What does NTSTATUS 0xC0000236 (STATUS_CONNECTION_REFUSED) mean?

STATUS_CONNECTION_REFUSED

The remote endpoint actively refused the connection

The destination actively refused the connection attempt. Verify the listening endpoint, address and port, and whether a local or remote policy generated the refusal before investigating established-session logic.

The route may be valid, but the destination rejected the connection. Common causes include no listener, listener backlog exhaustion, policy refusal, or service not started.

What to inspect

• Check whether the destination service is listening.
• Verify port, address, firewall, and service state.
• Do not troubleshoot credentials until the transport listener is confirmed.

References for STATUS_CONNECTION_REFUSED

• Microsoft Open Specifications: NTSTATUS values
• Microsoft: Windows Sockets error codes
• Microsoft Open Specifications: DFS client product behavior