There was an error connecting to GitHub server. Please check your server URL and network connection, then try again.

There was an error connecting to GitHub server. Please check your server URL and network connection, then try again.

TL;DR: Upgrade the GitHub MCP server to v1.11 or later; the remote connection failure is a known bug fixed there. The generic message hides an OAuth handshake failure in older versions, not a real network outage. Re-run the OAuth login after upgrading so the stored grant matches the new version.

The error

There was an error connecting to GitHub server. Please check your server URL and network connection, then try again.

Fix it

1. Check your installed GitHub MCP server version.

Expected: You see a version below v1.11.

1. Upgrade to v1.11 or newer (v1.12 also carries the fix).

Expected: The new version installs cleanly.

1. Re-run the OAuth login flow for the remote server.

Expected: Login completes and the server connects without the error.

When this applies

The remote/hosted GitHub MCP server fails immediately at connect with the generic connection message, on a version older than v1.11, while your network is otherwise fine.

When this does NOT apply

If you use a personal access token locally, token problems show as 401, not this message. Docker-only failures are the TLS proxy issue.

Tool compatibility

GitHub MCP server remote/hosted endpoint, versions before v1.11

Also seen as

• GitHub MCP remote server will not connect
• GitHub MCP OAuth connection failed
• check your server URL and network connection GitHub MCP

Why it happens

Older remote-server builds mishandled the OAuth handshake and surfaced a generic connectivity error. v1.11 reworked that path, so upgrading plus a fresh login resolves it.

Edge cases

• Some clients cache the old server binary; verify the running version after upgrade.
• If your org requires SSO, authorize the OAuth app for the org during login.
• Corporate proxies can still block the OAuth callback; test on an open network to isolate.