Http event error

Question

Today I got this error and I don't know what this is for?

Unable to bind to the underlying transport for [::]:54288. The IP Listen-Only list may contain a reference to an interface which may not exist on this machine. The data field contains the error number.

Answer 1

Hi!

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.

The error you have stated above is commonly experienced when Windows fails to open a network port due to binding/configuration problems.

There are factors like, VPN software configuration, developer tools like web servers, network adapter updates, hardware changes like network card, adapters, dongles, and any networking software that is recently uninstalled.

Can you tell me are there any recent software or hardware changes before this error appeared on your computer?

Answer 2

The message indicates that an HTTP listener on the machine tried to bind to IPv6 address [::] (all IPv6 interfaces) on port 54288, and the bind failed because of the current IP Listen-Only list configuration.

Key points:

1. HTTP.sys and IP Listen List

• On Windows, HTTP-based services (IIS, some WCF services, SSRS, and others using the HTTP Server API) rely on HTTP.sys.
• By default, when a URL reservation is registered, HTTP.sys binds the specified port on all IPs.
• To restrict this, Windows supports an IP Listen List: a list of IP addresses that HTTP.sys is allowed to bind to.
• If the IP Listen List contains an IP/interface that no longer exists, or does not include the address being used ([::] in this case), HTTP.sys can fail to bind and log this error.

2. Meaning of the error text

• “Unable to bind to the underlying transport for [::]:54288” means HTTP.sys attempted to open a listening socket on all IPv6 interfaces, port 54288, and the bind call failed.
• “The IP Listen-Only list may contain a reference to an interface which may not exist on this machine” means the configured IP Listen List is inconsistent with the current network configuration (for example, it references an IP that was removed, or the list prevents binding to [::]).

3. How the IP Listen List works

• The IP Listen List is configured via the HTTP Server API using HttpSetServiceConfiguration with HttpServiceConfigIPListenList.
• Entries in this list apply to all applications using the HTTP Server API and persist across reboots.
• Changes are not dynamic; a reboot is often required for changes to take effect.

4. Typical causes

• Network configuration changed (adapter removed, IP changed) after the IP Listen List was configured.
• A third-party application or admin script previously restricted HTTP.sys to specific IPs, and those IPs are no longer valid.
• Another application is already bound to that IP/port combination, and HTTP.sys cannot bind.

5. High-level remediation steps

• Review the IP Listen List configuration and remove invalid IPs or reconfigure it so HTTP.sys can bind to the desired addresses.
• Ensure no other application is already using port 54288 on [::].
• After changing the IP Listen List, a reboot may be required for the new configuration to apply.

For detailed control of the IP Listen List, the HTTP Server API documentation describes how administrators configure it programmatically.

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References:

• IP Listen List