Connection

Error messages

Outlined below is a list of common error messages, along with possible solutions to the problems.

400 - Bad Request

Problem: There's a problem with the address you entered or maybe it no longer exist.

Solution: Check the address carefully. Make sure that the slashes are correct (they should be forward slashes) and that all the names have a correct spelling. Web addresses are case sensitive, so check that the names are capitalised in your entry as they are in the original reference to the website.

404 - Not Found

Problem: Either the web page no longer exists on the server or it is nowhere to be found.

Solution: Check the address carefully and trying entering it again. You might also see if the site has a search engine and if so, use it to hunt for the document. (It's not uncommon for pages to change their addresses when a site is redesigned.) To get to the home page of the site, delete everything after the domain name and hit the 'Enter' or 'Return' key. For example, if the address is: http://www.supanet.com/diy/diy_story.html remove: /diy/diy_story.html.

500 - Internal Server Error

Problem: The Web server has tried to run a program to make the web page you've requested but it has crashed.

Solution: Often this is a temporary problem so try clicking the Reload or Refresh button. If this fails you can try again later as the site owners may need time to fix the problem.

691 - Cannot establish a dial-up connection

Problem: An invalid username and password has been entered. Solution: Check you are entering the correct name and password, type it in lower case and make sure there are no spaces.

Connection refused by host

Problem: Your password is incorrect or you don't have permission to access the page.

Solution: Re-type your password if you think you should have access.

Failed DNS lookup

Problem: DNS stands for the Domain Name System, which is the system that looks up the name of a website, then directs your request to the appropriate web server on the internet. When the lookup fails, the host server can't be located.

Solution: Try clicking on the Reload or Refresh button on your browser toolbar. If this doesn't work, check the address and re-enter. If all else fails, try again later.

File contains no data

Problem: The page you are trying to look at has nothing in it.

Solution: Check the address and enter it again. If you get the same error message, try again later.

Host unavailable

Problem: The Web server is down.

Solution: Try hitting the Reload or Refresh button. If this doesn't solve matters then try again later.

Host unknown

Problem: The URL or web address you have typed in doesn't match the name of any web servers known, the site may have moved or you may have been disconnected from the internet.

Solution: Try hitting the Reload or Refresh button and check to see that you are still online. If this fails, try using a search engine to find the site as it could have a new address. Don't type in the original URL as you know this doesn't work. Instead, type a description of the website.

Network connection refused by the server

Problem: The web server is busy.

Solution: Try again in a while.

Unable to locate host

Problem: The web server is down or you've been disconnected from the internet.

Solution: Try clicking on the Reload or Refresh button and check to see that you are still online.

Unable to locate server

Problem: The web server is out-of-business or you may have entered the address incorrectly.

Solution: Check the address and re-enter it.