How to Fix Cloudflare 522 Error ?

Cloudflare 522 Error ? is an HTTP status code that indicates a connection issue where the origin server doesn’t reply, often seen with CDN services like Cloudflare.

Connection between cloudfare server and origin server got interrupted or not connected. Connection failure.

It happens when Cloudflare can’t get a response from your site within the expected timeframe.

Here in this article we will know about the Cloudflare 522 Error and what cause and how to fix it.

What is a Cloudflare 522 Error ?

Cloudflare is a content delivery network (CDN) service that accelerates and secures website connections. However, when a website’s origin server fails to respond within a certain timeframe, users encounter an error code called Cloudfare 522 error. This error code is often accompanied by the message Connection timed out or Cloudflare error 522.

The 522 error occurs when the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) handshake between the web server and a website that uses Cloudflare as the CDN fails.

These are the steps in this three-way handshake:

1. Cloudflare initiates a connection request by sending a packet with the SYN (Synchronize) flag to the origin server.

2. The origin server receives the packet and acknowledges the connection request by sending the SYN-ACK packet to Cloudflare.

3. Cloudflare receives the SYN-ACK packet. To confirm the connection and complete the handshake, the CDN is expected to respond with the packet with the ACK (Acknowledgement) flag.

The ACK flag confirms that the Handshake is a success and that the communication continues.

However, if the origin server does not respond with SYN-ACK in time and the packet fails to reach Cloudflare, the CDN does not send the ACK signal, resulting in an unsuccessful handshake.

Cloudflare returns a 522 error to the user’s browser, indicating that the connection has timed out and the server is unable to establish a connection with the website.

What Causes of a 522 error ?

The unsuccessful handshake is the main cause of error 522. However, the server’s slow response time has various reasons. The most common causes of the 522 error are:

• Slow or unstable internet. Network connectivity issues and latency are caused by incorrect DNS settings, issues with the client’s Internet Service Provider (ISP), or a blocked/limited connection by the client’s firewall or other security software.
• Server overload. If the server is experiencing high traffic or undergoing maintenance or updates, it cannot respond in time.
• Offline server. The server won’t complete the TCP handshake with the client if it’s offline or unresponsive due to misconfiguration.
• SSL certificate issues. When an SSL certificate is expired, invalid, or revoked, the browser does not trust it, and as a result, does not establish a secure connection with the server.
• Routing problems. If the traffic is being routed through an unreliable or congested network, the handshake fails.

Fix: How to fix a 522 error ?

Following is the few points to fix this 522 error.

1.Optimize the Origin Server

The origin sever which hosts the website plays a crucial role while delivering contents to visitor’s overloading leads to slow or unresponsive servers causing the 522 error.

• Check the server’s CPU and memory usage. Upgrade to a higher capacity server or add more resources to the existing one if the server is overloaded.
• Monitor network bandwidth and web traffic to identify potential bottlenecks
• Review and optimize database queries.
• Reduce the size of website files, images, and scripts.
• Monitor the network connection between the origin server and Cloudflare to ensure that the server is accessible from Cloudflare’s network

2: Check the Firewall Settings
Firewalls sometimes block traffic from Cloudflare, which causes the 522 error.

3: Customize DNS/IP Settings
Incorrect DNS configuration is one of the causes of the cloudfare 522 error. To review Cloudflare DNS settings and fix potential issues

4: Check for SSL Certificate Issues
A valid and up-to-date SSL certificate is essential to prevent the Cloudflare 522 error

5: Turn on KeepAlive
KeepAlive is a header that maintains a constant connection between a client and a server. Both Cloudflare and the origin web server use KeepAlive.

To fix error 522, adjust the KeepAlive setting in the web server’s configuration file, by adding the following:

KeepAlive On

6: Check the Cloudflare Configuration
Review the Cloudflare configuration to ensure that it is set up correctly and that no issues are causing the 522 error

7: Enable Cloudflare’s Under Attack Mode
If the issues persist even after following the steps above, enable the Cloudflare Under Attack mode. This security feature enhances the protection against DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks and helps mitigate the 522 error.

1. Choose the website for which you want to enable the Under Attack mode.

2. Navigate to the menu at the top of the page.

3. Select the Overview tab.

Scroll down to the Quick Actions section.

5. Click the DNS Settings tab.

6. Toggle the I’m Under Attack switch.