VirtualBox SSH Connection Refused
If you use VirtualBox to create virtual machines, you may have encountered the dreaded “SSH connection refused” error at some point. This error can be frustrating, but fear not – we’re here to help you troubleshoot and fix it!
When you try to connect to a virtual machine using SSH, you may encounter the “connection refused” message. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but the most common ones include:
- Incorrect network settings in your virtual machine
- Firewall blocking the SSH port
- SSH service not running on your virtual machine
- Incorrect SSH configuration
Now that we have identified some possible causes, let’s dive into how you can troubleshoot and fix the “SSH connection refused” error in VirtualBox:
1. Check Network Settings
First, make sure that the network settings in your virtual machine are configured correctly. Check if the virtual machine is using bridged networking, NAT, or host-only networking, depending on your setup.
If you are using NAT, ensure that port forwarding is set up correctly to forward traffic from the host machine to the virtual machine. If you are using bridged networking, make sure that the virtual machine has its IP address on the same subnet as the host machine.
2. Check Firewall Settings
Next, check if a firewall is blocking the SSH port on your virtual machine. Make sure that port 22, which is the default port for SSH connections, is open and not blocked by any firewall rules.
You can also try disabling the firewall temporarily to see if it resolves the “SSH connection refused” error. Remember to re-enable the firewall once you have confirmed that it is not the cause of the issue.
3. Start the SSH Service
If the SSH service is not running on your virtual machine, you will not be able to establish an SSH connection. To start the SSH service, you can use the following command:
sudo service ssh start
After starting the SSH service, try connecting to the virtual machine again using SSH to see if the issue has been resolved.
4. Check SSH Configuration
Lastly, double-check the SSH configuration on your virtual machine to ensure that it is set up correctly. Make sure that the SSH daemon is configured to listen on port 22 and that any SSH keys are configured properly.
If you have made any changes to the SSH configuration, make sure to restart the SSH service to apply the changes. You can do this by running the following command:
sudo service ssh restart
After performing these troubleshooting steps, you should be able to successfully connect to your virtual machine using SSH without encountering the “connection refused” error. Remember to always double-check your network settings, firewall rules, SSH service status, and SSH configuration to avoid running into this issue in the future.
We hope that this guide has helped you resolve the “SSH connection refused” error in VirtualBox. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to reach out to us for help. Happy virtual machine troubleshooting!