Did you ever come across with a 502 Bad Gateway when you are navigating through the internet? If this error message is not familiar to you, do not fret yet, this is a rather popular one. In this article, let us discuss with you what 502 Bad Gateway error is and what could lead to such error and how it can be solved. By the end of this post, you are going to understand this type of problem better and what to do when you encounter one in the future. Let's dive in!
About a 502 Bad Gateway Error
A 502 Bad Gateway error is essentially an HTTP code that signals there’s a problem between web servers. In particular, it happens when one server which acts as an intermediary only for the client (the gateway) does not receive a timely reply from the requested server.
If so, let me explain it in a more basic way; when you attempt to open a website, your browser sends out a message to a particular type of server, called a gateway. This gateway then initiates a conversation with the target server in order to receive what is required in order to show the website. If there is an error with this communication, the gateway sends a HTTP 502 Bad Gateway message to your browser, which then shows you this message.
Possible causes of a 502 Bad Gateway Error
There are many reasons why it is possible to receive a 502 Bad Gateway error. Some of the most common causes include:
1. Server Overload: It is possible that the target server the gateway is trying to communicate with is overloaded by too many requests. This can occur if a highly visited site receives a traffic increase, or there is a problem with the server.
2. Server Misconfiguration: This kind of issue can be attributed to a configuration problem in the gateway or the target server. This could involve cases such as setting up of load balancers, firewalls, and other system that govern the communication between the servers.
3. Network Connectivity Issues: Issues involving the connection of the gateway and the target server result to a 502 error being registered. These would be attributed to problems in the network cable, routers or switches or perhaps other related connectivity challenges.
4. DNS Failures: DNS (Domain Name System) servers are the specialized servers with the task of translating the names of the web sites into IP adresses. When servers are an issue, the gateway can barely locate the target server and hence result in a 502 error.
How to fix the 502 Bad Gateway Error?
Now that you understand what a 502 Bad Gateway error is and why it occurs, let's look at some ways to resolve it:
1. Wait and Refresh the Page: In some cases a 502 error means that the web page is still having connectivity problems; in such scenarios, the user is likely to get the 502 error fixed by refreshing on the page. You should try reloading the website after a few minutes of time has passed.
2. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies: Another helpful suggestion to fix a 502 Bad Gateway error is through browsing cache and cookies support. This action gives your browser the latest information from the website that you are visiting.
3. Check for Outages: You can check whether the website you are seeking to access is online or not from a website such as Downdetector or Down For Everyone Or Just Me. So, what often is an issue on the side of the users, might be in reality a problem on the website side.
4. Disable Browser Extensions: Adding on to that, browser extensions may hinder your chances of being able to open a particular website. You should perhaps try uninstalling any additions you have made to the browser and see whether the problem persists.
5. Contact Website Support: Reporting the problem to the support team of the website under consideration should be attempted if all the above steps are not effective. They can inform you if they know about the problem or offer further solutions for its solving.
Conclusion
Sure, a 502 Bad Gateway error is a bit of a headache and worst of all, there are some moments when it is almost impossible to escape this error. You should also pause and wait for two minutes then try to refresh the particular page, delete cookies, cache, and browsing history, check whether it is the server problem or not and do disable any third-party browser extensions and at last, you should contact with the support team of the website. If you follow this article, you will be in more comfortable circumstances when encountering a 502 Bad Gateway error.