Fix common issues with Scaleway Instances
Reviewed on 20 January 2025 • Published on 20 January 2025
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 InstancesLink to this anchor
SymptomsLink to this anchor
- You receive
4xx
or5xx
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
orPOST
on your Instance endpoint.
Possible causesLink to this anchor
- 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.
SolutionLink to this anchor
- 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
orsudo systemctl restart apache2
).
- SSH into your Instance and inspect your web server’s config (for example
- 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.
- Check logs in
- Validate DNS records:
- Use
dig <your-domain>
ornslookup <your-domain>
to confirm the IP address matches your Instance’s public IP. - If necessary, update the DNS records and wait for propagation.
- Use
Additional resourcesLink to this anchor
- Scaleway Documentation: How to use security groups
- Nginx Official Documentation
- Apache HTTP Server Documentation
I can’t connect to my InstanceLink to this anchor
SymptomsLink to this anchor
- 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 causesLink to this anchor
- Security group settings: SSH (port
22
) or RDP (port3389
) 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.
SolutionLink to this anchor
- 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 (port3389
) 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 resourcesLink to this anchor
- Scaleway Documentation: How to connect to your Instance
- Scaleway Documentation: Troubleshooting SSH connection issues to Instances
I can’t connect to my Instance using an SSH keyLink to this anchor
SymptomsLink to this anchor
- 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 causesLink to this anchor
- 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.
SolutionLink to this anchor
- 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.
- On your local machine, ensure the private key file has restrictive permissions:
- 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.
- By default, Scaleway Instances use the
- Inspect the Instance’s SSH configuration:
- If you can connect via another method or console, check
/etc/ssh/sshd_config
for lines such asPasswordAuthentication
,PubkeyAuthentication
, andPermitRootLogin
. - Make sure
PubkeyAuthentication yes
is set.
- If you can connect via another method or console, check
- 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 resourcesLink to this anchor
I can’t access my InstanceLink to this anchor
SymptomsLink to this anchor
- You are unable to connect to your Instance via SSH.
- Your SSH key is missing, or you cannot locate the corresponding private key.
Possible causesLink to this anchor
- 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.
SolutionLink to this anchor
-
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 resourcesLink to this anchor
- Scaleway Documentation: How to generate an SSH key pair
- Scaleway Documentation: How to power off your Instance
My Instance is lockedLink to this anchor
SymptomsLink to this anchor
- 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 causesLink to this anchor
- 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.
SolutionLink to this anchor
- 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 resourcesLink to this anchor
How can I open port 25 for my Instances?Link to this anchor
SymptomsLink to this anchor
- Your application cannot send emails (SMTP) from the Instance.
- Port 25 connections are blocked or refused.
Possible causesLink to this anchor
- 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.
SolutionLink to this anchor
- 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 resourcesLink to this anchor
- Scaleway Documentation: How to send emails from your Instance
- Scaleway Tutorial: Setting up a secure mail server on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)
- Scaleway general terms of service
- Postfix Documentation
- SPF/DKIM/DMARC Basics
Routed IP errorsLink to this anchor
SymptomsLink to this anchor
- 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 causesLink to this anchor
- 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.
SolutionLink to this anchor
- 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.
- On your Instance, add the secondary IP to the appropriate network interface (e.g.,
- Check your routing table:
- Use
ip route
orroute -n
to confirm the route for the additional IP is properly set.
- Use
- 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.
- Ping the secondary IP from an external source. If it fails, look at local logs (
- Adjust your security group:
- Ensure inbound and outbound traffic is allowed for both IP addresses.
Additional resourcesLink to this anchor
- Scaleway Documentation: How to use flexible IP addresses with Instances
- Scaleway Troubleshooting: Fix unreachable Ubuntu Focal Instance when it has two public IP addresses
- Scaleway Troubleshooting: Fix lost IPv6 connectivity on old Debian Buster images when migrating to routed IP
- Scaleway Troubleshooting: Fix unreachable IPv6 RHEL-based Instances after transitioning to routed IP
- Netplan documenation
Disk space errors with InstancesLink to this anchor
SymptomsLink to this anchor
- “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 causesLink to this anchor
- 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.
SolutionLink to this anchor
- 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.
- Use
- 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.
- Remove old logs from
- 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.
- Configure