Exploring The Most Common HTTP Errors
The errors you have seen while viewing a web page are called HTTP errors. There are variations of these errors, each coming as a result of something in the backend. Understanding what causes these errors and what you can do to fix them (if there is something you can do) will give you comfort if not an easy fix to either carry on with browsing or not waste your time waiting for the error to go away.
Since the web is designed to work by responding when it receives a request, errors appear when these requests are not processed, or when the request is not.
at all received. In this article, we will talk about the most common HTTP errors you are bound to see in this lifetime.
Most Common HTTP Errors
404 Not Found – You’ve probably seen this more times than you can remember. The error “404 Not Found” is the most common HTTP error you will see, and it often says that the web cannot find the requested URL on the server.
The reason behind this error can be pretty simple. It can simply be a mistyped URL or the URL having an extra or a missing letter or letters, or a wrong domain name. The 404 error may also be caused by a website you’re trying to access that does not exist anymore. A lot of websites come and go, and it’s not unlikely for 1 or 2 of the web pages you’re trying to visit to have completely shut down. If this is the case, there is nothing you can do but move on.
HTTP Error 403 – Another very common error you will see is the 403 – Forbidden error. It’s likely that authorization is required for the web page you are trying to view, that’s why you’re forbidden from accessing it. Despite that, it’s important to know that this is not a problem with authentication.
Possible reasons for this error are when the client’s certificate is missing, or if the server has granted access to the web page only to specific devices, but the device or machine you are using is not in this list.
How do you go about this error? Unfortunately, there is no workaround for this error except maybe using a different device, or have the site owner update the site’s file permissions.
Error 400: Bad Request – This error occurs whenever the server fails to understand what the server is requesting it to do. This has something to do with the rules of HTTP, specifically a malformed syntax.
Troubleshooting this error is possible, and since this is caused by breaking a rule or two of HTTP.sys, the process begins with capturing a network trace of the request that cannot be processed, and analyzing this to see what the request is about and re-sending it to the server.
Error 401: Authorization Required – This common error occurs when the web page you’re trying to access has an authentication system set up, therefore only clients or machines with a security certificate, or with a password, can access the web page. This type of error appears after the web page asks for a password, and a password is incorrectly typed or given.
Just like when you are logging in to any of your accounts, this error can easily be solved by using the right login credentials.
Error 408: Request Time-Out – You will see this error whenever your browser fails to send a complete request in time, which may be due to a sudden slowing down of the Internet, or a temporary surge.
The error 408 that appears on the web page may be customized. Since this error is temporary, one simple way to fix this is by hitting refresh- Ctrl + R or hitting the F5 key. By doing so, we will be sending the request again, and hopefully the temporary surge may have already passed, letting us send the request successfully.
Error 410: Gone – Just like the most common error, the Error 404, Error 410: Gone occurs when the server is unable to locate the file requested. What sets Error 410 from Error 404 is that it suggests that the condition is not temporary. This means there is no workaround on this, because the website owner has deliberately made this web page unavailable for anyone who wants to access it.
The 410 error is indicative of a completely dead website- one that you will not be able to access anymore. All links to to URL have been totally removed by the owner, so no amount of troubleshooting is going to get rid of this problem. If you are not the owner of the website, it’s best to move on to a different site.
The 500-Internal Server Error – Another popular type of error you come across one too many times. This type of error is caused primarily by an error occurring that stops the server from completing a certain request.
The Internal Server Error 500 does not give you exactly where the problem is coming from. In other words, it tells you there is an error but is not specific what it is. To fix the Error 500, the web server of an active website automates an alternative way to view a website. It may also alert the website administrators to fix the ongoing issue. Otherwise, the websites will wait for reports from users and may take a few days or weeks to fix it.
HostiServer: Help is Always at Hand
Running a website starts with a series of important steps that must not be overlooked. Unfortunately, the process doesn’t end there. As a matter of fact, it never ends. Website maintenance is and should be a constant priority as soon as your website goes live.
When users encounter an error, it may cost you more than just a few views- it may have a greater effect on your business than you would have imagined. Finding a way around these errors may be difficult for a lot of your viewers, and once you get tickets about errors such as the ones mentioned, you have to always prepare a helping hand.
You must ensure that your web hosting company offers more than just super fast VPS Hosting or a quick and easy setup meant to make your work a lot lighter, it also has to always have a technical support team on standby. It’s like knowing that whatever goes wrong, whenever, someone has your back. And this is something that has to be taken seriously.
Fortunately, HostiServer does not only brag of its amazing features that make it #1, the team behind these features also makes sure that not a single cry for help is overlooked. This is only one of the many things that set HostiServer apart from the rest, and makes it number 1.
Word travels just as fast, it seems, and more and more people who learn of HostiServer’s high-end and world-class services have been nothing but satisfied of their experience with the hosting company. Let’s take a look at some of our happiest and most satisfied customers
Unfortunately, we all are aware that nothing in technology can be expected to be perfect- there will always be errors that may leave us caught off guard, and at times, knowing how to deal with unexpected errors like the ones mentioned in this article will give you better chances of dealing with them and fixing them effectively in a timely manner, before consequences start becoming irreversible for you or your business.
HostiServer makes sure you will never have to go through such confusion or frustration when faced with difficulties in your website- they will always have a helping hand readily available for you. For quotations or answers to any of your questions, feel free to contact HostiServer.