ssh_exchange_identification: Connection closed by remote host

[Ross Minkov]

I'm trying to connect to RHEL AS 3 ProLiant server (32-bit) with ssh and I get ssh_exchange_identification: Connection closed by remote host

The openssh rpm installed is:
openssh-3.6.1p2-33.30.1.i386

I can login on the iLO console just fine. sshd is running. I tried restarting the system, checked the logs -- there were some messages that say "refuse connect from ", but didn't say why...

Any ideas?

[HGN]

Hi

Openssh does not restrict any users coming from any network, commercial version has an option to restrict(AllowHosts=x.x.x.x) from the server can you ping the default gateway to make sure the network is up if it is fine you can try /etc/init.d/sshd restart & then try to ssh into the server.

Hope this helps

Rgds

Gopi

[Ross Minkov]

> Openssh does not restrict any users coming from any network,
I know

>commercial version has an option to restrict(AllowHosts=x.x.x.x)
I don't use commercial ver.

> from the server can you ping the default gateway to make sure the network is up
Network is just fine. I'm having problems with the sshd on that system

> if it is fine you can try /etc/init.d/sshd restart & then try to ssh into the server.
already tried that; even rebooted; same error

Thanks

[Rick Garland]

In the $HOME/.ssh will be a file called known_hosts. You can manually edit this file and remove the hostname (or IP address) of the system you are connecting from. Use ssh to connect again, the system will prompt wil the message that you are a new host, do you want to add this host...? A yes/no question.

[Ross Minkov]

Rick,

I don't see how would that help me.

> Use ssh to connect again, the system will prompt wil the message that you are a new host, do you want to add this host...? A yes/no question.

I can't get to that point where the client checks the $HOME/.ssh/known_hosts. It breaks before that. If you read the error message:

ssh_exchange_identification: Connection closed by remote host

it tells you that it breaks at the ssh_exchange_identification stage. This is where the server system (sshd) tells the client what version of openssh it is running.

[Ross Minkov]

It was a missing dot in /etc/hosts.allow

Thanks.