At some point during your browsing sessions, you might have experienced or encountered a 502 Error. A 502 Bad Gateway Error happens when you attempt to visit a certain website page then one web server doesn’t get a valid response from another webserver to reply to your initial request.
Mostly, this error occurs due to an issue with the website you are requesting access to, therefore, you cannot do much from your end. However, apart from the webserver invalid response and website issues, this error may occur due to a problem in your computer or a networking device that you might be using.
What is a 502 Badway Gateway Error?
A 502 Bad Gateway Error actually means that the web server that you have made a connection with is just acting as a proxy to relay information from another server but there is no link between them hence producing an invalid response to your request,
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in other words, this error occurs when the web server you are connected to serves a bridge that helps you to obtain information from another web server but there is no valid connection or response. It is mostly known as the 502-error reason being that it is an HTTP status code that web servers use to recount on this type of error.
The 502-error invalid response can be caused by a number of factors. Sometimes they happen because the server is experiencing overload or there are network-related problems between the two servers.
This kind of bad response can also occur due to improper or incorrect configurations on the firewalls. Additionally, when a web developer makes an error on the code, you may also experience this kind of error therefore, there is nothing you can do from your end, the only way it can be resolved is when these mentioned causes are fully addressed.
This kind of error can be customized by the web developers just like the 404 errors. It is possible to encounter this invalid response message displayed with different names to mean the same thing.
The 502 error may be displayed differently on websites, for example, Gmail and Google Search displays the “Server Error” message on your screen and even “502” sometimes; therefore, you should look out for the following list of things that you might come across with;
- Temporary Error (502)
- HTTP 502
- 502 Server Error: The server encountered a temporary error and could not complete your request
- HTTP Error 502 Bad Gateway
- 502 Bad Gateway Nginx
- 502 Service Temporarily Overloaded
How to Fix The 502 Bad Gateway Error
This kind of error mostly occurs because the server-side is experiencing problems, therefore there is nothing you can do from your end if that is the case. A number of times, it may be a temporary error and sometimes it’s not. However, there are a number of ways you can try to fix the error from your end. You can try the following list of methods to solve the issue;
Refreshing the web page or URL
Most of the times when you experience the 502 error, refreshing the web page can do the magic because a number of times this error may just be a temporary issue. Many browsers that are commonly used are designed to make your work easier and mostly use the F5 key on your computer’s keyboard or use the embedded refresh button on the browser which is located around the address bar.
If you are a Mac person, then reload or refresh the page by simultaneously pressing the Ctrl + R keys on your keyboard. This method may not fix the problem sometimes but it’s worth the short since it’s just a one-second procedure.
Confirm if the site is down for everyone
Sometimes you may be hard on yourself trying to fix the problem thinking that your internet service provider is failing you, but maybe that’s not the case. You might be experiencing the same problem that others are also experiencing, reason being, the site is down for everyone.
And if everyone cannot access the site, that means it’s temporarily available or the problem is not coming from your end, therefore, you can always try after some time. But how can you be sure that it’s not just you experiencing the problem? It is very rare for a site to be down for everyone but you cannot rule it out since it is very possible to happen.
There are a number of tools that you can use to confirm this issue, you can visit the following website links and plug in the URL that you are trying to reach but you are getting a bad response.
isitdownrightnow.com
downforeveryoneorjustme.com
After searching the web URL to confirm its availability, you will get results that indicate the website name and the URL checked as well as the response time and the last time it was down.
Try using another browser for your session
The browser you are using might be the reason why you are getting the 502 Bad Gateway error, therefore, you can opt to use other alternative browsers to confirm if it will work. There are a number of browsers available, such browsers include;
Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Opera, Internet Explorer or Apple Safari. After you open the other browser, you can plug in the URL or name of the website you are trying to reach and see if you are still getting the error.
If there is no error on the new browser, well and good, however, that means there is a problem with your initial browser, therefore you can try other methods of troubleshooting and if there is an error also in the new browser, that only means that there is another problem preventing you from accessing the information from that webpage or website, therefore, you can opt for other solutions or even trying to reinstall your browser.
Start a New Browser Session
Starting a new browser session is simple yet a perfect way to troubleshoot for this kind of error since there is a possibility the 502 Error might have been caused by your computer during some browser sessions some time back.
To achieve this process, start by closing all opened windows on the browser and open a new session or new window and plug in the URL of the webpage you want to reach or search the website name and open.
Alternatively, a perfect restart can also be achieved easily by simply ending all of the browser’s sessions using the task manager to End Tasks or end all the sessions or processes that your browser might be running.
If you are planning to use the Task Manager, simultaneously press the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys on your keyboard, select the Task Manager option and proceed by ending any task related to the browser you are using.
There is also an alternative if you opt to open a new session while within the browser after closing all the sessions that were active, simply press the Ctrl + N keys on your keyboard. You may also try a simple restart of the program by exiting the browser and when the browser prompts you to restore the previously opened sessions, you deny it that chance.
Clear your Browser’s Cache
A web cache is sort of a technology used to temporarily store images and other web multimedia as well as storing web pages and web documents to minimize server lag. That said, your browser may be working with outdated cached files or even corrupted files hence causing the 502 Bad Gateway Error.
A cached file can be corrupted, and it may result from a virus or harmful malware, other browser malfunctions or even when a browser crashes. Cached files are just like junk files, and they can be safely done away with to free space as well as solve the 502 Error.
The perfect way to handle such a case is by removing and clearing the cached files In most browsers, simply open the settings of your browser, and click on the Privacy and Security options and select the cache option to clear then proceed by plugging in the URL of the website or webpage to confirm if the problem still exists. If the problem is still there after trying this method, proceed to another alternative solution.
Clear Your Browser’s Cookies
Cookies are also another technology used to store data. An HTTP cookie is just like a very small piece of information or data that originates from a website and stored on the computers with the aid of a browser.
In other words, it’s a small piece of data containing your browsing activity that is sent by the website you are accessing to your computer’s browser for storage purposes. Cookies can also cause the 502 Bad Gateway Error. The cookie sent from the browser might be corrupt if a virus is embedded in it, or get corrupted over time when your browser is attacked.
It is also possible for the cookie to be outdated as time goes by. Fixing this kind of issue when the cookies are presumed to be the cause is also another easy task. In most browsers, simply open the settings of your browser, and click on the Privacy and Security options and select the cookies option to clear then proceed by plugging in the URL of the website or webpage to confirm if the problem still exists. If the problem is not resolved after trying this method, opt for an alternative solution.
Check Your Plugins and Extensions
Many people are fond of an extension or different extensions to give a helping hand in specific purposes, therefore, if you are planning to troubleshoot for this kind of error, you should note that these extensions have the ability to bring about the 502 Error.
If this is the case, then disabling the extensions would be a very perfect way of troubleshooting. After disabling all the extensions try opening the webpage that you wanted to reach and note the changes, if the error disappears, it only proves that the extensions or one of the extensions was responsible for the 502 error, therefore, you can proceed by enabling the plugins or extensions one by one to root out the specific culprit or culprits.
Start your browser in safe mode
This can be a great method to solve the 502 error, that said, if you are using either Firefox, Chrome or Internet Explorer you can simply run the browser in safe mode by simply clicking on the menu bar and selecting the New Private Window option (Firefox), sometimes it’s called the New Incognito Window (Chrome) or even InPrivate Browsing on Internet Explorer. In a nutshell, the safe mode option may be different depending on the browser you are using.
Resetting your web browser to default settings
This method is also another great solution to solve the 502 error. You might have tried to use the above steps and still experiencing the same issue. This method makes sure that the original or default settings are restored, in other words, it is like you are giving your browser a new or original setting.
A default setting means that if you had plugins, add-ons, extensions, cached files or even cookies, they are all gone. You should also note that if you had passwords stored for easy access on the web pages that require login credentials, they will be removed too. On most browsers, the reset feature is easy to find since the naming options slightly vary, just like when you say daddy to mean father, but in our case, restore to mean reset.
For example, if you are using Chrome, to achieve this process, start by simply clicking on the menu icon or menu bar and proceed by selecting the Settings option sometimes the setting option is represented by a Settings icon which you can open without the need of the menu bar, this depends on the browser you are using. Continue by scrolling down in the Settings window and click on the Advanced option, after that, choose the reset or restore options on the expanded windows that are displayed. After resetting your browser, open it again and try to see if the problem is gone.
Restart your computer
Restarting your computer is always the easiest and one of the most used methods of troubleshooting any problem that might be causing errors. You might have tried several websites and none are responding to your queries, therefore, restarting your computer would be a very good option to try out. Some of the temporary problems related to your computer and its ability to connect to a network can result in a 502 error.
Restart your networking devices
After confirming that the error is just coming from your end and it’s only happening in your browser you might want to consider this alternative. You may be using a router, a modem, a switch or other networking devices to assist you in obtaining a network connection, therefore, restarting them or switching them off for some small period of time might help solve the 502 error since the devices may possibly be the cause of this error.
You might also be using a number of them and you might be worried about which one you would start with, no need to worry since that is not a big deal, just switch all of them and turn them on one by one until you get back your network connection. After your connection is live, try accessing the webpage that was producing the 502 error and see if the problem is solved. If there is no error, then it only proves that one of the networking devices was responsible for the error. If the problem persists you can opt for another solution instead.
Change your DNS Servers
Changing your DNS servers is not a method to consider but a worthy one when it comes to fixing this type of error. Sometimes DNS related issues can be the root cause of 502 errors. Changing the DNS servers is not rocket science but it’s not recommended unless you changed them earlier by yourself.
DNS servers are probably set by the Internet Service Providers so that you don’t have to experience the hassle of setting them by yourself. You can opt for third-party DNS servers like Google DNS and Open DNS if you decide to change them to help solve the 502 Bad Gateway Error. Changing in DNS servers is beneficial in some ways especially if you want to obtain or attain reliability and better speed.
Download Software Update 1 for Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway (TMG) 2010 Service Pack 1
It is very important for you to note that this is not a common method of resolving this kind of error. This solution is only applicable to a certain situation, that, said, you can only use this method when you have the MS Forefront TMG SP1 program installed in your computer and receive an invalid request that shows a message like this of “Error Code: 502 Proxy Error. The network login failed. (1790).” Or a similar variation of the message when you try to access a certain website or webpage. This kind of 502 error can be a result of malfunctioning or outdated versions of this program or the current service pack you are using and can be resolved by simply downloading the software update of this service pack.
Contacting the Website for support
Sometimes a direct contact with the website support for the website you are trying to reach is the best method that you can try. Nowadays, websites have social media platforms that you can use to contact them in case there is an issue with their website and some have emails which are a perfect accessory for communication, you can even attach a screenshot of the message error and email it to them, Additionally, there also telephone numbers that you can call and get help.
You might have already tried a bunch of solutions and it’s like you are almost giving up but that should not be the case. Sometimes you may be experiencing the 502 error and you have tried a number of options to solve the 502 Bad Gateway Error, it’s okay to assume that the website administrators are working fast as they can to bring their services back especially if the error is coming from their end.
You can always let them know about the problem since it will make it easy to work on it considering the feedback from the users. For a popular website or webpage, you can check the trending stories on twitter or searching #websitedown, in an example, if Facebook is down, you search #facebookdown when you suspect that it is down,
Contacting your Internet Service Provider
Sometimes everything might be okay from your end and you are losing your patience but a simple contact to your Internet Service Provider may come to the rescue. There are cases whereby the Internet Service Provider is responsible for this kind of error, therefore, considering this option can save you a great deal.
This option is favourable especially when your browser, computer and network devices don’t have issues and you might have tried to contact the website for support but they assured you that the webpage is up and running from their end. Therefore, the 502 error may be caused by the Internet Service Provider and contacting them is the best way you can go with to solve the error.
Trying Again Later
This is the last option you may want to consider especially when you are out of patience. When you reach a point whereby you have tried several methods and certain that the ISP or website network is responsible for the error, then taking some time to wait for the party or parties involved to work on solving the problem will be the only option left since there is nothing more left for you to do on your end.
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Conclusion
Sometimes it is very frustrating when you experience or encounter the 502 Bad Gateway Error during your browsing sessions. There are several methods that you can try in solving this kind of error. If you are certain that a specific problem may be causing the error then your work will even be easier, but the best method you can always start with is checking your network connection then proceed by confirming whether the website is down for everyone.
These solutions only save you the trouble of performing the other methods described above since you will be sure that there is nothing much you can do from your end, however, if that is not the case, trying the solutions above will help you sort out this issue. The best way to go about these solutions is by trying them one by one so that you can isolate the culprit that is responsible for this kind of error. With the above methods, it is certain that the 502 Bad Gateway Error will be resolved.
