VPS: First SSH Login Walkthrough

Once your Hoststack VPS or VDS is provisioned, you'll get root access over SSH — no control panel required unless you install one. Here's how to connect for the first time and lock the server down before doing anything else.

What you need from your provisioning email

• Your server's IP address
• The root username (almost always root) and temporary password
• The SSH port (default 22, unless you requested a custom one)

Connecting for the first time

On Windows, use PowerShell (Windows 10/11 ship with an SSH client built in), PuTTY, or a terminal app like Termius. On macOS or Linux, use the built-in Terminal. Run:

• ssh root@your-server-ip — replace with your actual VPS IP
• The first time, you'll see a fingerprint warning — this is normal for a new server; type yes to continue
• Enter the temporary password when prompted (it won't show characters as you type — that's expected)

Lock the server down before anything else

• Change the root password immediately: passwd, then enter a long, unique password
• Create a non-root user for daily use: adduser yourname then usermod -aG sudo yourname (Debian/Ubuntu) or usermod -aG wheel yourname (CentOS/AlmaLinux)
• Set up SSH key authentication and disable password login once keys work, to block brute-force attempts
• Enable a firewall (ufw on Ubuntu/Debian, firewalld on CentOS/AlmaLinux) and only open the ports you actually need
• Run system updates: apt update && apt upgrade -y (Debian/Ubuntu) or dnf upgrade -y (CentOS/AlmaLinux)

Can't connect?

Double-check you're using the correct IP and that no local firewall or VPN is blocking outbound port 22. If you changed the SSH port, include it with ssh root@ip -p yourport. If the connection times out entirely, the server may still be provisioning — check the client area for its status, or contact support if it's been more than a few minutes.