A little while ago, you were trying to load a website and instead of seeing the site you expected, you got this error message instead: HTTP Error 503. What did that mean? Well, you probably couldn’t find out from the error message itself, so here’s what this code means and how to fix it!
What is an HTTP Error 503?
HTTP Error 503 is a server-side error that’s related to HTTP status codes. The error occurs when you encounter network issues or an overloaded server while trying to access a website. Because of how HTTP works, there isn’t much you can do about it other than wait for your internet service provider (ISP) or server host to fix their end of things.
Causes of HTTP Error 503
Here are the most common ways you might see the “service unavailable” error:
- Server “down” for Maintenance
Ongoing server maintenance for example during a plugin, theme, or software update can cause this HTTP error 503.
- Technical Difficulties
Technical trouble encountered by the host company can also be the cause of the HTTP error 503. This results in a communication blockade between a server and the website.
- Server Inadequacy
The incapacity of the server to support an overwhelming number of users due to an abrupt increase in traffic can also cause this HTTP error 503. The sudden rise in traffic takes the server off-guard and throws it offline.
- Inaccurate DNS Configuration
A consistent HTTP error 503 can show on account of a faulty Domain Name System (DNS) configuration. It is the DNS that converts a web address to its corresponding IP address. It is the DNS servers that establish a connection between the domain name and IP address.
How to Fix an HTTP Error 503?
Since you often can’t be sure what caused the 503 error in any given situation, you’ll need to go about troubleshooting it methodically. The following sections help to fix the 503 error:
Section 1: Refresh the page
To do this, click on the refresh button next to your browser’s address bar or use the [F5] key or the [Ctrl] + [R] key combination.
Section 2: Restart your device
You can turn to this option if you suspect that the cause of the error may be inaccurate DNS configurations. The reason to think so can be the message like this ‘Service Unavailable – DNS Failure’ that appears when you enter a site. All you have to do in this case is restart your desktop or mobile device and router.
Section 3: Check your firewall settings.
WAF (web application firewall) monitors, filters, and blocks data packets that travel to and from your website. It protects your site from malicious visitors or DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks. Sometimes, your firewall can be incorrectly configured, provoking an Error 503. Examine your firewall settings to fix the issue.
To know more follow: http error 503. the service is unavailable.
Section 4: Changing Your DNS Servers
503 errors can be caused by issues on your DNS servers. There are publicly available DNS addresses that you can change yours to. The most used one is Google’s. Here’s how you change your DNS address:
- Open the Control Panel. Choose “Network and Sharing Center” (If you can’t find it, make sure that you’re on the small icon view type)
- On the left side, choose “Change adapter settings”
- Right-click on your wi-fi connection and choose “properties”
- Scroll down to “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and click on “Properties”
- Then, choose “Use the following DNS server addresses” and set your preferred DNS server to “8.8.8.8” and your alternate DNS address to be “8.8.4.4”. These addresses are Google’s DNS addresses
- Click “OK” and restart your computer