AUTH Lock

Introduction

This article provides information about AUTH locks and provides different methods to resolve them. AUTH lockouts may be caused by changing your password without updating it on services or devices that you have used YourNetID for authentication. Formally, the lockout period lasts for 15 minutes after 7 failed log in attempts, but because many users have multiple devices, it is possible for a lockout to last multiple hours at a time. If your account is AUTH locked, this may affect your ability to successfully authenticate to services that use the AUTH domain for authentication, such as desktop logins, email, Howdy, and the campus Wi-Fi network.

The solution is to ensure that all saved NetID passwords are deleted or updated in each device that has been used to authenticate to a Texas A&M resource. For a temporary solution, you can perform a password flush, which lifts the AUTH lock and temporarily restores access to your account. 

Troubleshooting AUTH Locks

The most common source of AUTH locks stem from too many failed connection attempts to one of TAMU's wireless networks, including TAMU_WiFi and Eduroam. To ensure that your devices are not the cause of or prolonging the AUTH lock, perform the following steps for the appropriate device. 

NOTE: Do not reconnect your device to the TAMU network if possible until the source of the lockouts has been identified and the issue resolved. Re-adding the device to the network could increase the likelihood of false positives when searching for the source of the lockouts.  

Windows PC

  1. Click on the Wi-Fi icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.
  2. Right-click on the network you wish to forget.
  3. Select "Forget."

MacOS

  1. Click on the Apple menu, then "System Settings."
  2. Click on Wi-Fi on the sidebar.
  3. Next to the network you want to forget, click "Details."
  4. Click "Forget This Network," then click "Remove" to confirm the choice.

iPhone and iPad

  1. Go to the Settings app, then choose "Wi-Fi."
  2. Tap the "i" button next to the network you want to forget.
  3. Tap "Forget this Network," then tap "Remove" to confirm the choice.

Android

  1. Go to the Settings app.
  2. Tap "Network & internet," then "Internet," then "Wi-Fi."
  3. Next to the network you want to forget, tap "Wi-Fi settings," then "Disconnect."

After all known devices have been removed from the associated networks, perform a password flush, which will manually lift the lock on your account. If all devices have been successfully identified and the network is forgotten, you should be able to login to your account and other TAMU resources.

Further Resources

Other sources of AUTH lockouts include too many failed logins to TAMU resources, including OAL, VOAL, HPRC, Outlook.office.com, VPN, remote desktop connections, etc. In most cases, logging out and back in to the service will remove it from the AUTH lock chain.

If you are experiencing an AUTH lock, try the steps above. If the AUTH lock persists, you may contact Help Desk Central at helpdesk@tamu.edu for assistance in finding the source of the AUTH lock. 

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