Alongside my regular individual rants about Hashed Out, I also take on a variety of related writing assignments in my daily routine. One of these is troubleshooting article.
Yesterday I was doing research for a knowledgebase article on how to solve a Firefox error message:SSL_ERROR_RX_RECORD_TOO_LONG.
The problem with these types of articles are that they’re written in order to mark the boxes of an SEO checklist, rather than writing from a security perspective.
This is unsafe because Google’s algorithm is prone to reward those with SEO-optimized information over precise descriptions, which weren’t designed to get a high rank.
So, today we’ll use our own SEO powers for good and talk about the SSL_ERROR_RX_RECORD_TOO_LONG Firefox error.
There is lots of confusion about the meaning behind this error.
What exactly does it mean. What can you do to correct it. We also have to list some items that are absolutely not recommended to do.
We’ll have to work the issue out.
What is SSL_ERROR_RX_RECORD_TOO_LONG?
The SSL_ERROR_RX_RECORD_TOO_LONG message from Firefox typically comes as a result of a misconfiguration on the server side.
Contrary to what a lot of these guides will tell you, there usually isn’t a whole lot that a regular internet user can do to overcome the SSL_ERROR_RX_RECORD_TOO_LONG message.
The majority of advice is risky.
They ask users to alter something in order to meet what’s, in fact, poor security for the page you’re looking to visit.
What Causes the “SSL_ERROR_RX_RECORD_TOO_LONG” Error?
As you can see from the image above it is clear that this error message offers some information about the problem. In particular, it states that the website that you’re trying to access won’t show “because the authenticity of the received data could not be verified.”
The report also states that the secure connection did not work and suggests an issue in the website’s SSL certification.
The error could be due to poor security in the area of the site you’re attempting to visit regardless of whether it’s yours or the site of someone who’s.
The most frequent cause is it’s because the SSL certificate has not been appropriately installed the browser, as a result, is not able to connect to the server.
One reason may be due to the wrong listing ports. A different reason could be the fact that your browser does not have the correct version of Transport Layer Security (TLS).
It was previously was a frequent issue for TLS 1.2 but it has been a problem in recent times, and this issue is now surfacing in TLS 1.3 as well.
How to Fix the SSL_ERROR_RX_RECORD_TOO_LONG error?
If you are a Mozilla Firefox user, then here’s how you can easily get rid of the SSL_ERROR_RX_RECORD_TOO_LONG error and access your website.
Solution 1: Substitute the Protocol
- Simply replace the ‘https’ in the browser’s URL box with ‘HTTP’ and this could solve the SSL_ERROR_RX_RECORD_TOO_LONG issue.
This, however, deprives users of the protection offered via encryption. This is what only HTTPs can provide.
Solution 2: Update Firefox Browser
The process of updating your browser on regularly scheduled basis is essential since, for all you know that the developer may fix the issue to your benefit. Also, check if Mozilla Firefox is up to current, and if not then it’s easy to upgrade using the following procedures.
- Select the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner of your web browser’s window to open the menu.
- Click on the Help option.
- After that, go to “About Firefox” and you’ll be able to see below the image, in the event that it is already updated or Mozilla will start searching for new updates.
Solution 3: Uninstall Extensions
Extensions are modules of software that allow the use of one or more functions in the browser. If you’ve downloaded one that isn’t compatible, they could affect the operation of your browser.
As a result, it could lead to the SSL_ERROR_RX_RECORD_TOO_LONG issue.
Therefore, you should try to remove Mozilla Firefox Extensions for your site to help solve the issue. Use the steps listed below to deinstall extensions.
- Select the three horizontal lines that are located on the right side of the screen to open the menu.
- Select the option ‘add-ons’ from the drop-down menu.
- If you prefer to go to the page for add-ons it is possible to hold Ctrl+Shift+A when you have the Mozilla Firefox window in the open.
- To remove an extension, simply click the three dots that are next to the Extension name as illustrated in the photo. Next, select “Disable”.
- Then, go to the main menu. Navigate to Help and then hit it.
- In the options available Choose the Restart using extensions disabled’ option, and then click.
Solution 4. Make Sure You Make Sure You Purchase a Reliable SSL Certificate
It is also possible that there’s a problem with the SSL certificate itself, which is causing the SSL_ERROR_RX_RECORD_TOO_LONG error.
If that’s the case, based on the type of site you manage, pick the SSL certificate that will fit your needs. While there are no cost SSL certificates to choose from, they might not be suited to the function.
Therefore, you should invest in one SSL certification which is granted by a reputable certificate authority. Think of it as an investment as SSL certificates can also boost your website’s ranking overall on search engines.
Solution 5: Check Port 443
If the website’s port 443 is not open, it could be the reason. Check this using the following procedures.
- Enter the IP address, and then ‘HTTPS’.
- It is also possible to use programs such as Netcat, ncat to check to see if Port 443 is open.
For determining the IP address of your site, Windows users can open the Command Prompt and type in ‘tracert xyz.com then press enter. Alternately, you can enter the domain’s name for determining a website’s IP address, and go through the steps above.
Solution 6: Disable Firefox Proxy
If you continue to experience the same error, it is time to test your the proxy connection. Then, you need to deactivate it to see if this fixes the problem or not. In order to disable proxy, comply with the steps below.
- Click on the the Menu and then look the box for ” Options“.
- Go to Network Proxy Section.
- Then, select Settings from the menu at the bottom. you’ll see a checkbox that is titled the Proxy Configuration Access option for the Internetwhere you must select the no proxy option.
- Select OK and start the browser again.
Solution 7: Clear Cache
The focus should be on the cookies and caches of your browser since it might be the cause the errors.
- The user should browse your website using incognito mode or a in a private browser to keep away of cookies and cache.
- Additionally, using Ctrl+Shift+R and Shift+click Reload is more effective because it loads a page.
If you’re still experiencing issues and you are unable to resolve it, then try these solutions.
Solution 8. Change the TLS version
As of now, TLS 1.3 is active which means that you must find TLS version, and then upgrade your SSL/TLS library.
If you’re running the OpenSSL library it is possible that OpenSSL 1.1.1 Version has announced the support of TLS1.3 version.
However, if you do not want to upgrade, you must at a minimum use TLS 1.2 version.
You should make sure that you have disabled the support for SSLv.3.0 as well as TLS1.0
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped you understand the SSL_Error_rx_record_too_long error and how to troubleshoot it.