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Troubleshooting

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  • Updated on Nov 10, 2026
  • Published on Mar 6, 2026
  • 2 minute(s) read
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This article describes common issues with Kentik’s AI Advisor MCP Server and how to resolve them.

Authentication & Connection Failures

  • Symptoms: "Authentication failed", "Invalid credentials", timeout errors, or the Model Context Protocol (MCP) server shows as unauthenticated.

  • Quick Fixes:

    • Verify Your Region: The most common error is mixing up the US and EU endpoints. Ensure your URL matches your account region (api.kentik.com vs. api.kentik.eu).

    • Check Your Token (API Token Authentication): Double-check that your API token is active in the Kentik portal and hasn't been revoked.

    • Complete the Login (OAuth): Your client shows the server as unauthenticated until you log in to the Kentik portal in the browser tab that opens.

      • In Claude Code, run /mcp and follow the prompts.

      • In Cursor, click Authenticate for the server.

    • Use a Kentik Portal Account (OAuth): OAuth requires a Kentik portal account. Confirm that you can log in to the portal.

    • Firewall Rules: Ensure your local network allows outbound HTTPS connections to the Kentik API endpoints.

    • License Check: Confirm with your admin that your specific account has AI Advisor access enabled.

MCP Server Not Appearing

  • Symptoms: The Kentik AI Advisor server doesn't show up in Claude Desktop or your chosen client.

  • Quick Fixes:

    • Validate Your JSON: A missing comma or mismatched quote in the claude_desktop_config.json is the #1 cause of this issue. Run your config through a JSON validator.

    • Check Your PATH: Ensure npx is installed and available in your system's PATH (specifically required for Claude Desktop).

    • Hard Restart: Completely quit (don't just minimize) and restart your client application to force it to re-read the configuration file.

AI Is Ignoring Kentik Data

  • Symptoms: The AI responds to your network questions with generic advice, hallucinates answers, or fails to query Kentik.

  • Quick Fixes:

    • The "Kentik" Keyword: Ensure you are explicitly including the word "Kentik" in your prompt (e.g., "Show me my Kentik devices" instead of "Show me my devices").

    • Verify Connection State: Open your client's developer settings and verify the Kentik MCP server is showing as "Connected." If you use OAuth, confirm that you completed the login.

Slow Responses or Timeouts

  • Symptoms: Queries are taking a long time to return an answer or are timing out entirely.

  • Quick Fixes:

    • Patience for Complex Queries: Deep network queries can take 30-60 seconds to process.  Watch the real-time progress indicators to ensure that it is still working.

    • Rate Limiting: You may have hit the API rate limit. Wait 60 seconds and try again.

    • Prompt Strategy: Try breaking down massively complex questions into smaller, targeted follow-up questions using the ask_followup tool.

Timeouts on Connect (Outdated MCP Protocol Version)

  • Symptoms: Your client times out when connecting to AI Advisor, even though your credentials and endpoint are correct.

  • Quick Fixes:

    • Check your MCP protocol version: AI Advisor's MCP server supports MCP protocol versions 2026-07-28 and 2025-11-25. Clients using any earlier version, such as 2024-11-05, are not supported and will time out.

    • Update your client or library: Update your MCP client, software development kit (SDK), or library to a release that supports one of these protocol versions. See the prerequisites in Getting Started.

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