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This guide covers the most common issues that prevent MainWP from connecting to child sites. Work through each relevant section based on the error message you’re receiving.

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What You’ll Learn

  • Identify what’s blocking your connection
  • Resolve firewall and security layer blocks
  • Fix SSL certificate verification issues
  • Troubleshoot DNS and server configuration problems
  • Resolve plugin conflicts

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Prerequisites

  • MainWP Dashboard installed and activated
  • MainWP Child plugin installed on the site you’re trying to connect
  • Admin access to both Dashboard and child sites
  • Your Dashboard IP address (found at MainWP > Status)

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Connection Blocked by Firewall

When a firewall or security layer blocks requests from your MainWP Dashboard, you’ll typically see one of these error messages:
  • “Connection timed out after 100000ms” or “Site can’t be reached”
  • “MainWP Child plugin can’t be found” (the request never reaches the website)
Find your MainWP Dashboard IP address at MainWP > Status under the Server IP check. You’ll need this IP to create firewall exceptions.
The blocking firewall could be ModSecurity, Imunify360, Cloudflare, or another security layer on the child site server.

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General Troubleshooting Steps

1

Disable security plugins

Temporarily disable all security plugins on the child site.
2

Check .htaccess

Review the .htaccess file for leftover security rules from previously deactivated plugins or custom security rules.
3

Check cloud proxy firewall

If using Cloudflare, Sucuri, WebARX, or similar, temporarily disable it or whitelist your MainWP Dashboard IP.
4

Contact host about server firewall

If the above steps don’t help, contact your host support and have them review firewall logs around the time you tried to connect. They can whitelist your Dashboard IP or adjust the triggered WAF rule.

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ModSecurity

ModSecurity is a web application firewall (WAF) that may block MainWP connections. If ModSecurity is blocking your connection, the Connection Test typically shows HTTP status code 415 Unsupported Media Type.
1

Find your Dashboard IP

Go to MainWP > Status and note your Dashboard IP address.
2

Find the ModSecurity error

Access your child site server’s Nginx/Apache Error Log and find the ModSecurity error generated when your Dashboard tried to connect. Note the Error ID (bolded number in this example):
[Fri Jun 26 23:07:04.178701 2020 [:error] [pid 78007:tid 139308447686754] [client 125.54.65.125]
ModSecurity: Access denied with code 403 (phase 2). Pattern match
"Mozilla/(4|5)\\.0$" at REQUEST_HEADERS:User-Agent. [file
"/etc/apache2/conf.d/modsec2.conf"] [line "109"] [id "20000221"] [hostname "127.0.0.1"] [uri "/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"] [unique_id "WwjPWChxvG3CO5kz-D55eQBBBCU"]
3

Locate ModSecurity config

Find your ModSecurity configuration file:
PlatformLocation
Easy Apache 4/etc/apache2/conf.d/modsec2/whitelist.conf
PleskTools & Settings > ModSecurity > Settings > Configuration
GridPane/etc/nginx/modsec/owasp/rules/REQUEST-900-EXCLUSION-RULES-BEFORE-CRS.conf
4

Add exclusion rule

Add your exclusion rule at the bottom of the config file:
SecRule REMOTE_ADDR "^125\.54\.65\.125" "phase:1,nolog,allow,ctl:ruleEngine=off,id:20000221"
Replace the IP address and ID with your values.
5

Save changes

Save the configuration file.
If the issue persists, contact your host support for log review.

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Imunify360

Imunify360 is a security suite for Linux web servers that can block MainWP Dashboard connections. Indicators: Connection Test shows HTTP status code 415 Unsupported Media Type, or MainWP displays:
Error detected: Connection Failed. We suspect that Imunify360, a security layer added by your host, is causing this problem.
Contact your host to whitelist your Dashboard IP, or follow these steps if you have WHM access:
1

Log in to WHM

Access your WHM control panel.
2

Navigate to Imunify360

Go to Plugins > Imunify360.
3

Open Firewall tab

Select the Firewall tab.
4

Add IP to whitelist

Click Add on the right side and enter:
  • Your Dashboard IP address
  • A descriptive comment
  • TTL (time to live) value
  • Select Whitelist
  • Enable Full access
5

Save

Click ADD IP.
Some support representatives may be unfamiliar with Imunify360’s role in connection issues. If initial support doesn’t resolve the problem, escalate your ticket and request they check firewall logs.
Using Cloudflare with Imunify360: If using Cloudflare’s “Cache Everything” feature with Imunify360, see Imunify360’s Cloudflare documentation for disabling Edge Cache TTL.

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Cloudflare

Cloudflare’s firewall can block MainWP Dashboard requests. Create a firewall rule to whitelist your Dashboard IP.
1

Get Dashboard IP

Go to MainWP > Info > Server and note your Dashboard IP address.
2

Open Cloudflare WAF

In your Cloudflare account, navigate to Security > WAF.Cloudflare dashboard showing Security menu with WAF option highlighted
3

Create firewall rule

Click Create firewall rule and configure:
SettingValue
NameMainWP Dashboard
FieldIP Source Address
OperatorEquals
ValueYour Dashboard IP
ActionSkip
WAF components to skipSecurity Level
Cloudflare firewall rule configuration with IP Source Address field and Skip action selected
4

Deploy

Click Deploy to save.
Alternative: Use Referrer field If IP whitelisting doesn’t work, create a rule using the Referrer field:
SettingValue
FieldReferrer
OperatorContains
ValueYour MainWP Dashboard URL
Cloudflare firewall rule using Referrer field with Contains operator
If neither approach works, disable Bot Fight Mode at Cloudflare Dashboard > Security > Bots. This feature sometimes blocks legitimate MainWP requests.

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SiteGround Captcha

SiteGround’s captcha security feature can prevent MainWP Dashboard connections. Indicator: Connection Test shows HTTP status code 202 Accepted. Resolution: Contact SiteGround support and request they whitelist your MainWP Dashboard’s IP address. Find your IP at MainWP > Server under Server IP.
If the Server IP shows a local address like 127.0.0.1, contact your MainWP Dashboard host to get the actual external IP address.

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SSL Certificate Verification Issues

SSL certificate misconfiguration or expiration can prevent MainWP from connecting to child sites.
1

Check SSL status

Go to SSL Checker and enter your child site URL.
2

Review results

If warnings or errors appear, contact your host to resolve SSL configuration issues.
Quick fix: If your SSL is valid but MainWP still fails to connect, try disabling SSL verification for that specific site in MainWP > Sites > Edit Site > Verify SSL Certificate.

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DNS Issues

Recent server migrations may cause DNS cache inconsistencies.
1

Test connection

Use the Test Connection feature.
2

Compare IP addresses

Verify the IP matches what shows on your child site at WP > Settings > MainWP Child > Server Information.
3

Request DNS flush

If IPs don’t match:
  • Dashboard host: Request DNS cache flush
  • Child site host: Request DNS settings verification
DNS issues typically resolve within 48 hours, though some hosts may take longer.

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Dashboard Server Misconfiguration

Verify your Dashboard server meets requirements.
1

Check Server Information

Go to MainWP > Server Information.
2

Verify required checks

Ensure these show Pass:
  • cURL Extension Enabled
  • cURL Version
  • OpenSSL Extension Enabled
  • OpenSSL Version
  • PHP Version
  • MySQL Version

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OpenSSL Library Error (Invalid Request)

If you receive an “Invalid request” error, check MainWP > Server Information for the SSL Warning row. These errors indicate OpenSSL misconfiguration: 
error:02001003:system library:fopen:No such process
error:02001002:system library:fopen:No such file or directory
1

Navigate to Advanced Settings

Go to MainWP > Settings > Advanced Settings.
2

Add OpenSSL.cnf file

The option to add the OpenSSL.cnf file will appear.
3

Save

Click Save Settings.
4

Verify

Recheck Server Information to confirm the SSL Warning is gone.

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Child Site Server Misconfiguration

Verify your child site server meets requirements.
1

Check Server Information

Go to WP > Settings > MainWP Child > Server Information on the child site.
2

Verify required checks

Ensure these show Pass:
  • MainWP Upload Directory
  • cURL Extension Enabled
  • cURL Version
  • OpenSSL Extension Enabled
  • OpenSSL Version
  • PHP Version
  • MySQL Version

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Plugin Conflict

Security and caching plugins frequently block MainWP connections.
1

Disable plugins

Temporarily disable all plugins except MainWP Child.
2

Test connection

Attempt to connect the site.
3

Identify conflict

If successful, re-enable plugins one at a time to identify the conflict.
Focus first on security and caching plugins, as these are the most common culprits.

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MainWP Child Plugin Missing

The MainWP Child plugin must be installed and activated on any site you want to connect. Verify this before troubleshooting other issues.

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Self-Check Checklist

  • Dashboard IP is noted for firewall rules
  • Connection Test shows the specific error
  • Security plugins are temporarily disabled
  • .htaccess has no blocking rules
  • SSL certificate is valid
  • Server Information shows all checks passing
  • MainWP Child is installed and activated