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Login Issues: Troubleshooting "Lost Connectivity" Errors and Network Time Sync (NTP) Skew

Login Issues: Troubleshooting “Lost Connectivity” Errors and Network Time Sync (NTP) Skew

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Users attempting to access the Xona web interface may encounter a recurring error message stating, “Lost connectivity. Attempting to reconnect…” during login attempts. Additionally, the system may unexpectedly reject valid Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) TOTP codes.

Affected Environments

  • Platform:
    • Hardware (HX310 1U Server)
    • Virtual Image (VMware/Hyper-V)
    • AWS AMI
    • Azure VM
  • Software Version: All versions
    Note: A specific bug affects v5.3.4 and earlier.
  • Component:
    • CSG
    • XCM

Root Cause

These login and authentication failures typically occur when the internal clock of the CSG or XCM is significantly out of sync (skewed) with the client browser’s computer clock or the device generating the MFA TOTP codes.

Network time synchronization (NTP) is non-negotiable for Xona deployments, and operating with disabled or misconfigured timesync in a production environment will cause system instability.

Known Issue: If the CSG is running Xona v5.3.4 or older, a known bug prevents the software clock from persisting to the hardware clock. The clock may appear correct initially but will skew after a reboot until the next successful time sync occurs.

Resolution Steps: Web UI

If you have admin access to the web interface, verify the NTP synchronization status:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Appliance > Date/Time.
  2. Check the Last Sync Time.

If this value displays “Pending” for an extended period, time is not syncing. Investigate the following common causes:

  • Firewall restrictions: Ensure the NTP protocol (UDP port 123) is not blocked on your network.
  • Invalid servers: Verify the configured time servers are correct and reachable.
  • DNS failures: If you are using FQDNs for time servers, ensure DNS servers are properly configured, reachable, and contain the correct records.
  • Cross-check XCM/CSG: If both the XCM and CSG web interfaces are loaded simultaneously, the Appliance Time (in UTC) should be roughly identical on both systems. If they differ, the time servers themselves may be experiencing clock skew.

Resolution Steps: Setup Console (v5.5.0+)

If the web UI is inaccessible or you prefer the command line interface, use the setup console:

  1. Access the CSG setup console via SSH or a physical keyboard and monitor.
  2. Navigate to System > Show Time and press Enter.
  3. Compare the displayed UTC time with a reliable external clock to verify accuracy. Use a time zone converter if necessary.
  4. Press Enter to close the time display.
  5. Navigate to Network Configuration.
  6. Verify the status reads Timesync Status: enabled. If it is disabled, re-enable it for proper XCM deployment operation.
  7. Navigate to Network Configuration > Set Time Servers.
  8. Ensure the listed servers are valid for your specific environment.

Test Connectivity

  • If you are using FQDNs for time servers, verify that a DNS server is assigned to either the Trusted or Untrusted interface under Network Configuration.
  • Navigate to Network Tools and use the Ping function to test reachability to the time servers, if ICMP is permitted on your network.
  • If you are using FQDNs, also test pinging your DNS servers to rule out resolution failures.