How to Troubleshoot SSH Connection Issues - GeeksforGeeks (2024)

Last Updated : 18 Oct, 2021

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SSH client is a program for logging into a remote machine and for executing commands on a remote machine. It is intended to provide secure encrypted communications between two untrusted hosts over an insecure network.

Syntax: ssh [option] [user]@[server_address]

SSH into a Linux Server using a private key or password

Type the ssh command in your terminal (there are two ways to ssh – one using a password and the other one is using a private key )

ssh command using private key and Public DNS:

ssh -i private_key username@Public_DNS

ssh command using private key and Public IP address:

ssh -i private_key username@Public_IP

ssh command using password and public IP:

ssh username@password

Common error while SSH Errors occur while

Connection Timeout

This will occur when any user tries to establish a connection with the server but failed to get the response back within the time period.

Troubleshooting steps:

  • Verify that the host IP address is correct
  • Verify the firewall rules, check the inbound rules allowed by the security group.
  • Verify the port number allowed for ssh

Connection Refused

This will occur when the server which is supposed to listen to the request, stops listening.

Troubleshooting steps:

  • Verify that the host IP address is correct
  • Verify the firewall rules, check the inbound rules allowed by the security group.
  • Verify the port number allowed for ssh
  • Verify that the service is running properly

Host-name Resolution

It happens when the reference to the SSH host can’t be mapped to a network address.

Troubleshooting steps:

  • Verify that the host name is correct
  • If not working properly then use IP instead of host-name

Access Denied

It happens when the ssh failed to connect due to wrong credentials.

Troubleshooting steps:

  • Verify that the username or password is correct

Permission denied

It happens when the user is not authorized to logging into the server. It is mainly due to the sshd_config file that contains SSH server configuration.

Troubleshooting steps:

  • Navigate to /etc/ssh/sshd_config
  • Make sure PasswordAuthentication and PubkeyAuthentication ends with yes
  • Make sure ChallengeResponseAuthentication and PermitRootLogin ends with no.
  • Restart sshd_config

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How to Troubleshoot SSH Connection Issues - GeeksforGeeks (2024)

FAQs

How to Troubleshoot SSH Connection Issues - GeeksforGeeks? ›

Use a Faster Cipher

A cipher is a method of encrypting data transmitted over network. SSH supports several ciphers, but some ciphers are faster than others. By using a faster cipher, you can improve speed of your SSH connections. This line specifies three fast ciphers − aes128-ctr, aes192-ctr, and aes256-ctr.

How to troubleshoot SSH connection issues? ›

Troubleshooting the SSH Connection
  1. Verify the connection. ...
  2. Add a public IP address. ...
  3. Instance is on a private subnet. ...
  4. Verify the network security lists. ...
  5. Confirm that the instance is accessible. ...
  6. Connect to the serial console. ...
  7. Confirm that SSH is running on the instance. ...
  8. Capture serial console history.
Mar 4, 2024

How do I fix SSH error? ›

6 Ways to Fix the SSH Connection Refused Error
  1. Change the SSH Port Number. ...
  2. Double Check the Credentials. ...
  3. Make Sure SSH Is Enabled. ...
  4. Make Sure SSH Client Is Installed. ...
  5. Ensure SSH Daemon Is Installed on the Server. ...
  6. Check Your Firewall Settings.

How can I test my SSH connection? ›

  1. Open Terminal .
  2. Enter the following: Shell ssh -T git@github.com # Attempts to ssh to GitHub ssh -T git@github.com # Attempts to ssh to GitHub. ...
  3. Verify that the fingerprint in the message you see matches GitHub's public key fingerprint. If it does, then type yes : ...
  4. Verify that the resulting message contains your username.

How can I improve my SSH connection? ›

Use a Faster Cipher

A cipher is a method of encrypting data transmitted over network. SSH supports several ciphers, but some ciphers are faster than others. By using a faster cipher, you can improve speed of your SSH connections. This line specifies three fast ciphers − aes128-ctr, aes192-ctr, and aes256-ctr.

How do I fix port 22 connection refused? ›

One of the reasons for this error may be that the SSH port is blocked by the firewall. Hence, we need to identify the firewall tool that controls access to the Linux system. Common firewall tools include ufw, iptables, and firewalld. The commands will vary based on the tool in use.

How to troubleshoot a connection refused? ›

How to fix the ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED error
  1. Clear your browser's cache and cookies. ...
  2. Test if the error occurs on different websites. ...
  3. Restart your computer and router. ...
  4. Check your Internet connection. ...
  5. Disable your firewall or antivirus program. ...
  6. Disable the Proxy Server settings or the VPN. ...
  7. Flush the DNS cache.

How do I reset my SSH service? ›

Instructions
  1. Open the Services control panel which can be done in any of the following ways: Go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services. Open a run box type services. msc and hit enter. ...
  2. Locate and select OpenSSH in the list of services.
  3. On the left click Restart.

How do I fix SSH connection reset by peer? ›

How to Fix "ssh_exchange_identification: read: Connection reset by peer" Error
  1. Restart sshd Daemon on Server.
  2. Check SSH Server Status.
  3. Ping the Server.
  4. Attempt Login With a Different Host.
  5. Check SSH Log File.
  6. Check MaxAuthTries.
  7. Check Inactivity Settings.
  8. Check hosts.deny File.
Jan 19, 2024

How to check SSH error logs? ›

In order to view the logs, you must log in to your server and navigate to the logs/example.com/http directory. Logs are rotated every night so that access. log and error. log only contain today's logs, while error.

How to test SSH in command prompt? ›

You can start an SSH session in your command prompt by executing ssh user@machine and you will be prompted to enter your password. You can create a Windows Terminal profile that does this on startup by adding the commandline setting to a profile in your settings.json file inside the list of profile objects.

Why is my SSH connection failing? ›

Check Your Firewall Settings. Manage your firewall settings to avoid it blocking SSH connections. Enable your iptables on the server and see if it shows a “REJECT” or “DROP” on your SSH port settings. Then, change it to “ACCEPT.”

What causes slow SSH connection? ›

An improperly configured SSH server or client can often lead to slow performance. For instance, mismatched settings for various parameters such as KeepAlive, key exchange algorithms, and ciphers can impact the speed at which data is encrypted and decrypted.

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