I just created a free EC2 instance with all the defaults. It says it's running in the AWS Management Console. On the "Instance Actions" menu, I click "Connect". I copy the DNS name provided (looks like ec2-a-dashed-IP-address.compute-1.amazonaws.com) and try to SSH to it. No response. I can't even ping it. What gives?
Amazon EC2 – Why Can’t I SSH or Ping My New Instance?
amazon ec2firewallpingssh
Best Answer
Apparently the default firewall is locked down, even though it doesn't look like it. Go to "Security Groups" on the left-hand pane of the AWS console, and select the "default" group. There are already entries for all TCP,UDP, and ICMP from a Source of "default group".
For a new entry at the bottom, select "SSH" from the "Connection Method" dropdown. The Source will default to "0.0.0.0/0" instead of "default group". Click "Save" over on the right and now it should respond when you try to SSH in.
If you want to ping it, create a similar new entry with protocol "ICMP", leaving the Connection Method as "Custom..."