Help — my server is offline

First — check the status page

Before troubleshooting, look at our status page. If there is an active network, power or maintenance event, we already know.

Step 1 — is it really down?

Rule out the obvious before assuming the worst.

ping your.server.ip

If you get a reply, the Mac is alive on the network. The actual service (VNC, web app, database) may have crashed. Try SSH:

ssh youruser@your.server.ip
# To reboot from inside macOS:
sudo shutdown -r now

Test VNC at the protocol level:

nc -zv your.server.ip 5900

Open ports answer with succeeded. Closed or filtered ports time out. If the port is open but Screen Sharing won't connect, the issue is on the client side.

If ping fails too, move to step 2. (If you blocked ICMP in your firewall, ping will never answer — that doesn't mean the Mac is down.)

Test from another network. Try from your phone on mobile data. If the Mac is reachable from there, the problem is between you and the internet, not at vBoxx.

Step 2 — did you just run a macOS update?

Major macOS updates often boot into a setup wizard or get stuck at the login screen waiting for input. From outside there is no way to know. If you ran an update in the last hour, open a ticket and ask us to attach a console — we can finish the wizard and the Mac will be back.

Step 3 — try a remote power cycle

If SSH and VNC are both unreachable and you've ruled out network, use Remote power in the customer portal. This cuts power to the outlet and switches it back on after a short delay. See Remote reboot.

A hard power cycle is destructive — macOS doesn't get to flush disks or close apps. Use it when nothing else responds.

Step 4 — open a ticket

Still down? Open a ticket from the portal with:

• The hostname or IP.
• What you tried (ping result, SSH result, last reboot time).
• Any maintenance you ran in the last 24h.

We can attach a physical console in Amsterdam, Naaldwijk or Frankfurt and report back what the screen shows.