# Problems joining a node to the cluster in a new installation

**URL:** <https://forums.percona.com/t/problems-joining-a-node-to-the-cluster-in-a-new-installation/38520>\
**Category:** MySQL & MariaDB\
**Tags:** mysql, percona\
**Created:** [July 1, 2025, 1:59pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/problems-joining-a-node-to-the-cluster-in-a-new-installation/38520 "2025-07-01T13:59:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![elabruzzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f1d935/32.png) [@elabruzzo](https://forums.percona.com/u/elabruzzo)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 1:59pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/problems-joining-a-node-to-the-cluster-in-a-new-installation/38520/1 "2025-07-01T13:59:51Z")

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Good afternoon.  
I’m currently setting up a MySQL cluster and am experiencing errors when connecting the secondary node to the primary node. Both nodes are starting up as the primary node. This is a new installation. Can anyone tell me what’s causing this and where I can check?  
Thank you  
Enzo

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![matthewb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.percona.com/matthewb/32/34_2.png) [@matthewb](https://forums.percona.com/u/matthewb)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 4:15pm UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/problems-joining-a-node-to-the-cluster-in-a-new-installation/38520/2 "2025-07-01T16:15:24Z")

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> [@elabruzzo](#):
>
> MySQL cluster

Is this Percona XtraDB Cluster, or Percona MySQL Group Replication? “cluster” is a word that means many different things to many different people.

> [@elabruzzo](#):
>
> Both nodes are starting up as the primary node.

In either PXC, or GR case, sounds like you are starting the second server in bootstrap mode. Don’t do that. The 2nd member should start like normal MySQL.