ChatGPT is an AI language model developed by OpenAI. With its rise in popularity, more and more people are bound to explore the chatbot.
Though the system is robust, many users recently received a 'Network error' when conversing with ChatGPT. In perspective, whenever the 'Network error' is faced, it completely halts the conversation and you will need to start afresh. It can also happen when the chatbot is in the middle of a response.
It is typically observed that the issue arises when you are requesting a very long response from the Chatbot. Otherwise, there could also be an issue with your Internet connection, browser, IP address blockage, or just too much traffic that wants to access ChatGPT.
Fortunately, there are a couple of methods that you can try before you lose all hope and start afresh.
1. Check your Internet Connection
The first and foremost and probably the most elementary step – before you take the trouble troubleshooting the problem with advanced steps, make sure you are connected to the Internet.
To check simply click on the 'Wi-Fi' logo on your computer or phone and then check if you are connected to a network.
In case you are connected but are still facing a network error, head to a third-party website to check your Internet speed to ensure the connectivity is not limited. You can head to www.speedtest.net or www.fast.com using your preferred browser and perform the speed test.
If the internet connection is not the problem, go ahead with the fixes.
2. Avoid Requesting Long Responses
As stated earlier, the problem typically presents itself when you request an excessively long response from ChatGPT. A simple workaround to this problem will be to post your queries in parts.
And since ChatGPT retains the context of a previous question, this workaround should work as well as posting the whole query in a single go.
To put it in context, if you need ChatGPT to code for a particular outcome and then perform an action on that very outcome, you can simply break it down to only requesting the code and once that is finished, you can ask it to perform the desired action on it.
3. Check OpenAI Server Status
If the above method didn't resolve the issue, you should check that there's no problem with the ChatGPT servers. To check, simply head to the OpenAI status page and check if there's been any outage of service that day.
If an outage is reported, just wait till the devs fix it and once the servers are back online, it should resolve your problem automatically.
4. Clear Browser Data
If the servers aren't down and you are also connected to the Internet, there could also be an issue with your browser. As you visit websites, there are a lot of caches, cookies, and other website data being stored locally on your computer. This is used when you again visit the website; it enables websites to remember your preferences. Fortunately, clearing the data is a very simple and straightforward process.
We're demonstrating the process for the Chrome browser on a computer, but the steps are similar for other browsers. For Microsoft Edge, you can check our guide below.
Parth Sawhney
Now, from the Chrome home screen, click on the 'ellipsis' icon and then select the 'Settings' option.
After that, click on the 'Privacy & security' tab from the left sidebar.
Next, click on the 'Clear Browsing data' option. This will bring an overlay window to your screen.
After that, click on the dropdown menu and select the 'All time' option. Then, check the 'Cached images and files' along with the 'Cookies and other site data' option. Finally, click on the 'Clear Data' button to proceed.
Restart the browser and again reload ChatGPT to check if the problem has been resolved or not.
5. Disable VPN on your Computer
In case you are using VPN, it can also cause interference to the Internet connection. If VPN is the culprit, all you need to do is disable it on your computer and that would be it. The problems should resolve.
First, head to the Start Menu and click on the 'Settings' tile icon.
After that, click on the 'Network & internet' option from the left sidebar.
Then, click on the 'VPN' tile from the right section to proceed further.
Now, click on the 'Disconnect' tile on each VPN you are connected to. Once disconnected, reload the website and check if the issue has been resolved.
6. Report the Problem to OpenAI
If you have tried all the listed fixes above but still aren't able to access ChatGPT, there could be an unreported problem.
To address such a problem, head to help.openai.com using your preferred browser. After that, click on the floating icon in the bottom left corner to proceed.
Next, you can either search for the query, or you can simply send the team a message.
7. Use ChatGPT at a Later Time
If you tried every method until now but every effort was in vain, it could just be due to the fact the servers are too busy maintaining the traffic and that is why you are experiencing a network outage now and then.
A simple solution would be to check in with the chatbot at some odd hours or when things aren't that busy. Since everyone wants to experience firsthand what the AI chatbot can do, you will need to conjure all your patience and wait for your turn.
That's it, people. You should be able to fix the ChatGPT network error issue using the methods mentioned above.
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