The 401 Error is a common HTML Error Code you may encounter while surfing on the Internet. The error is usually shown because the page you are trying to access requires authentication. If you do not login with a good username and password, then you may receive this error.
The error is not standard. This means that the error can be different on just about every website. Some of the variations of the error you may see are:
- 401 Unauthorized
- Authorization Required
- HTTP Error 401 – Unauthorized
You will see the error inside the browser just like you would see any other web page you would view online.
How Do You Get a 401 Error
Again, the main reason for the error is that you are trying to access a page that takes authorization. You will see this error if you enter the wrong username an password or try to cancel on a page without entering credentials.
How to Fix the 401 Unauthorized Error
- One of the main culprits of this error is if the URL is entered incorrectly in the address bar. It could be that you typed the URL in wrong and ended up at a page that required authorization when you were not expecting that.
- If you were expecting to enter credentials, then make sure you are entering the credentials correctly. Or, go back to the homepage and login for a login box to see if you may have accidentally skipped the login screen.
- If you are sure you are doing everything correct, then you may need to contact the webmaster and let them know what is going on. they may be able to find something on their end that is causing the issue that is outside your control.
The 401 HTML Error is pretty easy to figure out, and the troubleshooting steps are pretty basic. It is typically a wrong URL, wrong credentials or just have to wait things out on the other end because something is wrong with the site. Hopefully, the steps in this article will help you understand more about the HTML 401 Error and how to correct it.
At this conjuncture, there is a difference between authorization vs authentication, but both are used by administrators to protect systems and information. For network protection, it is best to use the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) which is not a vendor-provided solution but rather a well-recognized neutral protocol that many individuals use.