> Source: [sk181339](https://support.checkpoint.com/results/sk/sk181339)

# sk181339 - "Access denied. wrong username or password" when connecting to the VPN using SAML authentication

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| Solution ID | sk181339 |
| Date Created | 2023-07-31 |
| Last Modified | 2023-07-31 |
| Technical Level | Advanced |
| Products | Security Gateway |
| Versions | R81.20, R81.10 (EOS), R81 (EOS) |
| OS | Gaia |

## Symptoms

- * After authenticating successfully using SAML, the Endpoint client shows the error:   
  `"Access denied. wrong username or password"`   

* SmartConsole \> Logs \& Monitor \> Logs shows a log from the **Standby** cluster member "Failed log in" with the error:  
  `"Access denied. wrong username or password"`   

* The IKED debug output (see [sk180488](https://support.checkpoint.com/results/sk/sk180488)) does not show these lines:  
  `[iked]@GW[date][ike_xauth] InitCPAuthRequestSAML: Entreing`  
  `
  [iked]@GW[date][ike_xauth] InitCPAuthRequestSAML: Calling`  
  `
  make_au_realm... Login option = 'vpn_aws-idp'`  
  `
  [iked]@GW[date][AU] make_au_realm: (NULL,vpn_aws-idp) ----------------------------------------`  
  `
  [iked]@GW[date][AU] au_make_auth_object (vpn_aws-idp): Entrance
  `   

* The VPN Site in the Endpoint client was configured using FQDN, and the "automatic_mep_topology" was disabled ([sk78180](https://support.checkpoint.com/results/sk/sk78180)).

## Cause

In the *$FWDIR/conf/trac_client_1.ttm* configuration file, an incorrect configuration of the *ips_of_gws_in_mep* parametercauses the client to try to connect to the Standby cluster member. Only the Active cluster member can do authentication.

## Solution

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