SSH Access

SSH gives you a terminal on your Linux server over an encrypted connection. Windows Server uses Remote Desktop instead, see Console and Remote Desktop.

What you need

Item	Where to find it
IP address	Hosting > Virtual Servers, on the server card, or the Console tab of the server
Username	`root`
Password	The email Your Virtual Server is Ready. The panel does not display it; to set a new one, use Settings > Change Password with the username `root`

New Linux servers accept SSH logins as root with a password on port 22.

Connect from Linux or macOS

ssh root@<your-vps-ip>

The first time, SSH asks you to confirm the server’s fingerprint:

The authenticity of host '203.0.113.10' can't be established.
ED25519 key fingerprint is SHA256:...
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])?

Type yes, press Enter and type the password.

Connect from Windows

PowerShell or Command Prompt

Windows 10 and 11 include an SSH client:

ssh root@<your-vps-ip>

PuTTY

Download PuTTY.
Type the server IP in Host Name, port 22, connection type SSH.
Click Open and log in as root with your password.

After the first login

Change the password with passwd, or from Settings > Change Password in the panel.
Update the system: apt update && apt upgrade -y.
If you prefer key based login, add your public key to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on the server.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to do
`Connection refused` or timeout right after ordering	The server may still be setting up. Wait until it shows Running in the panel and try again
`Connection timed out` later on	Check the IP. Check your edge firewall rules in the Network tab and the firewall inside the server (UFW) for a rule blocking port 22
`Permission denied`	Wrong password. Set a new one from Settings > Change Password (username `root`)
`REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED` after a reinstall	Expected: the server was reinstalled. Run `ssh-keygen -R <your-vps-ip>` and connect again
Locked out by a firewall inside the server	The panel has no browser console yet. Open a ticket from Tickets, or reinstall the server

Change the SSH port (optional)

Moving SSH off port 22 reduces automated login attempts.

Allow the new port first, in UFW and in your edge firewall rules if you use a block rule:
```
ufw allow 2222/tcp
```
Edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config and set Port 2222.
Apply it. On Ubuntu run systemctl daemon-reload and then systemctl restart ssh.socket. On Debian run systemctl restart ssh.
Connect with ssh -p 2222 root@<your-vps-ip> from a second terminal before you close the first one.

Allow the new port before restarting SSH

If the new port is blocked, you lose SSH access, and the panel has no browser console to fix it from.

Next steps

🔒

Root Password

Change or reset the root password.