AWS EC2 Free Tier Usage Reached 100%, Unable to Connect to Instances - How to Manage the Situation

Question

I am currently using AWS EC2 under the Free Tier, but I have reached 100% of the usage limits for my Free Tier account. As a result, I am unable to connect to my EC2 instances, and I am unsure of how to resolve this issue.

Here’s the situation:

My EC2 instances are no longer accessible.

I’ve confirmed that my Free Tier usage has reached its maximum limit.

I’m unsure if my instances have been automatically stopped or if there’s another underlying issue.

I would like to understand the following:

What exactly happens when I reach the 100% limit of the AWS Free Tier? Are my instances automatically stopped or suspended?

How can I regain access to my instances? Do I need to upgrade to a paid plan, or are there other options to restore access?

What steps should I take to prevent this from happening again in the future? Can you suggest any best practices for monitoring usage or optimizing my EC2 instance to stay within the Free Tier limits?

Your assistance would be greatly appreciated, as I need to understand how to manage my resources effectively going forward.

Thank you!

re:Post Agent · Accepted Answer

When you reach 100% of the AWS Free Tier usage for EC2, your instances are not automatically stopped or suspended. However, you may start incurring charges for usage beyond the Free Tier limits. The inability to connect to your instances is likely not directly related to reaching the Free Tier limit, but could be due to other factors.

To address your situation:

1. Check your instance status in the EC2 console. If they're running, the connectivity issue may be due to security group settings, network configuration, or instance health.

2. If the instances are stopped, you can start them, but be aware that you'll be charged for usage beyond the Free Tier limits.

3. To regain access, you don't necessarily need to upgrade to a paid plan immediately. You can continue using your instances, but you'll be billed for usage exceeding the Free Tier limits.

To prevent this situation in the future and manage your resources effectively:

1. Set up AWS Budgets or Free Tier usage alerts to notify you when you're approaching your limits.

2. Regularly monitor your usage through the AWS Billing Dashboard.

3. Be aware of the Free Tier limits: 750 hours per month of t2.micro or t3.micro instances for Linux, RHEL, or SLES.

4. Terminate (not just stop) instances you're not using. Stopped instances still incur charges for associated EBS volumes.

5. Check for resources in all regions using EC2 Global View to ensure you haven't left any instances running in other regions.

6. Delete any unnecessary EBS volumes, snapshots, or Elastic IP addresses, as these can also lead to charges.

7. Set up a CloudWatch alarm to monitor your EC2 usage and send notifications when you're approaching the Free Tier limit.

By implementing these practices, you can better manage your EC2 usage and avoid unexpected charges or connectivity issues in the future.  
**Sources**  
[Free tier Ec2, how to avoid overages | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QU4RYNJDevTOiZ-ZJvRAfa6A/free-tier-ec2-how-to-avoid-overages)  
[About free tiel ec2 instance | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QU7lcVvuSCTJ6avv91UGwPIg/about-free-tiel-ec2-instance)  
[Free tier limit exceeded | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QU9w63YzMDStKt1dOXxptQzA/free-tier-limit-exceeded)

TheWhiteTech · Answer

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TheWhiteTech · Answer

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AWS EC2 Free Tier Usage Reached 100%, Unable to Connect to Instances - How to Manage the Situation

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