Logging in without configuring a Cloud Connection

Overview

This article covers various error messages you may encounter when connecting as an SFTP user with a mis-configured default Cloud Connection.

FileZilla

FileZilla gives you the following error:

Connection timed out after 20 seconds of inactivity
Could not connect to server

Here's a screenshot of that error:

This error usually indicates a mis-configured Cloud Connection. Since the SFTP user's Home Directory is in Cloud Storage, a broken Cloud Connection means there is no underlying file system for the user's chroot directory. FileZilla presents you with a connection timeout.

Note: Most connection timeouts are due to Firewall rules. But in this particular case, authentication actually succeeds -- the timeout happens when creating the session.

WinSCP

The error message for WinSCP is different. WinSCP just prompts you again for a password.