Troubleshooting the “Your Connection is Not Private” Error

In the world of technology, encountering unexpected issues can be both frustrating and ironic. I’ve spent nearly three years in technical support, yet I recently faced a perplexing problem that left me scratching my head. While browsing through various websites, I encountered a persistent error message stating:

“Your connection is not private. Attackers might be trying to steal your information from [URL] (for example, passwords, messages, or credit cards). Learn more”

This message was accompanied by the error code: NET::ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID.

The curious part? My Wi-Fi connection worked perfectly fine—only my Ethernet connection was problematic. After much trial and error, I decided to compile a list of the troubleshooting steps I took to rectify the issue.

Troubleshooting Steps Taken

1. Adjusted Date and Time Settings: Ensuring the correct date and time is crucial for security certificates.
2. Cleared Cache and Cookies: I tried accessing websites in Incognito mode to eliminate any cached data issues.
3. Tested with Different Browsers: Switching browsers can sometimes reveal whether the problem is browser-specific.
4. Executed Winsock Reset and DNS Flush: These commands can help restore network protocols to their default state.
5. Restarted Router and Changed Ports: I attempted various ports in case the issue stemmed from the connection itself.
6. Manually Set IP and DNS: Specifying these settings sometimes resolves connectivity issues.
7. Checked Proxy Settings: Ensuring no unnecessary proxy settings were affecting the connection.
8. Cleared SSL State: This can help address any SSL certificate problems.
9. Reinstalled Network Drivers: Updating drivers can resolve compatibility and performance issues.
10. Modified Chrome Shortcut to Ignore Certificate Errors: A temporary workaround to bypass certificate warnings.
11. Reviewed Anti-virus and Windows Defender Settings: Ensured these were not blocking the connection.

My setup includes an Asus B450-F Gaming motherboard with a Ryzen 2700x CPU, running Windows 10 x64 (v1809), alongside a Gigabyte RTX 2080 GPU. The connection is direct from my PC to the router, making the issue particularly perplexing.

Resolution

After exhausting all traditional methods, I stumbled upon the solution: flashing the router to the latest firmware and resetting it to factory defaults. This straightforward step resolved the error, allowing