Connect to Your Linux VPS via SSH

Published June 8, 2026 · By Host Havoc Technical Support Team

SSH gives you full command-line access to your Linux VPS. The most common client on Windows is PuTTY; Mac and Linux users have a built-in terminal.

Once connected you can install software, manage files, and configure your server. If you need help with a specific task after logging in, browse the other guides in the VPS Hosting section.

Before you start: Have your VPS IP address and Linux username (usually root) ready, along with the password from your welcome email.

Connect with PuTTY (Windows)

  1. Download and install PuTTY from https://www.putty.org.
  2. Open PuTTY and enter your VPS IP address in the Host Name field.
  3. Leave the port as 22 and the connection type as SSH, then click Open.
  4. At the Login as: prompt, enter your Linux username (typically root).
  5. At the password prompt, right-click to paste your password (characters will not appear on screen), then press Enter.

You are now logged in and can run commands.

Connect from Mac or Linux

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Run the following command, replacing YOUR_IP with your VPS IP address:
    ssh root@YOUR_IP
  3. Accept the host fingerprint prompt by typing yes.
  4. Enter your password when prompted.

Troubleshooting

  • Connection refused: Confirm SSH is running on the VPS and that port 22 is not blocked by a firewall rule.
  • Permission denied: Double-check the username and password. Passwords are case-sensitive; use right-click to paste in PuTTY rather than typing to avoid errors.