Troubleshooting remote access (KVM over IP) issues on Elastic Metal servers

Reviewed on August 11, 2025

Problem

You are unable to connect to your Scaleway Elastic Metal server using remote access (KVM over IP).

Symptoms

• The remote access session does not start or remains stuck.
• You see a black screen or no video output.
• Keyboard and mouse inputs are unresponsive.
• The KVM session disconnects frequently.
• Error messages appear when launching the remote console.

Possible causes

• The remote access feature is not properly activated.
• Network issues preventing KVM connection.
• Browser or Java compatibility problems.
• The server is in an unresponsive state.

Solution

Ensure remote access is enabled

• Log in to the Scaleway console and navigate to your Elastic Metal server.
• Confirm that the *remote access feature is available for your machine and activated.
• If not enabled, follow our instructions on how to activate remote access to activate it.

Check network and firewall settings

• Ensure that your local network does not block KVM over IP connections.
• Try using a different network or disable VPNs that may interfere.
• Allow the necessary ports for remote access in your firewall settings.

Ensure Fail2ban is installed and configured on the machine

• Fail2ban is a software that detects potential malicious connection attempts to the server and blocks them.

Try a different browser or system

• Some remote access solutions require specific browsers or Java versions.
• Try launching the KVM session in a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).
• Prefer using the HTML5 remote console over the Java version (if available).
• Ensure that Java is updated and enabled if required.

Restart the remote access session

• Close any existing remote access session and relaunch it from the Scaleway console.
• If the session remains unresponsive, try rebooting your server.

Ensure web administration panels (e.g. Proxmox) are located within a Private Network

• Create a Private Network to avoid exposing the server admin interface on the public internet.

Check server status

• If your server is unresponsive, attempt a soft reboot from the Scaleway console.
• If that does not work, use the power cycle option to restart the machine.

Contact Scaleway Support

If remote access is still unavailable, contact technical support with:

• Your server ID and IP address.
• Screenshots of any error messages.
• Details of the browser and system used for the connection.