title: Amazon AWS EC2 Instance - Can't connect with SSH
body: <p>This shouldn't be this hard. I cannot connect to new AWS EC2 instance via SSH clients. I am connecting from a Win 7 box.</p>
  
  <p>Instance OS: Debian 6</p>
  
  <p>AMI: <code>debian-squeeze-i386-20121119-e4554303-3a9d-412e-9604-eae67dde7b76-ami-1977f070.1(ami-a121a6c8)</code></p>
  
  <p>User: tried <code>root</code> and also <code>ec2-user</code></p>
  
  <p>Using .pem keypair that AWS generated and I downloaded</p>
  
  <p>Confirmed security group and Key Pair Name on instance</p>
  
  <p>SSH port 22 is OPEN: Nmap says so and Telnet gets a welcome reply</p>
  
  <p>Using 3 different clients: all clients connect ok</p>
  
  <p>PuTTY replies: <code>Server refused our key</code></p>
  
  <p>MindTerm Java browser add-in replies: <code>Authentication failed, permission denied</code></p>
  
  <p>Bitvise SSH replies: <code>Attempting 'publickey' auth; auth failed;</code></p>
  
  <p>Rebooted instance, wash, rinse, repeat...</p>
  
  <p>REBUILT new instance and new keypair, wash, rinse, repeat...</p>
  
  <p>Connecting isn't the issue.  Why would the instance not accept the .pem file as the password?  Is there an additional step I am missing?  I followed EVERY frigging guide I could Google.  AWS support is a joke.  stackoverflow to the rescue...</p>
  
  <p>TIA.</p>