ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED
Description
The ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED error prevents an employee from accessing a website by interrupting the normal loading process. The error usually occurs when Google Chrome detects a change in the IP address of an employee’s PC. The use of a VPN or a proxy server can contribute to this error.
Possible causes
Browser cache
Browser version
Incompatible browser settings
VPN
DNS
Network component
What could be causing this type of Problem?
The ERR_NETWORK_CHANGED is a Chrome-specific error and can occur when an employee’s network connection unexpectedly changes state. As the error is tied to the browser more than the operating system, it can occur on all versions of Windows and macOS, as well as other platforms. The browser version could also be a factor, and upgrading it to the latest version should be considered.
In most cases, this is an isolated incident concerning an individual device that happens to be accessing Internet (or intranet) locations that have, for some reason, changed since the last visit. In this case, individual fixes can be applied as outlined below.
If this is a widespread incident, consider the following questions:
Has your browser been recently updated?
Has there been a change to the network resulting in a different route or path needed to be taken to the website’s destination?
Are the devices using a predefined proxy server to get to their destination?
Has the destination, usually a website, been altered or changed?
Read the suggestions below to find out how Nexthink can help solve these problems.
How to Scope this issue
The first step is to scope the issue to understand how serious or widespread the problem is.
Scoping with Applications
Using Applications Reliability dashboards, look at the various breakdowns and filter them to find correlations. For instance, specific errors could be present on:
Specific applications only
In this instance, try to understand what has changed concerning a particular web application.
Specific OS, browser version
Has the OS or browser version changed? Has the browser been updated recently? Using Nexthink, investigate the performance of various browser versions to understand if a specific version is experiencing the problem.
Specific hierarchy nodes
If an infrastructure component such as a network change, a proxy server, or something similar is causing the problem, then it is likely to be shown by a specific area in the hierarchy containing a high quantity of errors.
Specific key pages or URLs
Most likely, a change was made at the web app level. Contact the appropriate application support team and inform them of the problem.
Specific time frames only
Examine if it is a one-time event that must be investigated, or whether this is a recurring event where something on the network, e.g., corporate backup, may be altering the availability of the network.
Scoping with Nexthink Finder (classic)
Investigate the path used to access the website. This will show if the connection is affected by a company network component, i.e., proxy server or router. The employee can provide a valid business reason to request access or accept the limitation.
In this case, you can search for failed connections with the Applications console and start an investigation in Finder. By entering the web address as a criterion in Finder and checking all connections to that domain or website, Finder returns valuable insights into the scope of the issue.
If a proxy server is in question, then Nexthink Finder can help better understand if this is the root cause. Create an investigation targeted at the domain name of the application in question and note whether most of the device traffic is going through a particular proxy. It is also possible to make the proxy server the actual target of the investigation itself and then use it to show various analytics such as the number of failed requests or response times from the proxy. This approach will reveal any unexpected behaviors.
If available, reconfigure the device to an alternative proxy server. If the requested web page loads correctly, it is a good indication that the company’s proxy server may be the cause of the problem. Inform the teams responsible for the networking and proxy infrastructures within the organization of the issue and the scope of affected devices.
Possible Solutions
Fixing Employee Devices
NOTICE: Consider the scoping procedures first, see the steps above.
Be aware of the scope of impact when running corrective actions using Nexthink. If you are dealing with a single device or just a few devices, the Remote Actions can be run in the background while providing help to the affected employees or they can even be performed silently.
Should the scoping reveal that the incident is widespread, the issue will require more attention. We recommend employing Engage Campaigns to ensure that affected employees will get a visual notification of any changes being performed through remote actions at scale because employees may not be aware of the Remote Action taking place.
Refresh the page
Refreshing the page can be a quick way to fix the problem because usually, the error is a temporary one. Press CTRL+F5, which works on most browsers, or refer to your documentation if needed.
Clear cache
If the cache hasn’t been cleared for a while, some of the files within it may be corrupt. Clearing the cache can help. Select the Basic data clearing option if the user does not want to lose saved passwords and other personalized data.
Use the remote actions to clear the browser cache on Edge or Chrome (‘Clear Edge / Chrome Settings’). Clearing of the cache can be carried out remotely to assist the user.
It may also help to clear the DNS cache on the client-side in case it is trying to retrieve the page from a site that has moved. Use the Clear DNS Cache Remote Action for this test.
Update browser to the latest version
Browser breakdown in the Applications reliability dashboard allows you to quickly check if the browser version is the root cause of the problem.
If it is a browser version issue, Chrome is updated regularly, so the latest version should always be installed at the earliest opportunity.
Nexthink can perform such actions with Remote Actions to install or uninstall an application as long as the source binaries for Chrome are supplied.
Additionally, if SCCM is in use at your organization and if you have a task sequence for removing and installing your browser, then the Start Application or Task Sequence Remote Action can be used.
Flush DNS
Flushing the DNS on the device deletes the DNS cache, which then forces a new DNS lookup. If the website or page in question was recently moved to another IP address, deleting (or flushing) all DNS entries should resolve the error. Use the Remote Action Network Management.
Confirm Network Settings
Use the Remote action Get Network Configuration to confirm that the DNS settings on the devices are correct. If they are not, ensure the correct DNS settings are used (see the step above), either by renewing the DHCP lease (ipconfig /renew) if on a DHCP enabled network or by simply entering the correct DNS server settings into the IP configuration settings of the client, if they are managed locally.
Confirm correct connection configuration
It may be necessary to activate a VPN to reach the DNS Servers required for name resolution. This is especially true for remote employees wanting to connect to the company’s resources, such as the intranet. In this case, confirm with the employee that their VPN is connected, and if not, establish a connection and then check the access. If the problem has been solved, it should provide an insight into the same connection issue on other remote devices. Employees can be reached using an Engage Campaign to be reminded of this requirement.
Using a VPN or a proxy service has become a common practice now. Employees use them to change their IP addresses to access restricted websites. Connecting or disconnecting from a VPN while a web page is loading may invoke the error as the browser detects the change of the IP address when the connection changes from VPN to standard network.
Reset Google Chrome
Resetting Chrome to its default settings may help with the issue. This is done within the Advanced settings of the browser.
IMPORTANT: by resetting the web browser, all saved configurations, bookmarks, passwords, autofill forms, and similar information will be lost.
This activity can be automated using the Google Chrome Remote Action for Clear Chrome Settings.
Infrastructure fix
Website is down
Sometimes, the server or service provider hosting the website may be experiencing technical problems causing the website to be unavailable. As a quick test, try accessing the website on another device or mobile phone. If the issue persists, then it is likely that the website is unavailable. If the issue does not persist, it is a problem with the company’s connection.
VPN
Ensure that there are no issues with the VPN endpoint that employees are connecting to. Connection interruptions while an employee is loading a web page will cause the error.
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