Troubleshooting the Desktop App

  • Last validated: Aug 31, 2026

Overview

This doc outlines common desktop app issues as well as where to find the log files related to various desktop app functionalities, so that end users can independently address problems that arise.

Desktop app requirements

SonicWall uses the following ports and IP addresses for communications between the desktop app and the Access Tier:

Outbound:

  • TCP 80
  • TCP 443
  • TCP 8443
  • UDP 51820
  • TLS inspection exemption for net.banyanops.com and <orgname>.trust.banyanops.com.

These ports need to be available in order for the desktop app to function.

Note: If the network blocks UDP 51820, end users can still connect a Service Tunnel by turning on Service Tunnel over TCP port 443 in the desktop app.

Issue: Port 8118

Synopsis
  • The desktop app requires port 8118 in order to run;
  • If an end user is running another process on this port, the desktop app cannot run.
Remediation Steps

macOS:

  1. In your CLI, run lsof -i tcp:8118. This will indicate which process is currently running on port 8118.
  2. In your CLI, enter kill [process number].
  3. Run the desktop app installer again, and log into the desktop app.

Once these steps are completed, end users should be able to successfully use the desktop app.

Issue: The Add Organization option is missing

Synopsis
  • The Add Organization option appears on the My Organizations screen in the desktop app. It is only displayed when an admin has explicitly enabled multiple-organization support. When it is not enabled, My Organizations lists the single registered organization and offers only Unregister Device.
  • On devices that an admin deployed through the zero touch script or the Windows MSI deploy path, the option is displayed only when mdm_multi_org is set to true in the mdm-config.json file. If the parameter is absent or set to false, the option is not displayed. Earlier releases of the app did not hide the option when the parameter was unset, which is why a user may have been able to add organizations before upgrading.
  • On devices where the user installed the app manually and no mdm-config.json file is present, multiple organizations are always allowed and no configuration is needed.
Remediation Steps

Check whether an mdm-config.json file exists in the Global Config Directory on the device:

Operating System Global Config Directory
macOS /etc/sonicwallcse
Windows C:\ProgramData\SonicWallCSE (ProgramData is a hidden folder)
Linux /etc/sonicwallcse

Then complete the following steps:

  1. If the file exists, the device is treated as an admin-deployed install. Ask your admin to set mdm_multi_org to true and push the updated configuration through your Device Manager. In the zero touch scripts and in the Windows MSI installer, the corresponding input parameter is $ALLOW_MULTIORG. For details, see Configuring the mdm_multi_org parameter.

  2. Quit the desktop app completely and confirm that no app process is still running before restarting it, so that the app re-reads the configuration file. On Windows, check Task Manager for SonicWall Cloud Secure Edge.exe; on macOS, check Activity Monitor for SonicWall Cloud Secure Edge.

Note: In earlier versions of the desktop app, the Add Organization option could be restored on an individual device by setting Is_Staged to false in config3.json and removing the Invite Code from mdm-config.json. That procedure does not enable the option on an admin-deployed device. Use mdm_multi_org instead.

If the Add Organization option is still missing after mdm_multi_org has been set to true and the app has been restarted, collect the app log files described below and contact SonicWall Support.

Issue: Service Tunnel does not connect on a restrictive network

Synopsis
  • The desktop app is registered and the user can reach CSE-secured web services, but a Service Tunnel fails to connect, or connects and then drops.
  • This happens on a specific network, such as airport or hotel Wi-Fi, a school or agency network, or a network that blocks non-standard ports.
  • The root cause is usually the network blocking the WireGuard UDP port (51820 by default) that Service Tunnel uses.
Remediation Steps
  1. In the desktop app, go to Settings > Preferences and toggle on Enable Service Tunnel over TCP. The tunnel then runs over TCP port 443.
  2. Reconnect the Service Tunnel.
  3. Toggle the setting back off once the user is on an unrestricted network, because tunneling over TCP reduces throughput to roughly 30% of the UDP path.

For what the setting does and when to use it, see Service Tunnel over TCP port 443. For the full diagnostic flow, see Loss of Connectivity on a Restrictive Public Network.

Configuration and Log Files

  • The desktop app automatically installs a config3.json file and logs files when an end user installs the desktop app on their device. Occasionally, when troubleshooting issues with the desktop app, we may ask you to send us the configuration file and log file from the app.

  • The desktop app places these files in a specific directory depending on your Operating System (for desktop app versions 4.0.0 and later):

Operating System Log Locations
macOS ~/Library/Application Support/sonicwallcse
Windows %APPDATA%/SonicWallCSE
Linux ~/.config/sonicwallcse/logs

Admin Server Log Files

  • The Admin Service (sonicwall-cse-admin in desktop app versions 4.0.0 and later; previously banyanapp-admin) is the administrative component of the app. It is responsible for any functionalities in the app that require administrative privileges.

  • Users may consult the Admin Server log files to address issues related to app functionalities that require admin privileges.

Operating System Log Locations
macOS /etc/sonicwallcse
Windows %PROGRAMDATA%/SonicWallCSE
Linux /etc/sonicwallcse

WireGuard Service Log Files

  • ​​If end users want to connect to Service Tunnels, the desktop app must install the WireGuard Service, which creates and maintains the WireGuard tunnel interface.

  • Users may consult the WireGuard Service log files to resolve Service Tunnel issues.

Operating System Log Locations
macOS /var/log/sonicwallcse/
Windows %APPDATA%/SonicWallCSE/Logs
Linux /var/log/sonicwallcse

App Log Files

  • Users may consult the App log files to troubleshoot issues related to desktop app installation, registration, or device trust scoring.
Operating System Log Locations for desktop app versions 3.28.1 or older
macOS ~/Library/Logs/banyanapp/main.log
Windows %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\banyanapp\logs\main.log
Linux ~/.config/banyanapp/logs/main.log
Operating System Log Locations for desktop app versions 4.0.0 or later
macOS ~/Library/Logs/sonicwallcse/main.log
Windows %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\sonicwallcse\logs\main.log
Linux ~/.config/sonicwallcse/logs/main.log

Proxy Log Files

  • Users may consult the Proxy log files to troubleshoot issues related to sonicwall-cse-proxy or banyanproxy. These files can be reviewed if the TCP services are not working as expected.
Operating System Log Locations
macOS $HOME/Library/Logs/sonicwallcse/sonicwall-cse-proxy
Windows %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\SonicWallCSE\logs\sonicwall-cse-proxy
Linux $HOME/.config/sonicwallcse/logs/sonicwall-cse-proxy

Run Diagnostic Tool for troubleshooting

If, in any case, end users are encountering issues (e.g., cannot access a service or register a device) and want to diagnose the issue in the desktop app, they can use the Run Diagnostic tool. End users can also use this diagnostic tool to package logs to send to their administrator.

1. Navigate from Settings > Health Check in your desktop app. Select Run Diagnostic Tool to run a health check.

  • The Health Check menu will display a list of your device’s properties, the status of your sessions and services, and your device features (showing which security measures you have in place and whether your system is up-to-date). It will also display the status of certificates from all of your orgs.

2. At the bottom of the Health Check menu, select View Log Files to download your app logs.

Send app log files directly to Support

If end users are encountering issues and require support to help diagnose the issue in the desktop app, they can send app log files directly to Support.

1. Navigate from Settings > Health Check > Run Diagnostic Tool.

2. Select Run Diagnostic Tool, scroll to the bottom of the Health Check page, and select Send Log Files to CSE Support.

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