Troubleshooting Common Let's Encrypt Issues

Troubleshooting Common Let's Encrypt Issues at dotCanada.com
Let's Encrypt is a free, open and automated certificate authority that provides SSL/TLS certificates. While it is a great service, users can sometimes run into issues when trying to obtain or renew certificates. Here are some common problems and solutions:

1. Unable to Obtain Initial Certificate
   • Make sure your domain's DNS is pointing to the correct server IP
   • Check that ports 80 and 443 are open for inbound connections
   • Verify that your server software is configured properly to use Let's Encrypt
2. Certificate Renewal Failure
   • Let's Encrypt requires the ability to perform HTTP validation on your domain
   • Ensure that no firewall, proxy or content filter is blocking Let's Encrypt's validation request
   • Check that the renewal process is automated and running without errors
3. Rate Limiting
   • Let's Encrypt limits the number of failed validation attempts to avoid abuse
   • If you hit the rate limit, you may have to wait a week or two before retrying
   • Use the --renew-by-default flag when running certbot to combine obtaining and renewing
4. Expired Certificates
   • Let's Encrypt certificates are valid for 90 days
   • Set up a cron job or scheduled task to automatically renew 30 days before expiration
   • Monitor renewal logs for any errors that need to be addressed
5. Mixed Content Warnings
   • This occurs when some resources on a page are loaded insecurely over HTTP
   • Ensure all resources (CSS, JavaScript, images, etc.) are referenced with HTTPS links
   • Use a tool like SSL Labs or WhyNoPadLock to identify mixed content
   At dotCanada.com, we recommend using Let's Encrypt for secure SSL/TLS on your websites. Following best practices and monitoring the automated renewal process can help avoid most common issues.
   

Updated on: 08/05/2024