Understanding Connection Problems

When the Hacker News MCP server fails to connect, you'll typically notice that requests for stories, comments, or user profiles either time out or return error messages. Connection issues can stem from several sources, including network problems, configuration errors, or temporary service disruptions.

Common Causes and Solutions

Server Configuration Issues

The most frequent cause of connection problems is incorrect server configuration. Verify that the Hacker News MCP server is properly installed and listed in your MCP settings configuration file. The server entry should be correctly formatted with the appropriate command to launch the server process.

Check your configuration file (typically located in your Close settings) to ensure the Hacker News server is properly defined. If you recently updated the server or your MCP client, configuration format changes may have broken the connection.

Network and Firewall Restrictions

The Hacker News MCP server requires outbound internet access to communicate with the Hacker News API. Corporate firewalls, VPNs, or restrictive network policies may block these connections. If you're on a restricted network, verify that outbound HTTPS connections are permitted.

Try accessing news.ycombinator.com directly in your browser. If the website loads normally but the server still fails, the issue likely lies with the server configuration rather than network access.

Server Process Not Running

Sometimes the server process may fail to start or crash silently. Restart your MCP client application completely to force reinitialization of all server connections. This often resolves transient issues where the server process didn't start correctly.

Check your system's process manager to confirm whether the server process is actually running. If it's absent, there may be an installation problem or missing dependencies.

API Rate Limiting

Hacker News implements rate limiting to prevent abuse. If you're making numerous rapid requests, you may temporarily lose access. Wait a few minutes before retrying if you suspect rate limiting is the cause.

Verification Steps

To systematically diagnose connection issues, start by checking the server logs if your MCP client provides access to them. Error messages here often pinpoint the exact problem.

Test basic connectivity by requesting simple data, such as asking for the current top stories. If this works, but more complex queries fail, the issue may be with specific functionality rather than the connection itself.

Finally, ensure you're running the latest version of the Hacker News MCP server, as updates often include bug fixes and improved error handling.