A browser tool for a local device or companion application may need to reach something on your own computer or network. Chrome can ask for Local network access before allowing that connection. The request deserves an explanation tied to the task you initiated.

Identify both ends of the connection

Read the website address in the prompt and compare it with the tool you intentionally opened. Check the vendor’s instructions for the expected local device or installed companion application. A random shopping or news page asking for network access is a different situation from a documented device-setup tool.

Record the target you expect to reach, such as the named office device or a vendor-supported local application. Do not assume the wording refers only to the internet connection. Chrome’s documentation includes local network addresses and services on the same computer within the protected scope.

If the purpose is unclear, decline the request and ask the site owner to explain it. For an approved work tool, have the administrator confirm any managed-browser policy before changing permissions.

Test one intended function

When access is appropriate, allow it for the verified site and repeat the documented discovery or connection step. Check that the tool identifies the correct device. A successful permission prompt does not prove that the device is online, the companion application is running or the chosen network is correct.

If the connection still fails, record the browser message and the vendor tool’s result separately. Avoid switching off the firewall, weakening certificate checks or enabling experimental flags to make the message disappear.

Review the site’s permission through Chrome’s site-information control and Site settings. Remove access when the task no longer requires it, then check whether a later legitimate use asks again as expected. This permission is separate from marking a Windows network Public or Private; changing one is not a substitute for understanding the other.

Sources: Chrome documentation, Chrome documentation.