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ProtocolCodes
502
SIP

502 Bad Gateway

The server, acting as a gateway or proxy, received an invalid response from a downstream server it accessed in attempting to fulfill the request.

On this page

When You See This Code

When a SIP proxy receives a malformed or invalid response from the next-hop server. Common in interop scenarios between different vendors.

How to Fix

Check the downstream server's health and configuration. Verify SIP message formatting between the two servers. Review network connectivity.

Specification

View RFC / Specification →

Cross-Protocol Equivalents

HTTP 502 Bad Gateway

Compare With

100 Trying 180 Ringing 181 Call Is Being Forwarded 182 Queued 183 Session Progress 199 Early Dialog Terminated 200 OK 202 Accepted 204 No Notification 300 Multiple Choices 301 Moved Permanently 302 Moved Temporarily

Guides

401 Unauthorized vs 403 Forbidden: When to Use Each Security & Authentication
SIP Response Codes: Understanding VoIP Call Flow Real-Time Protocols
SIP Call Flow: Understanding Session Setup Real-Time Protocols
WebRTC Signaling with SIP and WebSocket Real-Time Protocols
RFC 3261: SIP Protocol Deep Dive Protocol Deep Dives
TLS 1.3: Faster, Simpler, More Secure Protocol Deep Dives

Glossary

Status Code Request Method (HTTP Verb) TLS Handshake Authentication TCP/IP Port Number NAT (Network Address Translation) Socket Request-Response Model RFC (Request for Comments) Connection-Oriented Full-Duplex SRV Record SIP Dialog Signaling SIP Registrar STUN (Session Traversal Utilities for NAT) TURN (Traversal Using Relays around NAT) SDP (Session Description Protocol) SIP INVITE SIP Proxy Server SIP Redirect Server SIP Transaction SIP User Agent SIP Trunk RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) SRTP (Secure Real-time Transport Protocol) SIP ACK SIP BYE SIP CANCEL SIP OPTIONS SIP SUBSCRIBE/NOTIFY B2BUA (Back-to-Back User Agent) SBC (Session Border Controller) Codec Negotiation SIP Response Classes VoIP (Voice over IP) Presence (SIP) PBX (Private Branch Exchange) MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) TLS Versions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is SIP 502 Bad Gateway?

The server, acting as a gateway or proxy, received an invalid response from a downstream server it accessed in attempting to fulfill the request.

When do you see SIP 502 Bad Gateway?

When a SIP proxy receives a malformed or invalid response from the next-hop server. Common in interop scenarios between different vendors.

How to fix SIP 502 Bad Gateway?

Check the downstream server's health and configuration. Verify SIP message formatting between the two servers. Review network connectivity.