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“Connection refused” means the TCP connection was actively rejected; “connection timed out” means it did not complete before the client stopped waiting. Neither message alone identifies the cause, and neither indicates a bad password or SSH key: both occur before authentication. Start by checking the destination and port, then follow the branch that matches what you see.
What the two SSH errors mean
| Error | What happened | Useful first checks |
|---|---|---|
| Connection refused | The TCP attempt was actively rejected. | Verify the host and port, then check whether the SSH service is listening there and whether a firewall or intermediary is rejecting the connection. |
| Connection timed out | The connection did not complete before the client’s timeout. | Check the destination, network reachability, routing, filtering and possible outages. Traffic may be silently dropped. |
These are clues about the TCP connection stage, not proof of one specific cause. A timeout, in particular, does not tell you which device or rule prevented a response.
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Run these checks in order
- Verify the destination. Recheck the hostname or IP address and make sure it identifies the intended server.
- Verify the port. The OpenSSH client uses port 22 by default, but a server can be configured to use another port. Specify a non-default port with
ssh -p PORT user@host. See the OpenBSD ssh(1) manual for the client’s-poption and the ssh_config(5) manual for the default. - Notice when it fails. An immediate rejection points you toward the refused branch below; a wait that ends in a timeout points you toward the reachability branch. OpenSSH’s
ConnectTimeoutbounds connection establishment and the initial SSH protocol handshake and key exchange; see ssh_config(5). - Check the matching cause. Use the refused or timeout checks below. Server-side behavior is configurable in sshd_config(5).
- Retry after one change. Record the host, port, client network and exact error for each attempt. Change one thing at a time so the next result helps narrow the cause.
If SSH says “connection refused”
From an authorized server console or management channel, confirm that sshd is installed and running, and that it is listening on the address and port you are targeting. Also check the host firewall for an explicit rejection. A wrong destination or port can produce the same symptom, so verify those before changing server settings.
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If SSH says “connection timed out”
Check whether the server is reachable from the client’s current network, then inspect the route and any firewall or security-group rules between client and server. Filtering that silently drops packets can lead to a timeout. Do not conclude from this message alone that the SSH server process is stopped: the cause may be elsewhere along the path, or the destination may be unavailable.
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What the error does—and does not—tell you
- Refused: the attempt was rejected, making the destination service and explicit rejection rules useful places to investigate.
- Timed out: the connection did not complete in time, making reachability, routing and dropped traffic useful places to investigate.
- Neither: proves a single root cause or shows that credentials are wrong. Password and key authentication happen later, after the connection is established.
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