Troubleshooting EC2 Instance Connect: Why SSH Access Fails Even with I

Arjun just joined a fast-growing fintech startup as a Cloud Security Engineer. One of his first tasks:

“Launch an EC2 instance and make sure only his IP can SSH into it. No exceptions.”

He spun up an EC2 instance (Amazon Linux 2023), created a security group, and added this inbound rule:

Type: SSH
Port: 22
Source: My IP (e.g., 103.240.207.210/32)

Perfect, right?

To test access, he clicked “Connect” → “EC2 Instance Connect” on the AWS Console.

❌ “Connection Error. Try again later.”

😤 But Terminal SSH Works!

When Arjun used the .pem key and ran:

ssh -i arjun-key.pem ec2-user@<public-ip>

💥 Boom! He got access. So clearly, the EC2 was healthy and his IP was correct.

What gives?

🕵️‍♂️ The Investigation Begins

Frustrated but curious, Arjun tried a hack:

He temporarily changed the security group rule to:

Type: SSH
Port: 22
Source: 0.0.0.0/0 (Allow from anywhere)

Tried EC2 Instance Connect again...

✅ It worked.

🤯 Wait… it worked when the firewall was open to the world but not when it was restricted to his IP?

💡 The Aha Moment: EC2 Instance Connect Uses AWS IPs, Not Yours

That’s when Arjun dug into AWS documentation and found the key truth:

“EC2 Instance Connect doesn't use your personal IP. It uses AWS-managed backend IPs to connect to the instance.”

So when you restrict SSH to your IP only, AWS’s internal systems get blocked — hence EC2 Instance Connect fails.

🔐 Why This Matters (and How to Fix It)

🚫 Problem:

You restricted port 22 to your IP (great for security)
EC2 Instance Connect fails because AWS connects from its own IP ranges

✅ Solution Options:

1. Temporarily Allow 0.0.0.0/0

For testing or temporary access
Easy, but not secure long-term

2. Allow AWS EC2 Connect IP Ranges

Find the IP ranges used by EC2 Connect in your region:
- AWS IP Ranges JSON
- Filter by:
  - service: EC2_INSTANCE_CONNECT
  - region: your region (e.g., ap-south-1)
Add those IPs to your security group

3. Stick with PEM + SSH Terminal

Your current .pem SSH method works perfectly
Best for production and tight security setups

✅ Bonus Learnings from Arjun’s Debugging

🔍 What He Tried	✅ Result	🧠 Takeaway
SSH from terminal using `.pem`	✅ Worked	`.pem` method only needs your IP allowed
EC2 Instance Connect (My IP only)	❌ Failed	AWS uses backend IPs, not your device IP
EC2 Connect (0.0.0.0/0)	✅ Worked	Inbound SSH open to AWS IPs worked
Checked OS (Amazon Linux 2023)	✅ Compatible	EC2 Connect works on AL2023 — no issue here

🛡️ Final Thoughts from Arjun

Security is about control. But as Arjun learned, you must know who’s knocking on your EC2’s SSH port.

“You don’t just allow or block IPs — you understand the source, the behavior, and the risks.”

So next time EC2 Instance Connect fails — don’t panic. Just ask:

Is port 22 open?
To the right source IPs?

Now you're thinking like a Cloud Security Engineer.

Troubleshooting EC2 Instance Connect: Why SSH Access Fails Even with IP Whitelist