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Troubleshooting

SSH connection problems

A remote terminal times out, refuses the connection or rejects login.

Start here

  1. Confirm the board’s current IP address from its screen or your router.
  2. Check that both devices can reach the same network.
  3. Confirm SSH is enabled through the OS’s documented controls.
  4. Distinguish connection refused from authentication failure; use the correct account rather than assuming an old default.
What usually causes this?

Wrong address, disabled SSH, network filtering or incorrect credentials.

Advanced explanation

Do not expose the SSH service to the internet to solve a local network problem. Redact credentials from logs.

Still stuck?

Record what changed after each check. Include your exact board, image, emulator and error when asking for help. These are diagnostic starting points, not guaranteed fixes for every OS.

SSH: detailed upstream reference →

Reference: RetroPie SSH documentation. Original companion checklist; historical upstream guidance needs OS-specific review.