The Edge shows Online in the portal, but every device behind it stays Never seen. On the Edge host, docker ps -a does not list any xyte_edge container, yet something on that host is still running as the Edge.

That something is an orphaned Edge container: a container from an earlier installation that is still running, but that the Docker engine no longer tracks. docker ps cannot see it, docker stop cannot reach it, and it keeps the Edge Online while it fails to reach your devices. Every portal command goes to that orphan.

Signs that this is what you are seeing

All of these together point here rather than to a network problem:

The strongest sign is the pair in the middle: the host reaches your devices, but the "Edge" in the portal cannot even reach the host's own IP address. A healthy Edge uses the host's network directly, so a ping to its own address never fails.

1. Find the orphaned container

Because docker ps does not list it, the quickest way to expose it is to try starting the Edge under its usual name:

docker run -d --privileged --network host --pull always --restart always --name xyte_edge -v /home/<user>/edge_data:/xyte/edge_data xytetech/xyte_edge

If an orphan exists, Docker refuses because the name is already taken:

docker: Error response from daemon: Conflict. The container name "/xyte_edge" is already in use

2. Remove it

Remove it by name. This works even though docker ps -a does not list it:

docker rm -f xyte_edge

Within a few minutes the Edge should go Offline in the portal. That confirms the orphan is gone.

3. Start the Edge with a fresh identity

Do not reuse the old edge_data folder. Start over in a new, empty folder, and the Edge generates a brand-new Edge ID with nothing left over from the orphan:

mkdir -p /home/<user>/edge_data2 && docker run -d --privileged --network host --pull always --restart always --name xyte_edge -v /home/<user>/edge_data2:/xyte/edge_data xytetech/xyte_edge

The folder name does not matter, as long as it is new and empty. After about a minute, read the new Edge ID and confirm the container is running:

cat /home/<user>/edge_data2/proxy_name.txt; docker ps

On Linux, edge_data is owned by root with group 2001 and permissions drwxrwx---. That is set by the Edge itself and is correct, so do not change it.

4. Connect the new Edge and move the devices

1. Connect the new Edge in the portal with the new Edge ID, following the "Connect Edge" step of the installation guide.
2. Claim the devices on the new Edge. They are still claimed on the old Edge, and there is no way to move a device between Edges, so claim each one again on the new Edge with the same IP address and model.
3. Delete the devices from the old Edge, then delete the old Edge itself.

Devices that were never seen have no history to lose, so claiming them again costs nothing but the claim itself.

5. Verify

Run a portal Ping Check from the new Edge to a device. It should now reply, and the devices should move out of Never seen within a few minutes. If they don't, continue with The Edge is online, but no devices are reporting.

Last updated: 2026-09-28