Hello,

I unfortunately cannot start (some) containers anymore. When I go to the docker tab, click on the container image -> start, I just get "Execution error \n Error code 403" (btw: pretty useless. Please add more information here!).

When editing the config, I at least get some more information. I noticed when trying to install the "vorta" community application.

This is what I get:

$ docker run
-d
--name='vorta'
--net='bridge'
--pids-limit 2048
-e TZ="Europe/Berlin"
-e HOST_OS="Unraid"
-e HOST_HOSTNAME="..."
-e HOST_CONTAINERNAME="vorta"
-e 'VNC_PASSWORD'='...'
-e 'APP_NAME'='Vorta'
-e 'TZ'='...'
-e 'SECURE_CONNECTION'='...'
-e 'USER_ID'='...'
-e 'GROUP_ID'='...'
-e 'UMASK'='...'
-e 'DISPLAY_WIDTH'='1280'
-e 'DISPLAY_HEIGHT'='768'
-l net.unraid.docker.managed=dockerman
-l net.unraid.docker.webui='http://[IP]:[PORT:5800]'
-l net.unraid.docker.icon=''
-p '5811:5800/tcp'
-v '/mnt/user/':'/unraid/data':'ro'
-v '/mnt/user/':'/restore/':'rw'
-v '/mnt/user/appdata/vorta':'/config':'rw'
--hostname=unraid-vorta 'ghcr.io/borgbase/vorta-docker'
a5c72fab104a1c0bbb9271407d286916f79c88a4a1c786d392eb8dd215fbcfd6
docker: Error response from daemon: Address already in use.

The port 5811 shows up nowhere on the docker tab. Using sudo netstat -tulpn | grep 5811 in the terminal gives no result. That port is free.

Of course I tried using different ports, but it always is the same result. None works.

I tried pruning imagaes, old containers, networks, ... - no result.

Restarting did not help either.

Array and Cache have free memory, docker vdisk too.

The same error happens for StirlingPDF, too. I haven't used it for a while, so I can't say since when this happens.

Immich (managed by docker compose), pihole and another container interestingly work fine.

The system is running Unraid 7.2.3

What could be the problem?

Thanks in advance for help!

Edited January 11Jan 11 by RaidRover
Added code box, as ```...``` is not automatically parsed

I triad a bit. I can start and stop containers, but only any one of these three can run:

I can stop all of them and start any one, but whichever I start, the others won't run.

At least pihole and StirlingPDF both run together in the past; I did not change any configuration. And they don't use the same Port.

Does somebody have any idea?

Same problem here. Did you find a solution?

I'm also having this issue as well. Also happening recently...

# Container won't start after reboot: "address already in use" — but the port IS free

Applies to: Unraid 7.3.x, Docker 29.x. Hits containers that publish a fixed host port in the 32768–60999 range (e.g. Deluge 58846/58946, qBittorrent 6881). Intermittent — usually after a reboot.

## Symptom

Container fails to start with:

failed to bind host port 0.0.0.0:58846/tcp: address already in use

…but netstatlsof shows nothing listening on that port.

## Why

Another container's docker-proxy grabbed your container's port as a random outbound source port (it's a client connection, not a listener — that's why it looks free). Your container just started too late to claim its own port first.

## Confirm it (SSH, replace 58846 with your port)

lsof -nP -i :58846

If you see a docker-proxy line like 172.17.0.1:58846->172.17.0.x:<someport> (ESTABLISHED), that's it.

## Fix (SSH as root)

Replace 58846,58946 with your container's affected port(s):

# 1. Reserve the port(s) so the kernel stops handing them out as ephemeral source ports

sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_local_reserved_ports=58846,58946

# 2. Kick the connection squatting on them

ss -K -t 'sport = 58846'; ss -K -t 'sport = 58946'

# 3. Start the container (or recreate it from the Docker tab: Edit -> Apply)

docker start <container-name>

## Make it survive reboots

Add this line to /boot/config/go (runs before Docker starts):

sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_local_reserved_ports=58846,58946

Include every fixed published port you have that falls in 32768–60999, comma-separated.

Done — the container will now win the race for its port on every boot.

Edited July 16Jul 16 by TRusselo