# FAQ

Short answers to common questions, each with a link to the page that has the details.

## Why is my monitor down when the VPN connects?

If the check says **Tunnel established - Internet is stuck**, the tunnel came up, but traffic through it didn't reach the internet. Users could connect but not browse, so TunnelHQ marks the monitor down. Check the server's routing and NAT, its DNS, and whether its outbound traffic is blocked. See [What a failed check says](/docs/concepts/monitors/#what-a-failed-check-says).

## The server rejected the monitor's credentials. Why didn't I get an alert?

A refusal means the server answered. If the monitor passed a check in the last 30 days and uses OpenVPN, OpenConnect, or IKEv2, TunnelHQ treats the refusal as an outage: after its retries, the monitor goes **Down** and alerts. Otherwise TunnelHQ assumes the stored credentials are wrong: the monitor reads **Degraded**, and no alert is sent. Fix the credentials or certificate in the monitor's settings.

## What does Unknown mean?

The latest check has no verdict: it's still retrying, the result was inconclusive, or TunnelHQ's checker had a fault. It says nothing about your server. A monitor with several locations shows **Unknown** when every location's latest result is like that.

## Can a problem on TunnelHQ's side make my monitor go down?

No. Messages such as "Couldn't complete this check — a fault on the monitoring checker, not your server." and "VPN check timed out" mean the checker failed. Those checks show **Unknown**, never **Down**. See [What a failed check says](/docs/concepts/monitors/#what-a-failed-check-says) for the full list.

## Why is my monitor Partial?

At least one location is up and at least one is down: the server works, but not everywhere, often because it's blocked in one country. A partial failure alerts you only if the monitor's **Notify on partial outage** switch is on; it's off by default. See [Partial-failure alerts](/docs/concepts/regions/#partial-failure-alerts).

## Which locations can I test from?

Free and Starter monitors test from **Any**. Pro monitors can test from up to 5 specific locations, and Business monitors from up to 12. `GET /regions` in the [REST API](/docs/api/#endpoints) lists the locations available now.

## How often can a monitor run?

Free monitors run every 10 minutes at most, Starter every 5, Pro every 2, and Business every minute. See [Test interval](/docs/concepts/monitors/#test-interval).

## Do paused monitors count toward my plan's limit?

Yes, if you paused them. Monitors that TunnelHQ pauses itself after a plan downgrade don't count.

## Why can't I create an API key?

The Free plan doesn't include API access. API keys, the REST API, the CLI, and the MCP server start on the Starter plan. See [Getting an API key](/docs/api-keys/).

## Still stuck?

Email [support@tunnelhq.com](mailto:support@tunnelhq.com).