proxmox/docs/09-troubleshooting/R630-04-AUTHENTICATION-ISSUE.md

R630-04 Authentication Issue

IP: 192.168.11.14
User: root
Status: ❌ Permission denied with password authentication

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Current Situation

• SSH Port: ✅ Open and accepting connections (port 22)
• Authentication Methods Offered: publickey,password
• Password Auth: ❌ Failing (permission denied)
• Public Key Auth: ⚠️ Not configured

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Debug Information

From SSH verbose output:

debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug1: Next authentication method: password
Permission denied, please try again.

This shows:

• Server accepts both authentication methods
• Public key auth tried first (no keys configured)
• Password auth attempted but rejected

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Possible Solutions

Option 1: Verify Password

Double-check the password. Common issues:

• Typos (especially with special characters like @)
• Caps Lock
• Wrong password entirely
• Password changed since last successful login

Option 2: Connect from R630-03

Since R630-03 works, try:

# Connect to R630-03 first
ssh root@192.168.11.13
# Password: L@kers2010

# Then from R630-03, connect to R630-04
ssh root@192.168.11.14
# Try password: L@kers2010

Sometimes connecting from within the same network helps.

Option 3: Use Console Access

If you have physical/console access to R630-04:

1. Physical Console - Connect KVM/keyboard directly
2. iDRAC/iLO - Use Dell's remote management (if available)
3. Serial Console - If configured

From console:

# Check SSH configuration
cat /etc/ssh/sshd_config | grep -E "PasswordAuthentication|PermitRootLogin"

# Reset root password
passwd root

# Check account status
passwd -S root
lastb | grep root | tail -10  # Check failed login attempts

Option 4: Set Up SSH Key Authentication

If you can access R630-04 through another method (console, Proxmox host, etc.):

Generate SSH key:

# On your local machine
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_r630-04 -N ""

Copy public key to R630-04:

# If you have console access to R630-04
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_r630-04.pub
# Then on R630-04:
mkdir -p /root/.ssh
chmod 700 /root/.ssh
echo "PASTE_PUBLIC_KEY_HERE" >> /root/.ssh/authorized_keys
chmod 600 /root/.ssh/authorized_keys

Connect with key:

ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_r630-04 root@192.168.11.14

Option 5: Check if Password Was Changed

If you have access to another Proxmox host that manages R630-04, or have documentation, verify:

• When was the password last changed?
• Is there a password management system?
• Are there multiple root accounts or users?

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Quick Checklist

• Try password again carefully (check for typos)
• Try connecting from R630-03
• Check if password was changed
• Try console/iDRAC access
• Check if SSH keys are set up
• Verify you're using the correct username (root)

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If You Have Console Access

Once you can access the console, run:

# Reset root password
passwd root

# Verify SSH configuration allows password auth
grep -E "^PasswordAuthentication|^#PasswordAuthentication" /etc/ssh/sshd_config

# Should show:
# PasswordAuthentication yes
# OR (commented out means yes by default)
# #PasswordAuthentication yes

# If it shows "PasswordAuthentication no", change it:
sed -i 's/^PasswordAuthentication no/PasswordAuthentication yes/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
systemctl restart sshd

# Check root account status
passwd -S root

# Check for locked account
usermod -U root  # Unlock if locked

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Next Steps

1. Try password one more time - Make sure Caps Lock is off, type carefully
2. Try from R630-03 - Network path might matter
3. Get console access - Physical KVM or iDRAC
4. Check password documentation - Verify if password was changed
5. Set up SSH keys - More secure and reliable long-term solution