Common Client and Server Errors

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400 Codes
The 400 codes are intended for cases in which the client (your browser--Mosaic, Netscape, Internet Explorer, etc) seems to have caused some sort of problem when asking the server for an html document.

400 - Bad request
PROBLEM:  There's something wrong with the URL you typed.  The server you're contacting may not recognize the document you're asking for, maybe it doesn't exist, or maybe you're not authorized to access it.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION(S):  Check the URL.  Pay close attention to uppercase and lowercase letters, colons, and slashes.  You may have miscopied a URL and mixed up some lowercase and uppercase letters.  A convention some sites observe is to use an initial capital letter on directory names, but not filenames (all lowercase.)

401 - Unauthorized
PROBLEM:  You may be attempting to access a site that's protected and you are not on the server's authorization list.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION(S):  If you are suposed to be able to access this server, check that you have typed your password correctly.  Passwords are often case-sensitive.  Check that your Caps Lock is off.  Some sites also put a block on certain domain types.  For example, you may not be able to access a .mil site unless your domain is .gov or another .mil site. The Server may also be expecting your browser (Mosaic, Netscape, Internet Explorer, etc) to send some sort of encryption id.  When it does not recieve one, the server sends the 403 error message.

403 - Forbidden
PROBLEM:  You access the requested document, probably because you do not have read privleges, it's blocked to your domain, or it's password-protected.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION(S):  If you have a valid login ID and a password, try again.  (See the comments about the CAPS LOCK above.)  Contact the site's Webmaster if you have typed everything correctly and still can't sign on.  In all other cases, you cannot access this document until you receive privleges to do so from the server administrator(s).

404 - Not found
PROBLEM:  The server that hosts the site can't find the HTML document referenced by the URL you typed.  It may be a simple case of a mistyped URL, but it may also mean that the document doesn't exist anymore.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION(S):  The article or document you are trying to reach may have been changed or removed from the server, or the site itself no longer exists on that server.  A Web page may have been removed or changed, but the site may still there.  Remove the ending of the URL, for example: <http://www.sitename.com/mypage.html> into <http://www.sitename.com/>, then press the reload button on your browser.  This will show if the site no longer exists, or if just the document has been changed/removed.  Another possibility could be that the site is temporarily down for maintenance.

500 Codes
The 500 codes are intended for instances when the server software (Apache, NCSA HTTPD, Netsite, etc.) running on the site that you are contacting is having a problem sending you the html document.

500 - Internal Error
PROBLEM:  The server was unable to send the html document to you due to an internal (server software) error.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION(S):  The server administrator may have to fix the software on the server before this request can be processed.  You may need to check back later or e-mail the administrator so he or she knows a problems exists. 501 - Not implemented
PROBLEM:  This commonly occurs when the server cannot find the Web site address you are looking for.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION(S):  Double check the URL you entered for errors.  You may have switched or forgotten characters.  This error may occur when you press the submit button on a form.  The server replys with this error message because it's software dosen't support the feature that you have requested.  This typically occurs when new features or forms are implemented.

502 - Service Temporarily Overloaded
PROBLEM:  The server cannot process the request due to a high load (whether HTTP servicing or other requests from users).

POSSIBLE SOLUTION(S):  The server may be so busy with requests from other users it cannot process your request at this time.  The solution is to try back later at a time when network (internet) load is lower.

503 - Service Unavailable
PROBLEM:    You cannot access the pages you requested and you cannot access the server.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION(S):  Your access provider's server may be down, your company's gateway (the connection between the LAN and the Internet) may be broken or timed-out, or your own system isn't working.  Try accessing the page or service in a few minutes. If the error persists, inform the system adnministrator of the problem.  Time-outs can occur due to server problems, net problems or client problems.  Once again, you may need to contact the system administrator to identify this as a problem.

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