6.1 Common Issues

6.1.1 Web Interface 404 Error#

Attempting to access the Guardpot web interface directly via its assigned IP address may result in an HTTP 404 error, as illustrated in Figure 1.2.5-2. This occurs when DNS record configuration has not been completed.

Resolution: Configure the required DNS record as described in Section 1.2.5 and Section 3.2. For immediate access, add the hostname mapping to your local hosts file:

Windows: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts Linux: /etc/hosts

Add the required DNS record mapping the appliance IP to the hostname (e.g., 172.16.61.222 guardpot.local).

6.1.2 System License Expired Warning#

Upon successful login, the main dashboard may display a System license expired! warning, as illustrated in Figure 1.3.2-1.

Resolution: Navigate to System Admin > General Settings > System General in the left sidebar, as shown in Figure 1.3.2-2 and Figure 1.3.2-3. Locate the License row and click the edit icon, as indicated in Figure 1.3.2-4. Paste your license key into the text field and save to activate.

If you do not have a license, use one of the following methods (see Section 1.3.2):

• Click the Get Demo License button next to the License header and provide a valid email address to receive a temporary license.
• Contact Guardpot Support with the System GUID, Boot ID, and Machine ID displayed at the bottom of the page.

6.1.3 Honeypot Agent Offline Status#

A high number of Offline agents compared to Active agents on the main Dashboard (see Section 2.1.1) signals a potential systemic issue. Offline honeypots are non-responsive or powered-off instances.

Resolution:

• Check the Agent tab in the Monitoring module (see Section 2.11.2) for detailed health metrics on specific agents.
• Use the Filter dropdown in the Guardpots module toolbar (see Section 2.2.2) and select Offline to isolate affected instances.
• Verify network connectivity between the management platform and the affected honeypot agents.
• Check resource utilization on the host machine by clicking the Detail button on the machine entry in the Guardpot Pool (see Section 2.2.6.1).

6.1.4 Mailbox Connection Errors#

The MailPot module may display connection errors for monitored email accounts. Clicking the Info icon on a mailbox card (see Section 2.6.3.3) reveals the Status and Error Message fields. Common errors include "Login failed: Invalid credentials (Failure)."

Resolution:

• Verify the email account password. For Gmail accounts, ensure an App Password is being used instead of the regular account password.
• Confirm the server address and port are correct for the selected email provider.
• Check that SSL/TLS encryption settings match the provider's requirements.
• Review the Sync Period setting to ensure it is appropriate for the mailbox volume.

6.1.5 Secure Link Connection Errors#

The Secure Link module (see Section 2.4) displays connection health counters in the Network Topology panel. A rising Errors count indicates network instability or configuration issues between Guardpot agents.

Resolution:

• Navigate to the Link Checks view (see Section 2.4.3) to review configured connection tests and identify failing links.
• From the List view (see Section 2.4.4), check the Last Status column for each link checker to identify specific failing connections.
• Verify that the source and target agents specified in the link check configuration are both online and reachable.
• Review the target ports configured in the link check to ensure they are correct and not blocked by firewalls.

6.1.6 VGN Connection Failures#

The VGN Logs tab (see Section 2.7.5) includes a Failures sub-tab that displays unsuccessful connection attempts with the following columns: Timestamp, User, Client IP, and Reason.

Resolution:

• Review the failure reason in the Failures log to identify the specific cause.
• Verify LDAP server configuration in the Access tab (see Section 2.7.3.1) if using LDAP authentication.
• Check that the user's MFA configuration is correct if MFA policies are applied (see Section 2.7.4).
• Verify that the VGN chain status is not OFFLINE and restart the chain if necessary using the Restart button (see Section 2.7.2.3).
• Ensure the client software version matches the platform version by downloading the latest client from the Download Client page (see Section 2.7.6).

6.1.7 Machine Resource Exhaustion#

Machines in the Guardpot Pool may show high resource utilization. Click the Detail button on a machine entry (see Section 2.2.6.1) to view CPU, Memory, and Disk utilization.

Resolution:

• Review the Total Guardpots field showing the number of honeypots deployed versus maximum capacity (e.g., 0/0).
• If the machine is at capacity, deploy additional honeypots to other available machines or add new machines to the pool.
• Reduce the number of honeypot instances on an overloaded machine by removing or relocating them.