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MJ's avatar
MJ
New Contributor
12 years ago

Webmail Login Error Message "404 Bad Request"

On 2013 Feb 7, I reported by telephone to Mike (Ticket #1463491) at Cox Tech Support that I had started getting a "404 Bad Request" error message whenever I attempted to log into Webmail using the Safari browser.  I previously had years of reasonable success accessing Webmail using Safari and had not recently changed anything on my computer.  There were no other problems accessing other internet sites and pages.  Mike told me this error code indicated a problem with my computer.  Mike told me to reset Safari.  This fix worked, but required that I reset Safari every time I wanted to log into Webmail.  I was also informed that I might try using a different browser.

I was suspicious of this explanation, so I tried using other computers and browsers to access Webmail.  On a Windows machine using Internet Explorer, I found that I consistently had to try twice to get logged into Webmail.  However, I did not get the "404" error message.  On a newer Mac using Safari, I repeatedly had the same result with the "404 Bad Request" message which would only go away after resetting Safari.  Resetting Safari also meant I had to identify my location every time I logged into Webmail.  I loaded Google's Chrome browser onto this newer Mac and was able to log into Webmail without any problems.

I called Cox Tech Support back on 2013 Feb 12 to report the results of my investigation.  I spoke to Brett, gave him my report and told Brett how unhappy I was with the poor technical support previously provided.  Brett had no response to offer.  I hung up in disgust and started thinking seriously about finding another internet service provider or switching to a different mail service.  This thought was reinforced every time I had to restart Safari in order to access Webmail.

Suddenly, about a week ago, a month after the trouble first started, I tried logging into Webmail without resetting Safari and found to my surprise that the dreaded "404 Bad Request" message did not appear and I was logged in just like the good old days.  So far, the problem has not recurred.

Do you think the real problem was with Cox or with my computer?

5 Replies

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  • MJ's avatar
    MJ
    New Contributor

    ChrisL:  Thanks for taking time to look into this.  I don't understand how Safari could be the sole culprit because of the fact that I was simultaneously having difficulty logging into Webmail on a different computer using Internet Explorer.  Granted, I didn't get the "404" error message using IE but still it was only evident when trying to log into Cox Webmail.  Also, why did the problem suddenly go away on all of the three computers I was using if it was solely a Safari issue?  I'm not technically qualified to assess router behavior, but I don't think there were any changes to my computer set up during the time period when this problem surfaced and then disappeared.  Thus, I'm still suspicious of the problem being associated with Cox's system.

  • ChrisL's avatar
    ChrisL
    Former Moderator

    The problem as referenced in that link I provided had nearly identical symptoms with another service provider so I don't believe it was us.  The use of a router or some other gateway device for purposes of sharing the Internet seems to be common so that could have been a contributing factor.  In many cases simply power cycling your router can correct a lot of issues that arise.

  • MJ's avatar
    MJ
    New Contributor

    ChrisL:  I should have explained further . . . I was using three different computers at three different locations on three totally separate router systems, so it seems unlikely this was a problem with just a single router.  The report that the identical problem occurred with another service provider is curious, but my technical capacities don't allow me to even speculate on an explanation for that.  Anyway, the problem has not yet returned.  I've been good for over a week now. 

  • ChrisB's avatar
    ChrisB
    Community Manager

    Thanks for reporting back MJ.  Let us know if you start having issues again.