Error 443 when using API

[AldebaraanMKII]

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I wrote a script to fetch repository details such as new commits, PRs and issues. For each repo, it contacts the API 3 times, with a delay of 2-3 seconds between requests. Problem is, i keep getting error 443 from time to time even though i'm using a token.

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[Thyrail]

Hi @AldebaraanMKII,

That's an interesting error message! As you might suspect, Error 443 is not a standard HTTP status code (like 404 or 429). The number 443 is the standard port for HTTPS traffic.

This means your problem is likely not an API issue (like rate limiting or authentication) but rather a network or connectivity issue. Your script is failing during the attempt to establish a secure SSL/TLS connection to api.github.com, even before your token is sent.

Since the error only happens "from time to time," this points to an intermittent problem in your network environment.

💡 Troubleshooting Steps

Here are a few things you should check:

1. Firewall or Proxy Settings:

   • Are you behind a corporate firewall or proxy server? Many corporate networks intercept or monitor outbound connections on port 443, which can cause intermittent failures (like SSL handshake errors).
   • Also, check your local firewall (e.g., Windows Defender Firewall, macOS Firewall).

2. VPN Connection:

   • Are you using a VPN? Try running the script without the VPN (or vice-versa) to see if the behavior changes. VPNs can sometimes affect connection stability.

3. DNS or Connection Stability:

   • The next time the error occurs, run a simple test in your terminal to check basic connectivity:

     # Tests DNS resolution and basic response time
     ping api.github.com
     
     # Attempts a full TLS handshake (very useful!)
     curl -v [https://api.github.com](https://api.github.com)

   • When using curl -v, look for messages like "SSL certificate problem," "Connection refused," or "Handshake failed."

4. Full Error Message:

   • "Error 443" is probably just part of the message. Can you post the full stack trace or the exact error message from your script?
   • What language/library is the script written in (e.g., Python with requests, Node.js with axios)? The specific error (e.g., ConnectionTimeout, SSLHandshakeError) is crucial for diagnosing this.

In summary: Your code and your token are probably fine, but your network environment at the time of execution is unstable.

[AldebaraanMKII]

1. No firewall settings other than default
2. No VPN
   3:

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://api.github.com" -Verbose
VERBOSE: Requested HTTP/1.1 GET with 0-byte payload
VERBOSE: Received HTTP/1.1 response of content type application/json of unknown size

StatusCode        : 200
StatusDescription : OK
Content           : {"current_user_url":"https://api.github.com/user","current_user_authorizations_html_url":"https://g
                    ithub.com/settings/connections/applications{/client_id}","authorizations_url":"https://api.github.c
                    om…
RawContent        : HTTP/1.1 200 OK
                    Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2025 04:44:02 GMT
                    Cache-Control: public, max-age=60, s-maxage=60
                    Vary: Accept
                    Vary: Accept-Encoding
                    Vary: Accept
                    Vary: X-Requested-With
                    ETag: "cb8c56af7fcef970…
Headers           : {[Date, System.String[]], [Cache-Control, System.String[]], [Vary, System.String[]], [ETag,
                    System.String[]]…}
Images            : {}
InputFields       : {}
Links             : {}
RawContentLength  : 2262
RelationLink      : {}

Here's the error (Powershell):

PS>TerminatingError(Invoke-RestMethod): "A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond."
Error accessing API: A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond. (api.github.com:443)

This only happens sometimes. Out of 50 or so repos, less than 10.