Massed Compute

Network connectivity issues are among the most frustrating problems in cloud computing. Your VM responds to SSH, but Hugging Face downloads time out, pip installations fail, or API callbacks never reach their destination. This guide provides systematic read-only diagnostics to identify DNS, routing, egress HTTPS, and firewall issues without changing any configurations.

The diagnostics generate a structured report with clear sections for DNS resolution, egress connectivity, listening ports, and firewall snapshots. Unlike trial-and-error troubleshooting, this approach gives you the complete network picture before making any changes.

Massed Compute VM Pricing

Pricing data fetched July 15, 2026. No matching SKUs found for the minimum requirements. Check live pricing for current availability and rates.

Step-by-Step Network Diagnostics

ssh -i ~/.ssh/your_key -p 22 ubuntu@YOUR_VM_IP 'echo "VM access confirmed"'

ssh -i ~/.ssh/your_key ubuntu@YOUR_VM_IP 'echo "=== DNS Resolution ===" && 
nslookup google.com && 
nslookup huggingface.co && 
dig @8.8.8.8 pypi.org && 
cat /etc/resolv.conf'

ssh -i ~/.ssh/your_key ubuntu@YOUR_VM_IP 'echo "=== Egress HTTPS ===" && 
curl -I --connect-timeout 10 https://huggingface.co && 
curl -I --connect-timeout 10 https://pypi.org && 
curl -I --connect-timeout 10 https://github.com && 
curl -I --connect-timeout 10 https://api.github.com'

ssh -i ~/.ssh/your_key ubuntu@YOUR_VM_IP 'echo "=== Network Interfaces ===" && 
ip addr show && 
echo "=== Routing Table ===" && 
ip route show && 
echo "=== Default Gateway ===" && 
ping -c 3 $(ip route | grep default | awk "{print \$3}")'

ssh -i ~/.ssh/your_key ubuntu@YOUR_VM_IP 'echo "=== Listening Ports ===" && 
ss -tlnp && 
echo "=== Process Network Usage ===" && 
netstat -tulnp | head -20'

ssh -i ~/.ssh/your_key ubuntu@YOUR_VM_IP 'echo "=== Firewall Status ===" && 
ufw status 2>/dev/null || echo "UFW status requires sudo" && 
echo "=== iptables (if accessible) ===" && 
iptables -L 2>/dev/null || echo "iptables requires sudo" && 
echo "VM_NETWORK_CONNECTIVITY_OK"'

Troubleshooting Common Issues

DNS Resolution Failures

If nslookup or dig commands fail, check your /etc/resolv.conf file. Many cloud providers use their own DNS servers. Try switching to public DNS temporarily:

echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf

Egress HTTPS Blocked

If curl commands timeout or fail with connection errors, your cloud provider may have egress filtering. Check your security group rules and firewall policies. Some providers require explicit outbound rules for HTTPS traffic.

SSH Key Rejection

If SSH connections fail with “Permission denied (publickey)”, remove the old host key and verify your private key:

ssh-keygen -R YOUR_VM_IP
ssh-add ~/.ssh/your_key

Network Interface Down

If ip addr show shows your interface as DOWN, the network configuration may need rebuilding. This typically requires a VM restart or manual interface configuration.

Skip All of This: Deploy with an AI Agent

This guide exists as a tested, machine-readable recipe in the Massed Compute MCP. Instead of running commands manually, configure an AI agent to handle the network diagnostics automatically.

Add this configuration to your MCP client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "massed-compute": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://vm.massedcompute.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer MC_TOKEN" }
    }
  }
}

Then say:

The agent matches your request against the recipe catalog (tested June 10, 2026), connects to your running VM, executes the diagnostic commands above in sequence, and reports back with the structured network analysis. If any step fails, the agent stops and provides the exact error output for troubleshooting.

Quick Setup Guide

For rapid network diagnostics deployment:

1. Ensure your VM is running and SSH-accessible
2. Have your private key file path ready
3. Note any specific URLs or services that are failing
4. Run the diagnostic commands in sequence
5. Look for the VM_NETWORK_CONNECTIVITY_OK success token
6. Analyze the structured output for DNS, egress, and firewall issues

The entire diagnostic process takes 5-10 minutes and requires no package installations or configuration changes on your VM.

Frequently Asked Questions