A Matrix homeserver needs to be reachable in two distinct ways: by other homeservers (federation) and by user clients (client-server). The Connectivity Tester checks both from outside your network and reports each layer separately.
Most issues fall into one of three buckets: a missing DNS record, a TLS certificate the wider internet doesn't trust, or a reverse proxy that isn't forwarding the right path. The pages below walk through each in plain language.
If you're new to running a homeserver
Start with these four pages, in order. Each one takes about ten minutes to read.
- Federation setup — configure your server for federation
- TLS certificates — set up secure connections
- Well-known delegation — configure discovery
- CORS configuration — enable web clients
Need help?
- Run the connectivity tester against your server
- Check your homeserver's logs for relevant errors
- Read the troubleshooting guide for common issues
- Ask in #matrix:matrix.org
- Post on the forum