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Fix common issues with Scaleway Instances

This page lists the most common issues you may encounter with your Scaleway Instance and provides useful tips for troubleshooting them.

I experience HTTP errors on Instances

Symptoms

  • You receive 4xx or 5xx errors when trying to reach your Instance via HTTP.
  • The website or service running on your Instance is slow or unavailable.
  • You cannot perform basic HTTP operations like GET or POST on your Instance endpoint.

Possible causes

  • Incorrect firewall rules: The Instance or security groups might be blocking HTTP/HTTPS ports (80, 443).
  • Configuration errors in the web server: Nginx, Apache, or another web server might be misconfigured.
  • Application-level errors: Your application code may be crashing or returning incorrect responses.
  • DNS misconfiguration: The domain’s DNS settings might be pointing to the wrong IP or not updated.

Solution

  • Check security group and firewall rules:
    • In the Scaleway console, confirm that ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS) are allowed inbound for the security group used by your Instance.
    • If you manage your own firewall (e.g., iptables, ufw), verify that HTTP and HTTPS traffic is permitted.
  • Verify the web server configuration:
    • SSH into your Instance and inspect your web server’s config (for example /etc/nginx/nginx.conf or /etc/apache2/apache2.conf).
    • Look for syntax errors or missing directives (e.g., missing server_name).
    • Restart the web server to apply changes (sudo systemctl restart nginx or sudo systemctl restart apache2).
  • Check application logs:
    • Check logs in /var/log/ or wherever your application outputs logs to identify potential errors.
    • Look for stack traces or misconfiguration messages.
  • Validate DNS records:
    • Use dig <your-domain> or nslookup <your-domain> to confirm the IP address matches your Instance’s public IP.
    • If necessary, update the DNS records and wait for propagation.

Additional resources

I can't connect to my Instance

Symptoms

  • Your SSH or RDP connection is timing out.
  • You see “Connection refused” or “Host unreachable” errors in your terminal.
  • Ping (ICMP) requests are dropped.

Possible causes

  • Security group settings: SSH (port 22) or RDP (port 3389) might not be open.
  • Incorrect IP address: You might be connecting to the wrong public IP.
  • User-side firewall or network: Your local network may block outbound SSH or RDP connections.
  • Instance not running: The Instance may be shut down or stuck in an error state.

Solution

  • Check your Instance status:
    • In the Scaleway console, confirm the Instance is in a running state.
    • Restart the Instance if it’s not responding.
  • Verify the Instance's public IP address:
    • Confirm that the IP in the Scaleway console matches the IP you are using for the connection.
  • Review security groups and local firewalls:
    • Make sure the default security groups allow SSH or RDP inbound traffic.
    • Check your local firewall to ensure outbound SSH (port 22) or RDP (port 3389) is allowed.
  • Use the Scaleway console to connect to your Instance:
    • Try using Scaleway’s web-based terminal in the console to rule out local network issues.

Additional resources

I can't connect to my Instance using an SSH key

Symptoms

  • You see an "Invalid SSH key” or “Permission denied (publickey)” error.
  • SSH prompts you for a password instead of accepting your key.
  • The connection works with a password but not with the SSH key.

Possible causes

  • Incorrect permissions on the SSH key: The key file might have unsafe permissions or ownership.
  • Wrong username: Using root versus a custom user.
  • Misconfiguration of the SSH daemon: sshd_config might disallow key-based authentication.
  • Key not installed: The public key might not have been successfully added to the Instance.

Solution

  • Check file permissions locally:
    • On your local machine, ensure the private key file has restrictive permissions:
      chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa
    • Verify that the user and group ownership are correct.
  • Verify the correct username:
    • By default, Scaleway Instances use the root user. Check if you have created a new user with sudo privileges and if so, use that username.
  • Inspect the Instance’s SSH configuration:
    • If you can connect via another method or console, check /etc/ssh/sshd_config for lines such as PasswordAuthentication, PubkeyAuthentication, and PermitRootLogin.
    • Make sure PubkeyAuthentication yes is set.
  • Re-add your SSH Key in the Scaleway console:
    • Go to the SSH keys tab in the Project section of theScaleway console, remove the old SSH key, then add your new, correct public key.
    • Restart your Instance to re-upload the list of allowed SSH keys.

Additional resources

I can't access my Instance

Symptoms

  • You are unable to connect to your Instance via SSH.
  • Your SSH key is missing, or you cannot locate the corresponding private key.

Possible causes

  • The private SSH key associated with the Instance was lost or deleted.
  • The Instance’s SSH configuration or authorized keys file was altered, removing your access.

Solution

  • Check for another SSH key:

    • Verify if another SSH key pair is associated with your Scaleway account.
    • Login using the alternative SSH key
  • Use the Scaleway console to add a new SSH key:

    • Upload another SSH key in the SSH key section of your Instance's Scaleway project.
    • Reboot the Instance from the console to re-upload the new key to the Instance.

Additional resources

My Instance is locked

Symptoms

  • Attempts to modify or delete the Instance fail with an “Instance is protected” error.
  • You see a message in the Scaleway console that the Instance is protected or locked.

Possible causes

  • Security measure: The Instance might be locked due to non-payment or administrative hold.
  • User-applied lock: You (or another administrator) enabled resource locking to prevent accidental deletion.
  • Ongoing operation: A pending snapshot or backup can temporarily lock the Instance.

Solution

  • Check billing and support tickets:
    • Ensure your Scaleway account is in good standing with no overdue invoices.
    • If there is a lock from Scaleway support, resolve any open tickets or compliance issues.
  • Disable the Protected Instance feature:
    • In the Scaleway console, go to your Instance settings and turn off the lock if you set it manually.
  • Wait for ongoing maintenance operations to complete:
    • If an action is running on your Instance, you must wait until it finishes before you can modify the Instance.

Additional resources

How can I open port 25 for my Instances?

Symptoms

  • Your application cannot send emails (SMTP) from the Instance.
  • Port 25 connections are blocked or refused.

Possible causes

  • Default SMTP restriction: Access to port 25 is restricted by default to prevent spam.
  • Security group settings: The inbound/outbound rules might block port 25.
  • Missing or incorrect mail server configuration: Postfix, Exim, or another MTA might be misconfigured.

Solution

  • Configure your security group:
    • In the Scaleway console, ensure outbound connections on port 25 are allowed.
  • Set up proper SPF/DKIM/DMARC:
    • To avoid being flagged as spam, configure DNS records for email authentication.
  • Use "Authenticated SMTP" (Port 587 or 465):
    • If port 25 is restricted, consider using a mail relay or an authenticated SMTP service on port 587 or 465.

Additional resources

Routed IP errors

Symptoms

  • Your Instance does not respond when using a routed IP.
  • Packets might be dropped or misrouted.
  • Services are not accessible via the secondary IP.

Possible causes

  • Incorrect network configuration: The routed IP might not be properly configured on your Instance.
  • No static routes set: A missing route or gateway could cause traffic to fail.
  • security groups or firewall blocking: The traffic from or to the routed IP might be filtered.

Solution

  • Verify the IP configuration in the Scaleway console:
    • Confirm that the routed IP is associated with the correct Instance.
  • Update your network configuration files:
    • On your Instance, add the secondary IP to the appropriate network interface (e.g., eth0:0 or via netplan).
    • Make sure the netmask and gateway are set according to the instructions.
  • Check your routing table:
    • Use ip route or route -n to confirm the route for the additional IP is properly set.
  • Test connectivity:
    • Ping the secondary IP from an external source. If it fails, look at local logs (dmesg or /var/log/syslog) for network errors.
  • Adjust your security group:
    • Ensure inbound and outbound traffic is allowed for both IP addresses.

Additional resources

Disk space errors with Instances

Symptoms

  • “No space left on device” errors when installing packages or writing files.
  • The system becomes unresponsive, or services crash due to insufficient disk space.
  • You cannot create or expand files on the Instance.

Possible causes

  • Full root partition: Logs or application data have consumed all available disk space.
  • Improper partition setup: Your primary partition might be too small.
  • Uncleaned temporary files: /tmp, /var/tmp, or application cache directories might be full.

Solution

  • Check your disk usage:
    • Use df -h to check available space on all mounted volumes.
    • Use du -sh /var/log/* or other directories to find large files.
  • Clean up unnecessary files:
    • Remove old logs from /var/log/ or archived backups you no longer need.
    • Clear temporary files in /tmp or application cache directories.
  • Resize or add a volume:
    • If you consistently run out of space, consider resizing your volume or attaching an additional volume via the Scaleway console.
  • Implement log rotation:
    • Configure logrotate or other log management solutions to prevent logs from filling the disk.

Additional resources

Packet loss issues with Instances

Symptoms

  • High latency or intermittent connectivity to your Instance.
  • Pings show dropped packets.
  • Applications that rely on constant connectivity (VoIP, real-time apps) experience disruptions.

Possible causes

  • Network congestion: On either the Instance side or your local network.
  • Incorrect MTU settings: The maximum transmission unit might cause fragmentation issues.
  • Firewall or rate limits: Overly strict firewall rules can drop packets.
  • Hardware or routing issues: Upstream or local network hardware problems.

Solution

  • Run basic network diagnostics:
    • Use ping and traceroute from both your local machine and another external server.
    • Check if packet loss is local or global.
  • Check the Instance's load:
    • High CPU or network usage on your Instance can cause dropped packets. Monitor system resources with top or htop.
  • Optimize the MTU
    • Try lowering the MTU (Maximum transmission unit) to 1400 or 1450 and see if packet loss improves, especially in VPN or container setups.
  • Adjust firewall/security groups:
    • Confirm that your firewall is not inadvertently dropping packets or rate-limiting ICMP.

Additional resources

I can't delete my Instance

Symptoms

  • Attempts to delete the Instance fail with an “Instance is protected” error.
  • You see a message in the Scaleway console that the Instance is protected or locked.

Possible causes

  • User-applied lock: You (or another administrator) enabled resource locking to prevent accidental deletion.

Solution

  • Disable the Protected Instance feature:
    • In the Scaleway console, go to your Instance settings and turn off the lock if you set it manually.

Additional resources

Next steps

  • Always consult the official Scaleway Instances Documentation for detailed, up-to-date information to troubleshoot your Instance.
  • If you are still experiencing issues after following these tips, open a support ticket in your Scaleway console, providing detailed descriptions of your issue, logs, screenshots, or error messages. This will help the support team diagnose and resolve your issue more quickly.
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