Troubleshooting Common Installation Issues

Certificate installation rarely proceeds without encountering some challenges. Mixed content warnings occur when HTTPS pages load resources over HTTP, breaking the security guarantee. Browsers block or warn about these insecure resources, potentially breaking functionality. Resolving mixed content requires updating all resource references to use HTTPS or protocol-relative URLs. Developer tools in browsers help identify specific resources causing warnings.

Private key mismatches represent another common issue, occurring when certificates and private keys become separated or confused during installation. Each certificate corresponds to a specific private key; using the wrong key prevents successful SSL/TLS connections. Verification tools compare certificate and key modulus values, confirming correct pairing. Maintaining clear naming conventions and secure key storage prevents these mismatches.

Certificate name mismatches trigger browser warnings when accessed domains don't match certificate names. This issue often affects development and testing environments using production certificates. Subject Alternative Name fields accommodate multiple domains, but certificates must include all accessed names. Wildcard certificates provide flexibility for subdomains but don't cover the bare domain. Understanding certificate scoping prevents name mismatch issues.

Performance problems sometimes emerge after SSL/TLS implementation, particularly on resource-constrained servers. Symptoms include slow page loads, high CPU usage, or connection timeouts. Solutions include enabling SSL session resumption, implementing OCSP stapling, optimizing cipher suites, and leveraging hardware acceleration. Load testing helps identify bottlenecks before they impact production users. Modern TLS 1.3 significantly improves performance through optimized handshakes and efficient algorithms.