SSH: "Connection refused" errors

Symptoms

You will see an error like the following while trying to SSH to your server.

~ ssh USER@HOSTNAME.DOMAIN.TLD
ssh: connect to host HOSTNAME.DOMAIN.TLD port 22: Connection refused

Description 

Typically these connection refused errors are caused by one of the following:

• SSHD is not running
• The SSH port being used is wrong
• A firewall is blocking the connection

Workaround

1) Ensure that SSHD is running on the following page of WHM.

Home > Server Status > Service Status

If it is not running, check that it is enabled on the following page of WHM.

Home > Service Configuration > Service Manager

2) Ensure that the SSH port being used is correct. The SSH port can be retrieved from the Terminal in WHM with the following command.

sshd -T|grep ^port

The Terminal is at the following location in WHM.

Home > Server Configuration > Terminal

3) Ensure that the SSH port from step 2 is open or that the IP you are connecting from is allowed to connect to it. Each firewall is different, so the method for doing this will depend on your firewall, and how you want to restrict SSH traffic.