cause problems. Contact your system administrator or refer to your router's documentation. If possible, see if you can connect without hooking up to the router.

DNS

If your domain name server (DNS) becomes overloaded, you may be unable to view some or all Web sites. Your DNS translates Web addresses (URLs) that you enter in your browser, into IP addresses that are used on the Internet. The DNS is usually provided by your Internet service provider. Here is a discussion of the problem and solutions.

Windows sometimes caches unsuccessful DNS lookup attempts, and this means that you may not be able to view a particular Web site until the cached result expires. As a workaround, you can flush the cache. (For Windows XP, "Start -> Run -> ipconfig /flushdns", then try loading the Web site again.) You can find more information here.

ISP

If programs other than Firefox/Mozilla Suite are also having problems connecting, the problem may be with your Internet Service Provider. Contact them.

Trend Micro Anti-Virus

If you haven't updated your pattern file since April 2005 and suffer from 100% CPU utilization, read this.

Spyware and other malware

It is possible that Spyware or other malicious software or "malware" is causing connection problems. Use programs such as Ad-Aware or Spybot-S&D to scan your computer for malware.

Error loading some websites

If Firefox/Mozilla Suite can connect to some websites, but not others:

• Try loading the same site from another computer or another browser. If you are still unable to load a specific site , the problem is likely with the website.
• If you receive an error message from a website, the error message may be cached. Attempts to reload the site may yield only the cached error message. To force it to reload from the Web, hold down the <Shift> key and press the Reload button. See this discussion.
• Clear the Cache. In Firefox: "Tools -> Options -> Privacy -> Cache -> Clear Cache Now". In Mozilla Suite: "Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced -> Cache -> Clear Cache"
• If the website is a secure website such as a bank, your webmail, Paypal, eBay, or any site that begins with "https:", read this article.
• If the website is an FTP site, read this article.
• The Web site may have blocked your IP address. [3]
• If you enabled network.http.pipelining (a "tweak" designed to improve page loading time), disable it in about:config by typing "pipelining" in the filter and right-clicking all entries and choosing Reset. (If you set this preference by editing the user.js file, also remove this edit.)
• A hosts file has the ability to redirect Internet requests. Review your hosts file to see if it contains any entries other than 127.0.0.1 localhost .
• If repeated attempts fail to open a site, Windows may have cached an unsuccessful DNS lookup attempt. This means that you may not be able to view a particular website until the cached result expires. As a workaround, you can flush the DNS cache (For Windows XP, "Start -> Run -> ipconfig /flushdns") then try loading the site again. See this discussion and this example.
• If you received the message, "This object has been blocked", see this article.
• The website may only allow Internet Explorer users. You can work around this problem by installing a user agent spoofer, such as the User Agent Switcher extension, to make the web site think you are using a different browser.
• Make sure you type the address correctly.
• If you type an incomplete address or if you try to access a Web site by Internet keyword, your browser will attempt to fill in the missing information or supply the correct URL for the keyword. Your Internet service provider or proxy service may also do this. The results may vary, depending on your browser settings and your environment. See Keyword.URL and Keyword.enabled for more information.

Websites randomly don't load

If Firefox/Mozilla Suite randomly cannot connect to websites:

• The site may be down or experiencing difficulties. Try loading the site from another computer or browser to see if this is the case.
• If you enabled network.http.pipelining (a "tweak" designed to improve page loading time), disable it in about:config by typing "pipelining" in the filter and right-clicking all entries and choosing Reset. (If you set this preference by editing the "user.js" file, remove this edit.)
• You may have problems with your domain name service (DNS).
• Sometimes when you first try to use the Internet, your computer may take some time, perhaps up to a minute, to establish a connection. In this case, whichever application is first to use the Internet may experience temporary difficulty, but once a connection is established, all programs should work correctly.
• Try disabling IPv6.
• To determine if an extension is the cause of your problems try Safe_Mode. If that doesn't help, perform the full Standard_diagnostic.

See also

• Websites look wrong

External links

• Why can't I connect to Google? How do I fix this?