Connect to a VDS server

Last update: October 05 2026Open in Markdown

You can connect to a VDS server:

• via the SSH protocol — for servers with the Linux operating system;
• RDP protocol — for servers with the Windows operating system;
• via the console in the control panel — for servers with any operating system.

Viewing connection settings

You can view connection parameters for the VDS server in the control panel:

• public IP address — in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server row;
• username (login) and password — in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page → Console tab → Login and Password fields.

If you have forgotten your server password, you can reset it. To do this, rebuild the server.

Connecting via SSH

The SSH protocol is used to connect to VDS servers running Linux.

You can use an SSH key pair to connect to a server. We recommend using SSH keys instead of a username and password—you can only connect using keys from the computer where the private key is stored.

You can store public SSH keys in the control panel. To do this, add public SSH keys to the user profile.

From Linux/macOS

1. Optional: add an SSH key when creating a VDS server.

2. Open the CLI.

3. Connect to the server:

   ssh <username>@<ip_address>

   Specify:

   • <username> — username (login). You can find it in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page → Console tab → Login field;
   • <ip_address> — server public IP address. You can view it in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page.

4. Enter the password. If the password is lost, you can generate a new password in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page → Console tab → in the Password field, click Generate new.

If you are using an SSH key pair, you do not need to enter a password.

From Windows

In Windows 10, you can connect to the server in the same way as in Linux and macOS — via the cmd.exe command line.

For older versions of Windows, use PuTTY.

1. Optional: add an SSH key when creating a VDS.

2. Install PuTTY and launch it.

3. Open the Session tab.

4. In the Host Name field, enter the server public IP address. You can view it in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page.

5. In the Port field, specify the port for the SSH connection (default is 22).

6. In the Connection type field, select the SSH connection type.

7. If you are using an SSH key pair, upload the file with the private key:

   7.1. Open the Connection → SSH → Auth → Credentials tab.

   7.2. In the Private key file for authentication field, click Browse.

   7.3. Upload the file with the private key

8. Click Open.

9. Confirm the connection:

   9.1. Enter the username. You can find it in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page → Console tab → Login field.

   9.2. Enter the password to log in to the server. If the password is lost, you can generate a new password in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page → Console tab → in the Password field, click Generate new.

   If you are using an SSH key pair, you do not need to enter a password.

Fixing an error during reconnection

If you use SSH keys to connect, the SSH key is saved to the ~/.ssh/known_hosts file during the first login to the server. Upon subsequent connections, the REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED error may appear.

1. Open the CLI on your local computer.

2. To fix the error:

   • delete host information by IP address:

     ssh-keygen -f "/home/root/.ssh/known_hosts" -R "<ip_address>"

   • or connect to the server using the command:

     ssh -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null root@<ip_address>

   Specify <ip_address> — server public IP address. You can view it in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page.

Connecting via RDP

The RDP protocol is used for connecting to VDS servers running Windows.

From Linux

1. Install an RDP client, such as rdesktop or Remmina. For more information, see the Selectel blog article RDP Remote Access Clients for Linux.

2. Open the CLI.

3. Connect to the server using an RDP client. Example command for rdesktop:

   rdesktop <ip_address> -u <username> -p <password>

   Specify:

   • <ip_address> — server public IP address. You can copy it in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → in the server row, click next to the IP address;
   • <username> — username (login). You can copy it in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page → Console tab → in the Login field, click ;
   • <password> — password that you saved when creating the server. If the password is lost, you can generate a new password in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page → Console tab → in the Password field, click Generate new.

From macOS

1. Install Microsoft Remote Desktop and launch it.

2. To create a connection, click +.

3. In the PC name field, enter the server public IP address. You can copy it in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → in the server row, click next to the IP address.

4. In the Username field, enter the username. You can copy it in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page → Console tab → in the Login field, click .

5. In the Password field, enter the password that you saved when creating the server. If the password is lost, you can generate a new password in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page → Console tab → in the Password field, click Generate new.

6. Click Save.

7. Double-click the created connection in the list.

From Windows

1. Open the Start menu → Remote Desktop Connection.

2. In the Computer field, enter the server public IP address. You can copy it in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → in the server row, click next to the IP address.

3. Click Connect.

4. Enter the username. You can copy it in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page → Console tab → in the Login field, click .

5. Enter the password that you saved when creating the server. If the password is lost, you can generate a new password in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page → Console tab → in the Password field, click Generate new.

6. Click OK.

Connect via the console in the control panel

You can connect to a VDS server with any operating system via the console in the control panel.

The console is a browser-based VNC client. We recommend using it only when it is not possible to connect to the server via SSH or RDP. Copying text from the console is not supported; you can paste text using the Ctrl+V shortcut.

1. In the control panel, in the top menu, click Products and select VDS servers.

2. Go to the server page → Console tab.

3. Enter the username (login). You can view it in the Login field above the console.

4. Enter the password. If the password is lost, you can generate a new password in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → VDS servers → server page → Console tab → in the Password field, click Generate new.