Connection & login
Once you have your credentials, check the address, port, and username, then look at your local network and client.
Check the basics before contacting support
Start here if something isn’t working
Can’t connect, payment not confirmed, or need to adjust your development environment? Search for a symptom and follow the checks in order. For order or machine issues, sign in to the console and submit a ticket.
Popular topics
Already have an order? Check the instance details for connection information, rental period, and payment status.
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Four ways to find the right answer
First, identify where the problem occurs. A failed connection doesn’t necessarily mean there’s an issue with the location, and an unconfirmed payment doesn’t mean you should pay again.
Billing & renewals
Start with the order status. Check the rental period, payment method, and transaction record rather than relying on a message from your client.
System & environment
Separate connection issues from tooling issues. If you can log in but a build fails, note the tool versions and full error output.
Network & locations
Distance is just a starting point. Routing, client image quality, and file size can all affect remote access.
Connection troubleshooting
Check your credentials, then your network
Don’t start by reinstalling the machine. Record the exact error and distinguish a timeout from a refused connection or an authentication failure. That helps the support team pinpoint the issue.
SSH timeout: the connection never reaches login
If you see a connection timeout, check the network path first rather than repeatedly entering your password. A connection-refused error calls for a port and service check; for an authentication error, see the credential checks below.
- 01Copy the address again
Open the instance details in the console and copy the current host address and SSH port. Remove any spaces added during copying, and don’t reuse connection details from an old order or location.
- 02Check your local network
Make sure your local network allows access to that port. Corporate networks, proxies, and security software may restrict outbound connections. If you can, try another network you’re authorised to use for comparison.
- 03Check the instance and rules
Check the instance status in the console, along with your firewall and source IP restrictions. Don’t open every port just to troubleshoot; first check whether your current public IP is allowed.
Run this in your terminal to see detailed connection logs. Replace the uppercase fields first:
ssh -vv -p SSH_PORT USER@HOSTBefore sharing logs, redact sensitive details such as the host address, username, and local paths. Never upload a private key or password.
Black screen when sharing: check the session, then lower image quality
A black screen in the graphical interface is different from an SSH connection failure. Try SSH first to check whether the machine is reachable. If the command line works, focus on the graphical session and client settings.
- 01Check the connection details
Use the details shown in the instance information. Don’t use the SSH port for screen sharing. Make sure the client’s protocol, host, and authentication method match.
- 02Reconnect to the session
Disconnect and reconnect the client, then check whether the session is at the lock or login screen. Avoid changing display settings in several clients at once; it makes the issue harder to reproduce.
- 03Reduce the data load
Lower the resolution and image quality, then try again after stopping any large uploads. If the issue only occurs with a specific client, note its version and settings and include a screenshot with your ticket.
Invalid credentials: don’t mistake an authentication error for a network issue
An authentication error usually means the connection has reached the server. Check the username and authentication method before trying a different location.
- 01Check the username
Use the username for the current instance. After a reinstall or migration, check the connection details again. If you changed the password yourself, use the updated one.
- 02Use the matching key
Specify the private key that matches the public key on the machine, and check the local key file’s permissions. Don’t pass your public key to SSH as a private key or send your private key to support.
- 03Keep the exact error
Note when the failure occurred, the authentication method, and the error message. If the host key changes after a reinstall, confirm the instance identity in the console before updating your local record.
Billing & payments
Check the order status before paying again
We accept USDT-TRC20 and Visa / Mastercard / Amex through Stripe. All charges are in USD. Available payment gateways are shown in the console.
I sent USDT-TRC20. Why is my order still unconfirmed?
A transfer shown as sent in your wallet doesn’t mean the order has been confirmed. Check the network, receiving address, and amount due on the payment page, then check the transaction’s on-chain status. USDT-TRC20 confirmation depends on network activity; we can’t guarantee a set number of minutes.
Check the order’s payment status in the console. Don’t send funds using payment details for a closed order or an order that isn’t yours. If the transaction is confirmed but the order status hasn’t updated, submit the order number, transaction hash, amount, and transfer time, including the time zone. Never share your wallet’s private key, recovery phrase, or password, and don’t send the payment again while you wait.
What if my Visa / Mastercard / Amex payment fails?
Start with the error shown on the payment page. Check whether your card allows online and USD transactions, whether you have enough available credit, whether the billing details match, and whether you completed any verification requested by your card issuer. Contact your issuer if you need to know why the payment was declined. Don’t retry repeatedly in quick succession.
If the browser session ends, the verification page closes, or the page returns an error, check the order status in the console before trying again. When you submit a ticket, include only the order number, error message, and time of the issue. Redact sensitive information in screenshots. We don’t need your full card number or security code; Stripe handles card payment details.
How do I renew, check the USD amount, and download an invoice?
Check the current subscription’s expiry date in the console, select renewal, and confirm the quote. Before paying, verify the model, billing period, location, and any add-ons. After payment, make sure the new rental period appears in your account. Service is prepaid by the day, week, month, or quarter; hourly billing isn’t available. The order confirmation shows the renewal amount and when it takes effect.
All listed prices are in USD. XN Core M4: $21.4 per day, $57.7 per week, $106.8 per month, or $290.5 per quarter. XN Pro M4P: $59.3 per day, $160.1 per week, $296.4 per month, or $806.2 per quarter. When reviewing your invoice, check the base rental price and any add-ons you selected. Find invoices and downloadable files in the console’s billing records. If a download fails, submit a ticket with the invoice number.
You’ll receive a renewal reminder before expiry, but don’t treat it as a backup plan. Set your own calendar reminder, confirm payment and your rental period in advance, and keep important work synced to your own storage.
System & environment
Protect your work before changing your setup
Dedicated physical machines, not virtual machines, with macOS graphical and command-line access. Before installing tools, switching versions, or reinstalling, check your backups and project dependencies.
What should I prepare before reinstalling macOS?
Stop any running builds, transfers, and test jobs, then back up your code, build artifacts, environment configuration, and any certificates you need to keep. A reinstall changes the system environment and may erase local data, so it shouldn’t be your first troubleshooting step for a connection issue.
Sign in to the console to review the reinstall options and confirmation details for your instance. If you need help, submit a ticket from the relevant order and specify which instance you want to reinstall and what you’ve backed up. Afterward, retrieve your connection credentials again, check the macOS version, tool paths, and disk, then restore your project. Don’t use old connection details to diagnose the new environment.
How do I check or switch Xcode and command-line tools?
First check which Xcode, SDK, and macOS versions your project requires, then check the selected developer directory. If more than one Xcode version is installed, the version open in the graphical interface may differ from the one used for command-line builds.
xcode-select -p
xcodebuild -version
uname -m
df -hThe first three commands show the developer directory, Xcode version, and architecture. The last checks available disk space. On Apple Silicon, the native architecture should be arm64. To switch versions, first confirm that the application path exists, then use sudo xcode-select --switch /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer to select the relevant directory. This affects subsequent command-line builds.
Before using Homebrew, check command -v brew and brew --version to make sure the commands come from the environment you expect. Install dependencies using the versions pinned by your project, and avoid changing the toolchain, dependencies, and build scripts at the same time. If something fails, include the tool versions, command you ran, and the end of the error output. That’s more useful than simply saying “the build doesn’t work.”
What should I back up before expiry, and how can I verify it?
At a minimum, back up three things: unpushed code and project configuration; build artifacts and test results; and the dependency lists and licence files needed to restore your environment. Encrypt certificates and keys, share them according to your team’s access rules, and don’t put them in public repositories or ticket attachments.
You can use scp or rsync to sync files to your own storage. Start with a small sample to verify the path, permissions, and readability, then transfer the full directory. When it’s done, compare file counts, sizes, or checksums, and open important artifacts to make sure they work. An add-on SSD is external storage, not a separate backup, and it doesn’t automatically sync data across locations.
Don’t rely on recovering data after expiry. Check the console and applicable terms for details on data retention and deletion. If you need to migrate data, submit a ticket and complete your backup before the rental period ends.
Network & locations
Choose a location for your workflow, then test it
All six locations offer two Mac models. Consider your own location, where your code and build artifacts need to travel, and whether you mainly use SSH or a graphical interface.
How do I choose from six locations and assess latency?
Start by narrowing down the options based on geography, then test them on your own network. The table is a guide, not a promise of measured latency. Carrier routing and local network conditions affect performance. SSH requires less continuous data transfer than screen sharing, which is more sensitive to round-trip latency and bandwidth.
| Location | Areas to consider first | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | Southeast Asia | Compare responsiveness and code sync speeds on your usual network. |
| Tokyo, Japan | East Asia | Test with your usual screen-sharing client, starting at a lower image quality. |
| Seoul, South Korea | Northeast Asia | Compare routes from your local network; don’t rely on map distance alone. |
| Hong Kong | Southern China and Southeast Asia | Check local network restrictions and how responsiveness changes during large uploads. |
| US East | Eastern North America and Western Europe | Check both the transfer of build artifacts back to you and interactive connection performance. |
| US West | Western North America | Check where your team, code storage, and artifact destination are located. |
If things feel sluggish, pause large file transfers and lower the screen-sharing resolution before comparing again. If the issue persists, note your local network type, location, client version, and when it happened. Don’t judge an entire location based on a single test.
How do I move to a different location?
Back up your data on the original instance and note your tool versions, environment variables, job settings, and network access rules. Then check the order options for the destination in the console. If you need to change an existing subscription, submit a ticket first to confirm the cost and timing. Don’t assume changing locations automatically moves your disk.
Once you can connect to the new instance, restore your files and test builds, signing, artifact uploads, and scheduled tasks. Update the host address and source IP rules used by your team. Once the new instance is working, you can deal with the original one. During migration, don’t run deployment jobs on both machines if they could produce duplicate results.
Which models are available at each of the six locations?
Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, US East, and US West all offer XN Core M4 (M4 / 16GB / 256GB SSD) and XN Pro M4P (M4 Pro / 64GB / 2TB SSD). Both configurations are well stocked; check the console for live availability.
XN Core M4 is a good starting point for regular app builds and CI. Consider XN Pro M4P for heavy parallel builds and workloads that need more unified memory. Optional storage includes an external +1TB SSD or +2TB SSD; neither changes the model’s primary drive specification. All locations operate normally year-round, 365 days a year. If you have connection issues, troubleshoot the network, authentication, and system in turn.
Preparing a support ticket
Share what you’ve checked, all in one go
Sign in to the console, select the relevant order in the support section, and describe the issue. Keep order details in your ticket; don’t send connection passwords or full payment details in public enquiries.
Have these four things ready
- 01Order and instance
Include the order number, location, and model name. If you have multiple instances, specify which one is affected so logs from another machine aren’t mixed in.
- 02Time and symptoms
Give the time and time zone when the issue first occurred, and say whether it’s ongoing or intermittent. Note the last action that worked and any settings you changed before the issue began.
- 03Steps and checks
List the steps to reproduce the issue, client or tool versions, the exact error, and the checks you’ve already tried. Include results from testing another network or client, if available.
- 04Redacted attachments
Attach relevant screenshots or log excerpts. Remove passwords, private keys, sensitive certificate details, and payment security information, but keep error codes related to the issue.
Suggested format
Location and model → order number → issue time and time zone → expected result → actual error → checks already tried. If builds or releases are affected, say which tasks are blocked rather than just writing “urgent.”
Follow up in the same ticket so the full context stays together. Response times, progress, and expected replies are shown in the console and ticket replies; we don’t promise an unconfirmed fixed response time. Location uptime and support response times are different things.
Still need help?
Email us about plans; submit a ticket for instance issues
Haven’t ordered yet? Tell us what you’re building, how long you expect to rent, and where you’re based, and ask us about models and locations. For an existing order, submit a ticket through the console so we can match the issue to your instance.
For presales, team orders, and other enquiries, email support@xcodenet.com. Don’t send passwords, private keys, or full card details by email.