An SSH nickname is a convenience only when its resolved destination is understood. If an old alias selects a former server or a different user, repeatedly trying passwords creates confusion without explaining which configuration supplied those values.

Start with the intended hostname, account and port supplied by the responsible administrator. Keep that expectation next to the exact alias you normally type. An alias such as accounts-test is a local label; its name alone does not prove that the connection reaches a test system.

Read the configuration SSH will use

For your existing trusted SSH configuration, run ssh -G followed by the alias. OpenSSH prints the configuration after evaluating matching Host and Match blocks, then exits. Inspect hostname, user and port in that output, plus any proxy or identity settings relevant to the connection. Treat configuration from an unknown source as code-bearing input rather than importing it just to inspect an alias.

HostName supplies the actual destination behind a nickname. For most settings, OpenSSH uses the first obtained value, so a general matching block placed too early can win over a later specific value. Included files can also contribute settings. This is why reading only the nearest-looking Host block can be misleading.

Repair the specific mismatch

Compare each unexpected value with the matching configuration and its owner. Save a copy before editing a personal file. If an organisation maintains the entry, provide the effective value and the expected value instead of silently overriding its policy.

After an agreed correction, repeat the configuration inspection using the same alias and command-line options. Check another alias that should remain unchanged, especially when moving a general default or editing an included file.

Only then make the intended connection and complete normal host-identity verification. Confirm the remote account before performing an operation. Correct configuration output establishes what the client plans to request; it does not establish that the server is reachable, trustworthy or authorised to accept that account.

Sources: Ubuntu documentation, Ubuntu documentation.