Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

This guide helps you diagnose and resolve common issues with the ARROW platform and managed devices.

Most Common Issue: VPN Blocked

99% of ARROW connectivity problems are caused by network firewalls blocking VPN traffic. If your device shows “offline” or you can’t connect, check our dedicated guide:

👉 VPN Connection Troubleshooting - Complete guide to NetBird ports, firewall requirements, and diagnostic steps.

Overview

This troubleshooting guide covers:

• Login Problems: Authentication and access issues
• Device Management Issues: Device discovery and management problems
• VPN Connection Issues: Network and connection troubleshooting
• VM Access Problems: Virtual machine connectivity issues
• Console Issues: Web interface problems

Quick Diagnostic Checklist

Before diving into specific issues, run through this quick checklist:

• Verify network connectivity (VPN, internet)
• Confirm you’re logged in with the correct account
• Check if the issue occurs in a different browser
• Verify your device is powered on and connected
• Review any recent changes to your setup

Login Problems

Cannot Log In

Issue: You cannot log in to ARROW

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify you’re using the correct email address
2. Check that Caps Lock is not enabled
3. Try resetting your password through your identity provider
4. Clear your browser cache and cookies
5. Try a different browser or incognito mode
6. Contact support if the issue persists

Multi-Factor Authentication Issues

Issue: MFA codes are not working

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify your device time is synchronized correctly
2. Ensure you’re using the most recent code
3. Try your backup authentication method if available
4. Contact support to reset your MFA if needed

Permission Issues

Issue: You cannot access certain features

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify your role assignment with your organization administrator
2. Confirm the feature is included in your organization’s license
3. Log out and log back in to refresh your permissions
4. Contact your organization administrator for role adjustments

Device Management Issues

Device Not Appearing in Console

Issue: Your device is not showing up in the device list

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify the device is powered on and connected to the network
2. Check that Arrow Manager is running on the device
3. Verify VPN connectivity is established
4. Wait a few minutes for the device to register
5. Restart Arrow Manager on the device if needed

Device Showing Offline

Issue: Device appears offline in the console

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify the device has internet connectivity
2. Check VPN connection status on the device
3. Restart the Netbird service on the device
4. Verify the device hasn’t been powered off

Incomplete Device Information

Issue: Device details are missing or incomplete

Steps to resolve:

1. Wait for the next data collection cycle (typically within 15 minutes)
2. Verify Arrow Manager has necessary permissions
3. Restart Arrow Manager to trigger a fresh data collection

VPN Connection Issues

Cannot Connect to VPN

Issue: VPN connection fails or times out

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify your internet connection is working
2. Check that your VPN credentials are current
3. Try disconnecting and reconnecting
4. Restart the Netbird client on your device
5. Verify your account has VPN access enabled

Slow VPN Performance

Issue: VPN connection is slow

Steps to resolve:

1. Check your internet connection speed
2. Try connecting to a different network
3. Close bandwidth-intensive applications
4. Contact support if performance issues persist

Frequent Disconnections

Issue: VPN keeps disconnecting

Steps to resolve:

1. Check your network stability
2. Verify your device doesn’t have power-saving features affecting networking
3. Update your Netbird client to the latest version
4. Try a wired connection instead of WiFi

VM Access Issues

Cannot Connect to VM After Provisioning

Issue: You cannot access a newly provisioned VM

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify the VM build completed successfully in the console
2. Check that your VPN connection is active
3. Wait a few minutes for the VM to fully initialize
4. Verify you’re assigned as a consultant on the device request
5. Try pinging the VM’s VPN address

SSH Connection Refused

Issue: SSH connection is refused when connecting to a VM

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify the VM is powered on
2. Check your VPN connection is active
3. Verify you have the correct connection details
4. Contact support if the SSH service may need to be restarted

Cannot Access Assigned VM

Issue: You cannot access a VM you should have access to

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify you’re listed as a consultant on the device request
2. Check your VPN connection is active
3. Log out and log back into the console to refresh permissions
4. Contact your project manager to verify your assignment

VM Running Slowly

Issue: VM performance is poor

Steps to resolve:

1. Check if the VM is under heavy load
2. Verify your VPN connection quality
3. Close unnecessary applications on the VM
4. Contact your project manager if more resources are needed

Build and Provisioning Issues

Build Failed

Issue: VM or device build failed

Steps to resolve:

1. Check the build logs in the console for specific error messages
2. Verify the build configuration is correct
3. Retry the build after a few minutes
4. Contact support if the error persists

Cannot View Build Logs

Issue: Build logs are not accessible

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify you have permission to view the device request
2. Wait for the build to progress past the initial stages
3. Refresh the page and try again
4. Contact support if logs remain inaccessible

Common Build Error Messages

Error Message	What It Means	What to Do
image_download_timeout	Network issue during setup	Retry the build
ansible_task_failed	Configuration error	Check logs, contact support
build_timeout_exceeded	Build took too long	Retry the build
disk_space_insufficient	Storage issue	Contact support

Console Issues

Page Not Loading

Issue: Console pages won’t load or show blank

Steps to resolve:

1. Hard refresh the page (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R)
2. Clear your browser cache
3. Try a different browser
4. Disable browser extensions temporarily
5. Try incognito/private browsing mode

Console Loads Slowly

Issue: Console performance is slow

Steps to resolve:

1. Check your internet connection
2. Clear browser cache and cookies
3. Close unnecessary browser tabs
4. Try a different browser
5. Disable browser extensions

Real-Time Features Not Working

Issue: Build logs don’t stream, real-time updates not appearing

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify WebSocket connections are allowed on your network
2. Disable any VPN or proxy that might block WebSockets
3. Refresh the page
4. Try a different browser

File Upload Issues

Issue: File uploads fail or get stuck

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify your file is within size limits
2. Check your internet connection stability
3. Try a smaller test file
4. Use a wired connection for large uploads
5. Keep the browser tab active during upload

Session Timeout

Issue: You keep getting logged out

Steps to resolve:

1. Check that your browser allows cookies
2. Verify your identity provider session is valid
3. Re-authenticate through your identity provider
4. Contact support if timeouts are excessive

Browser Compatibility

Supported Browsers:

Browser	Minimum Version	Notes
Chrome	90+	Recommended
Firefox	88+	Full support
Safari	14+	Full support
Edge	90+	Chromium-based

If features don’t work correctly, ensure your browser is up to date.

Error Messages

Common Error Codes

Error	Meaning	Resolution
401	Not authorized	Log in again
403	Access denied	Verify your permissions
404	Not found	Check the URL or resource exists
Connection timeout	Network issue	Check your internet connection
Authentication failed	Login problem	Verify credentials and try again

Arrow Manager Issues

Arrow Manager Won’t Start

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify the device has sufficient disk space and memory
2. Check that required services are running
3. Review system logs for startup errors
4. Restart the device if needed

Cannot Connect to Backend

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify internet connectivity
2. Check VPN connection status
3. Verify DNS resolution is working
4. Contact support if connectivity issues persist

Software Updates Failing

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify internet connectivity
2. Check available disk space
3. Retry the update
4. Contact support if updates continue to fail

For detailed Arrow Manager documentation, see Arrow Manager Overview.

Arrow Control Issues

Cannot Access Arrow Control Web Interface

Issue: Unable to access Arrow Control at https://vm-ip:20443

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify your VPN connection is active and connected
2. Confirm the Arrow VM is powered on and running
3. Check that you’re using the correct IP address from the console
4. Verify the port 20443 is not blocked by your firewall
5. Try accessing from a different browser or incognito mode
6. Ensure your system time is synchronized (SSL certificate validation)

Arrow Control Login Fails

Issue: Cannot log in to Arrow Control interface

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify you’re using your system credentials (not Arrow console credentials)
2. Check that your user account exists on the Arrow VM
3. Confirm Caps Lock is not enabled
4. Contact your project manager to verify account provisioning
5. Check Arrow Manager logs for authentication errors

File Upload/Download Issues

Issue: Cannot upload or download files through Arrow Control

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify you have sufficient disk space on the VM
2. Check file size limits (large files may timeout)
3. Ensure stable VPN connection during transfer
4. Try smaller files to test connectivity
5. Check browser console for JavaScript errors
6. Disable browser extensions that might interfere

Terminal Session Not Working

Issue: Web terminal won’t connect or shows errors

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify Arrow Control service is running on the VM
2. Check VPN connectivity and latency
3. Refresh the browser page
4. Try a different browser
5. Verify WebSocket connections are allowed through your firewall
6. Check system logs on the VM for terminal service errors

VNC Desktop Not Loading

Issue: VNC desktop viewer won’t connect or display

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify a desktop environment is installed on the VM
2. Check that VNC server is running on the VM
3. Ensure VPN connection is stable with low latency
4. Try refreshing the browser page
5. Check browser console for connection errors
6. Verify WebSocket and VNC ports are accessible

Application Installation Fails

Issue: Cannot install applications through Arrow Control

Steps to resolve:

1. Verify the VM has internet connectivity
2. Check available disk space on the VM
3. Ensure the package repositories are accessible
4. Review installation logs for specific error messages
5. Try installing the application manually via terminal
6. Contact support if repository access is blocked

System Monitoring Shows No Data

Issue: Monitoring metrics are not displaying

Steps to resolve:

1. Refresh the browser page
2. Verify Arrow Control service is running
3. Check that monitoring agents are installed on the VM
4. Wait a few minutes for data collection to initialize
5. Check browser console for API errors

Arrow Control Performance Issues

Issue: Arrow Control interface is slow or unresponsive

Steps to resolve:

1. Check your VPN connection quality and latency
2. Verify the VM is not under heavy load (check system monitoring)
3. Close unnecessary browser tabs
4. Try a different browser
5. Check if the VM needs more resources (contact project manager)
6. Disable browser extensions temporarily

For detailed Arrow Control documentation, see Arrow Control Overview.

Getting Help

Before Contacting Support

Gather this information:

• Description: Clear description of the problem
• Steps to reproduce: How to replicate the issue
• Version information: Console version (sidebar footer), Arrow Manager version if applicable
• Browser/device: What you’re using to access Arrow
• Screenshots: If applicable

Contact Support

If you cannot resolve an issue:

1. Submit a support ticket through the console (if accessible)
2. Include all relevant information gathered above
3. Provide any error messages you’ve seen

Related Documentation

• Arrow Manager Troubleshooting - Device-specific troubleshooting
• VPN Management - VPN configuration and management