What is the name of the domain?
iamvishnu.com
What is the issue you’re encountering
Chrome Fails to Load Apex Domain When Orange Cloud Is Enabled (UAE Region)
What steps have you taken to resolve the issue?
Solution: disabled Proxy (orange cloud) in the apex domain (and pointed to Netlify IP).
Problem Summary:
When my apex domain is proxied via Cloudflare (orange cloud enabled), Chrome consistently fails to load the site in the UAE. The issue presents as:
- Chrome hanging indefinitely, sometimes showing ERR_TIMED_OUT
- “Not Secure” briefly in the address bar before timeout
- Applies to Chrome on desktop, mobile, irrespective of Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, or MacOS.
- Chrome Version 136.0.7103.93 (Official Build) (arm64)
Works fine in:
- Chrome outside UAE (tested in India)
- All other browsers (Firefox, Safari) in all regions including UAE
- When Cloudflare proxy is disabled (gray cloud)
What feature, service or problem is this related to?
I don’t know
What are the steps to reproduce the issue?
Environment
- Domain:
iamvishnu.com(apex, tried both CNAME flattening and Netlify’s IP) - Hosting: any - CF Pages or Netlify (both static site)
- SSL mode: Full (Strict)
- Cloudflare DNS: Enabled
- Proxy (Orange Cloud): Enabled = problem, Disabled = works
- Tested from: UAE, India, via Chrome and Firefox
Settings tested:
- Opportunistic Encryption: enabled/disabled — no effect
- HTTP/3 and QUIC: enabled/disabled — no effect
- DNS flushed in Chrome via chrome://net-internals — no effect
Notes:
- The issue is not with the Netlify origin or its certificate. When bypassing Cloudflare (gray cloud), the site loads instantly in Chrome UAE.
- The problem seems tied to TLS handshake or QUIC/HTTP3 behavior between Cloudflare’s UAE PoP and Chrome.
- DNS and SSL are properly configured; Netlify’s SSL certificate is valid and served correctly when Cloudflare is bypassed.
Please investigate:
- Whether Cloudflare’s UAE edge (PoP) has known instability or TLS issues with Chrome
- Whether apex domain proxying introduces specific problems in QUIC/TLS negotiation
- If there are workarounds to maintain Cloudflare proxying without breaking Chrome in this region.