I set LogLevel in the ssh and sshd config files to "debug3" in an attempt to discover the cause for the network connection being dropped. I see alot of debugging info, butnothing jumps out at me as a possible cause. The sshd info was not logged to a file that I could find, but here is the output of the ssh client. Note that this time the connections all died simultaneously, and within only a few minutes of being initiated. ggh@fingon:~$ ssh -l hgreg isildur debug2: ssh_connect: needpriv 0 debug1: Connecting to isildur [69.12.176.89] port 22. debug1: Connection established. debug1: identity file /home/ggh/.ssh/identity type -1 debug3: Not a RSA1 key file /home/ggh/.ssh/id_rsa. debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----BEGIN' debug3: key_read: missing keytype debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug3: key_read: missing whitespace debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----END' debug3: key_read: missing keytype debug1: identity file /home/ggh/.ssh/id_rsa type 1 debug1: Checking blacklist file /usr/share/ssh/blacklist.RSA-4096 debug1: Checking blacklist file /etc/ssh/blacklist.RSA-4096 debug1: identity file /home/ggh/.ssh/id_dsa type -1 debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_4.2 debug1: match: OpenSSH_4.2 pat OpenSSH_4* debug1: Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0 debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_5.1p1 Debian-6ubuntu2 debug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,,hmac-ripemd160,,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,,hmac-ripemd160,,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,,zlib debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,,zlib debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none, debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none, debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0 debug2: mac_setup: found hmac-md5 debug1: kex: server->client aes128-cbc hmac-md5 none debug2: mac_setup: found hmac-md5 debug1: kex: client->server aes128-cbc hmac-md5 none debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REQUEST(1024<1024<8192) sent debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_GROUP debug2: dh_gen_key: priv key bits set: 139/256 debug2: bits set: 518/1024 debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: filename /home/ggh/.ssh/known_hosts debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 4 debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: filename /home/ggh/.ssh/known_hosts debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 5 debug1: Host 'isildur' is known and matches the RSA host key. debug1: Found key in /home/ggh/.ssh/known_hosts:4 debug2: bits set: 500/1024 debug1: ssh_rsa_verify: signature correct debug2: kex_derive_keys debug2: set_newkeys: mode 1 debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS debug2: set_newkeys: mode 0 debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_REQUEST sent debug2: service_accept: ssh-userauth debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT received debug2: key: /home/ggh/.ssh/id_rsa (0x7ff64d5ffa70) debug2: key: /home/ggh/.ssh/identity ((nil)) debug2: key: /home/ggh/.ssh/id_dsa ((nil)) debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password debug3: preferred gssapi-keyex,gssapi-with-mic,gssapi,publickey,keyboard-interactive,password debug3: authmethod_lookup gssapi-with-mic debug3: remaining preferred: gssapi,publickey,keyboard-interactive,password debug3: authmethod_is_enabled gssapi-with-mic debug1: Next authentication method: gssapi-with-mic debug1: Unspecified GSS failure. Minor code may provide more information Credentials cache file '/tmp/krb5cc_1000' not found debug1: Unspecified GSS failure. Minor code may provide more information Credentials cache file '/tmp/krb5cc_1000' not found debug1: Unspecified GSS failure. Minor code may provide more information debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method debug3: authmethod_lookup publickey debug3: remaining preferred: keyboard-interactive,password debug3: authmethod_is_enabled publickey debug1: Next authentication method: publickey debug1: Offering public key: /home/ggh/.ssh/id_rsa debug3: send_pubkey_test debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply debug1: Server accepts key: pkalg ssh-rsa blen 533 debug2: input_userauth_pk_ok: fp 0c:65:10:76:7c:4f:d4:d7:06:fb:08:fa:15:5d:8d:d4 debug3: sign_and_send_pubkey debug1: Authentication succeeded (publickey). debug1: channel 0: new [client-session] debug3: ssh_session2_open: channel_new: 0 debug2: channel 0: send open debug1: Entering interactive session. debug2: callback start debug2: x11_get_proto: /usr/bin/X11/xauth list :0.0 2>/dev/null debug1: Requesting X11 forwarding with authentication spoofing. debug2: channel 0: request x11-req confirm 0 debug2: client_session2_setup: id 0 debug2: channel 0: request pty-req confirm 1 debug3: tty_make_modes: ospeed 38400 debug3: tty_make_modes: ispeed 38400 debug1: Sending environment. debug3: Ignored env ORBIT_SOCKETDIR debug3: Ignored env SSH_AGENT_PID debug3: Ignored env TERM debug3: Ignored env SHELL debug3: Ignored env XDG_SESSION_COOKIE debug3: Ignored env GTK_RC_FILES debug3: Ignored env WINDOWID debug3: Ignored env GTK_MODULES debug3: Ignored env USER debug3: Ignored env LS_COLORS debug3: Ignored env SSH_AUTH_SOCK debug3: Ignored env GNOME_KEYRING_SOCKET debug3: Ignored env SESSION_MANAGER debug3: Ignored env USERNAME debug3: Ignored env DESKTOP_SESSION debug3: Ignored env PATH debug3: Ignored env PWD debug3: Ignored env GDM_KEYBOARD_LAYOUT debug1: Sending env LANG = en_US.UTF-8 debug2: channel 0: request env confirm 0 debug3: Ignored env GNOME_KEYRING_PID debug3: Ignored env GDM_LANG debug3: Ignored env GDMSESSION debug3: Ignored env SPEECHD_PORT debug3: Ignored env SHLVL debug3: Ignored env HOME debug3: Ignored env GNOME_DESKTOP_SESSION_ID debug3: Ignored env LOGNAME debug3: Ignored env DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS debug3: Ignored env XDG_DATA_DIRS debug3: Ignored env LESSOPEN debug3: Ignored env DISPLAY debug3: Ignored env LESSCLOSE debug3: Ignored env COLORTERM debug3: Ignored env XAUTHORITY debug3: Ignored env _ debug2: channel 0: request shell confirm 1 debug2: fd 3 setting TCP_NODELAY debug2: callback done debug2: channel 0: open confirm rwindow 0 rmax 32768 debug2: channel_input_confirm: type 99 id 0 debug2: PTY allocation request accepted on channel 0 debug2: channel 0: rcvd adjust 131072 debug2: channel_input_confirm: type 99 id 0 debug2: shell request accepted on channel 0 Last login: Sun Mar 7 13:45:58 2010 from 69-12-176-95.dsl.static.sonic.net [hgreg@isildur ~]$ debug1: client_input_channel_open: ctype x11 rchan 3 win 65536 max 16384 debug1: client_request_x11: request from 127.0.0.1 48910 debug2: fd 7 setting O_NONBLOCK debug3: fd 7 is O_NONBLOCK debug1: channel 1: new [x11] debug1: confirm x11 /usr/bin/xnen -volume 100 & [1] 7146 [hgreg@isildur ~]$ [hgreg@isildur ~]$ [hgreg@isildur ~]$ . . . [hgreg@isildur ~]$ debug1: channel 0: free: client-session, nchannels 2 debug3: channel 0: status: The following connections are open: #0 client-session (t4 r0 i0/0 o0/0 fd 4/5 cfd -1) #1 x11 (t4 r3 i0/0 o0/0 fd 7/7 cfd -1) debug3: channel 0: close_fds r 4 w 5 e 6 c -1 debug1: channel 1: free: x11, nchannels 1 debug3: channel 1: status: The following connections are open: #1 x11 (t4 r3 i0/0 o0/0 fd 7/7 cfd -1) debug3: channel 1: close_fds r 7 w 7 e -1 c -1 Read from remote host isildur: Connection reset by peer Connection to isildur closed. Transferred: sent 16992, received 35384 bytes, in 197.9 seconds Bytes per second: sent 85.9, received 178.8 debug1: Exit status -1 ggh@fingon:~$ So, why are the connections dying? What can I do to get more information as to why? Thanks, Greg Huey