Veeam SPC | Connection Refused Error (Port 1280)

Overview 💥

When configuring the Liongard Inspector for Veeam Service Provider Console (SPC), you may encounter an error similar to:

Axios Error: connect ECONNREFUSED <IP_ADDRESS>:1280

This indicates that the Inspector attempted to connect to port 1280 on the SPC server but could not establish a network connection. This is typically caused by port exposure, firewall, or reverse-proxy configuration.

Why Does This Happen? 🤔

The Veeam SPC REST API uses the following internal ports by default:

Service	Default Port	Protocol	Notes
REST API (HTTP)	1280	HTTP	Internal-only in many environments
REST API (HTTPS)	1281	HTTPS	Often not exposed externally
Published External Access	443	HTTPS	Commonly used via reverse proxy / firewall NAT

Most VSPC deployments do not expose port 1280 externally. Instead, organizations expose the REST API externally via port 443, with internal forwarding to ports 1280/1281.

Therefore, when the Inspector attempts to access:

https://yourdomain.com:1280/api/v3

…and the port is not externally open, the result is:

ECONNREFUSED

How to Confirm the Cause 🧑‍🏫

✅ Test external reachability of port 1280

Use an external tool such as https://portchecker.co
OR
Run PowerShell:

Test-NetConnection yourdomain.com -Port 1280

Results Interpretation

Result	Meaning	Next Step
TcpTestSucceeded: True	Port is open externally	Proceed with normal configuration
TcpTestSucceeded: False	Port is blocked or not exposed	Use port 443 instead (recommended)

Recommended Resolution 👨‍💻

1️⃣ Use Standard HTTPS Port 443 (Recommended)

Instead of explicitly calling port 1280, change your Liongard Inspector URL to:

https://yourdomain.com/api/v3

Why this works:

Reverse proxies/firewalls often already map 443 → 1280/1281 internally
Follows Veeam best practices for external API publication
Avoids unnecessary troubleshooting on port 1280

2️⃣ Expose or Forward Port 1280 — Alternative Resolution (Optional)

Only use this method if your environment requires direct access to port 1280.

You may:

Option A: Expose port 1280 externally on your firewall.
Option B: Create a mapping such as:

External Port	Internal Port	Purpose
443	1280	REST API HTTP
443	1281	REST API HTTPS

This allows:

https://yourdomain.com/api/v3

…to succeed even though the API is internally hosted on port 1280.

Troubleshooting Decision Matrix 🚀

Scenario	Symptom	Likely Cause	Fix
Port 1280 not open	ECONNREFUSED	Port blocked/not published	Switch to port 443 (recommended)
Reverse proxy in use	1280 test fails but 443 works	Proxy rewrites API path	Use URL without port
Using VSPC v9+	Errors continue even after correct URL	Version unsupported	Use v8.1 or earlier until support is released
Incorrect URL format	API returns 404 or SSL errors	Wrong path	Use `/api/v3` only

When to Contact Liongard Support 🦁

Contact Liongard Support if:

Port 443 and 1280 tests succeed but the Inspector still fails.
You use VSPC 8.1 or earlier, and the Inspector fails authentication.
You see intermittent failures or timeouts unrelated to port exposure.
You need help validating network or reverse-proxy design.

Provide the following in your ticket:

Required Info	Why
Inspector URL used	Confirms routing decisions
Test-NetConnection results	Identifies firewall/NAT issues
VSPC Version	Confirms compatibility
Screenshot of the error	Validates root cause

Additional Notes & Disclaimer 🚨

VSPC v9 introduces architectural and API changes that the current Inspector does not yet support.
This article focuses specifically on the Port 1280 Connection Refused error, which remains applicable regardless of version.

Version Compatibility Notice (Important) ⚠️

Liongard’s Veeam Service Provider Console (SPC) Inspector is currently compatible with VSPC up to version 8.1.

VSPC v9 and later are not yet supported.
Work to support newer versions is planned, but there is no ETA at this time.
If using VSPC v9+, the Inspector will not function and you may encounter additional errors unrelated to Port 1280 connectivity.

For version details, see the official documentation.