I updated my Matrix Synapse version to 1.128.0 and Element chat Version 1.12.6 is no longer able to connect to the server. In element I get an error saying Connectivity to the server has been lost and it’s stuck on loading.
I tried downgrading the synapse version to older versions but then the logs say that the database is incompatible. I’ve also tried resetting the tor connection of the embassy both wiping state and not (several times with no luck).
Any thoughts on what’s causing the issue and how I can fix it?
The Synapse logs show no errors—all operations (health checks, notification rotation, cache maintenance) complete normally.
Next Troubleshooting Steps
Confirm health checks appear green on the Start9 Synapse service page. If so, copy the homeserver’s .onion address from the Interfaces tab and paste it into Tor Browser (ensure it’s connected to the Tor network). You should see “It works! Synapse is running on your Start9 server,” verifying external client reachability.
If unreachable, verify your local Tor setup or network blocks; Tor connections can have higher latency. A full server reboot often resolves transient issues—let us know the results.
Thanks for the help. The health checks appear good on the synapse service page. When I try the .onion address, it does not work and it says Onion site has disconnected (The most likely cause is that the onion site is offline. Contact the onion site administrator.)
I reset tor connections and did a fully embassy reboot. Unfortunately it seems like the whole embassy is unreachable by tor currently, even though the other services were working fine in the last few days. Here is a screenshot of the tor logs.
Tor logs look healthy, which means Tor should be working fine on the server side and you should check the Tor setup on the client you use to connect. Do you use the Tor Browser to access Tor? Can you reach other onion sites that are not related to your server, for example our Start9 Tor site? As for Matrix, you need to switch federations in the configuration in order to reach it.
Yes, I do use Tor Browser and it works fine to reach other onion sites like the Start9 Tor site you shared among others. I’m unsure why my embassy is no longer accessible through Tor. It was a few days ago even when Matrix was not.
In terms of federations, I’m only using Matrix to host a private chat server so I do not need to connect to discover / connect to other rooms. I’m pretty sure I’ve had federation disabled the entire time I’ve been using it.
I’m unsure what to try next . Any ideas for what to try or where to check for bugs or other issues?
OK, something doesn’t look right. Can you access your server on LAN?
If yes, reboot via System > Restart, or shut down and unplug for a clean slate. If not, use the power button to shut it down. After few seconds you can turn it on.
Once the server comes back up, check if the Tor logs show bootstrap at 100%. If so, try connecting. We’ll verify Tor works before troubleshooting Synapse.
Interestingly, I did a full tor reset and wiped the state. It worked for about 5 minutes and was accessible through Tor and now the server is again unreachable through Tor.
Happy to send you the complete logs. How do I DM you?
I may be a no0b, but is it possible I don’t see that option because I recently joined the forum and that isn’t available to me yet? I wasn’t able to upload more than one attachment at a time because of that so I’m thinking that may be the case why I don’t see that option.
From our DM conversation, I suspect something may be interfering with the tor connections. It could simply be “tor weather,” which might simply go away after a while. Or there might be something more specific going on. When it won’t be disruptive to others on your network, reboot the router, and we’ll take a look at the log again.
. Any ideas for what to try or where to check for bugs or other issues?