> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.digitalfyre.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Server Not Responding

If your VPS is unreachable via SSH, HTTP, or other services, work through the following steps in order.

## Step 1: Check the Power State

Log in to [console.digitalfyre.com](https://console.digitalfyre.com) and check your VPS service page.

* **Stopped** — Click **Power On** to start the server
* **Paused** — Contact support at [console.digitalfyre.com](https://console.digitalfyre.com)
* **Running** — Proceed to the next step

## Step 2: Check Connectivity from Your Side

Before assuming a server problem, verify the issue is not on your end:

```bash lines theme={"theme":{"light":"light-plus","dark":"ayu-dark"}}
ping YOUR_SERVER_IP
traceroute YOUR_SERVER_IP
```

If ping works but SSH does not, the issue is likely at the firewall or application level on the server — not a network outage.

## Step 3: Connect via VNC

The [VNC Console](https://docs.digitalfyre.com/vps/client-portal/vnc-console.md) connects at the hypervisor level and is unaffected by network or SSH issues on the server. Open it from your service page and attempt to log in.

| What You See | What It Means |
| - | - |
| Login prompt | Server is running — investigate firewall or SSH config via VNC |
| Blank / black screen | Server may be hung — try Graceful Shutdown then Power On |
| Kernel panic or filesystem errors | OS has crashed — power cycle the server; if it persists, restore from a [backup](https://docs.digitalfyre.com/vps/virtfusion/backup-management.md) or [reinstall the OS](https://docs.digitalfyre.com/vps/virtfusion/installing-an-os.md) |

## Step 4: Check Services via VNC

Once logged in via VNC, verify critical services are running:

```bash expandable lines theme={"theme":{"light":"light-plus","dark":"ayu-dark"}}
# Check SSH
systemctl status sshd

# Check web server (if applicable)
systemctl status nginx
systemctl status apache2

# Check network interfaces
ip addr show

# Check if the server can reach the internet
ping 8.8.8.8
```

If the network interface has no IP address, the network configuration may be corrupted. Reconfigure it or restore from a backup.

## Step 5: Check Resource Exhaustion

A server that is running but unresponsive may be out of resources:

```bash expandable lines theme={"theme":{"light":"light-plus","dark":"ayu-dark"}}
# Check memory and swap
free -h

# Check disk space
df -h

# Check for runaway processes
top -bn1 | head -20
```

See [High CPU or Memory Usage](https://docs.digitalfyre.com/vps/troubleshooting/high-cpu-memory-usage) for further guidance.

## Step 6: Contact Support

If you have worked through all steps and the server remains unreachable, open a support ticket at [console.digitalfyre.com](https://console.digitalfyre.com) and include:

* Your server IP address and hostname
* What you have already tried
* Any error messages seen in the VNC console
* When the issue started


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