To: ssh_exchange_identification: Connection Closed

[Janina Sajka]

I have been getting the following error on my Debian server running Open
SSH 3.4p1-1

ssh_exchange_identification: Connection closed by remote host


Now, here's the interesting thing, it only happens from certain systems.
In particular, it happens from my office where the IS Dept. folks, in
their wisdom, have installed some kind of NT firewall. And, it happens
from bumpy.braille.uwo.ca, and I have no idea what kind of firewalling
may be going on between Bumpy and the external net at uwo.ca.

But, it doesn't happen from my newly installed Red Hat Severn system
running on my portable machine, and it doesn't happen from
speakup.octothorp.org.

It gets even more interesting:

My office machine and my portable are both running fresh installs of Red
Hat Severn. So, they should perform the same, right? Unless some
intervening element is changing things?

I believe something is being stripped. If I do -v -v I get:

debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----END'
debug3: key_read: missing keytype
debug1: identity file /home/janina/.ssh/id_dsa type 2
ssh_exchange_identification: Connection closed by remote host

Let me repeat, this is from the same Red Hat installation that is on my
portable which has no problems. So, I'm quite convinced something
inbetween--very probably some kind of filtering rule on a firewall--is
doing something to the "white space." 

Given that I can't make changes on intervening systems, what's the
resolution? How do I downscale the security checking without
compromising myself too much?