Connect to a cloud server

Last update: April 04 2024

Connect to a cloud server

You can connect to the cloud server:

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

In order to connect to a cloud server via SSH or RDP, it must have access to the Internet:

• via public IP address and cloud router;
• or via public subnet.

View parameters for connecting⁠

The settings for connecting to the cloud server can be viewed in Control Panel:

• user name (login) and password — in Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Console tab → Login and Password fields;
• public IP address — in Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Ports tab → Public IP column.

If you forget your server password, you can reset and recover it.

Connect via SSH⁠

The SSH protocol is used to connect to Linux cloud servers.

To connect to the server, you can enter a login and password or use SSH key pair. We recommend using SSH keys instead of login 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 cloud platform.

Из Linux/macOS

1. Optional: create an SSH key pair and place the public SSH key on the cloud server: when creating a server or on an existing server.

2. Open the CLI.

3. Connect to the server:

   ssh <username>@<ip_address>

   Specify:

   • <username> — user name (login). You can look in control panel under Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Console tab → Login field;
   • <ip_address> is the public IP address of the server. You can look in control panel under Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Ports tab → Public IP column.

4. Enter your password. You can look in control panel under Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Console tab → Password field.

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

Windows

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

In earlier versions of Windows, use PuTTY.

1. Optional: create an SSH key pair and place the public SSH key on the cloud server: when creating a server or on a created server.

2. Install PuTTY and run it.

3. Open the Session tab.

4. In the Host Name field, enter the public IP address of the server.

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, open the SSH — Auth tab, click Browse and download the private key file.

8. Press Open.

9. Confirm the connection and enter the login and password to log in to the server. Login and password can be viewed in Control Panel under Cloud Platform → Servers → Server page → Console tab → Login and Password fields.

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

Error when reconnecting⁠

If you use SSH keys to connect, the SSH key is saved to the ~/.ssh/known_hosts file when you first authorize to the server. When reconnecting, a REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED error may appear.

To correct a mistake:

• delete the 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>

Connect via RDP⁠

The RDP protocol is used to connect to Windows cloud servers.

Windows

1. Open the Start menu → Remote Desktop Connection.
2. In the Computer field, enter the public IP address of the server. You can look in control panel under Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Ports tab → Public IP column.
3. Press Connect.
4. Enter a username. You can look in control panel under Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Console tab → Login field.
5. Enter your password. You can look in control panel under Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Console tab → Password field.
6. Press OK.

Linux

1. Install an RDP client (rdesktop, Remmina or others). See the Selectel blog article RDP Remote Access Clients for Linux for more information.

2. Open the CLI.

3. Connect to the server (example for rdesktop):

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

   Specify:

   • <ip_address> is the public IP address of the server. You can look in control panel under Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Ports tab → Public IP column;
   • <username> — user name (login). You can look in control panel under Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Console tab → Login field;
   • <password> is the password. You can look in control panel under Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Console tab → Password field.

macOS

1. Install Microsoft Remote Desktop and run it.
2. To create a connection, press +.
3. In the PC name field, enter the public IP address of the server. You can look in control panel under Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Ports tab → Public IP column.
4. In the Username field, enter your user name. You can look in control panel under Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Console tab → Login field.
5. In the Password field, enter your password. You can look in control panel under Cloud Platform → Servers → server page → Console tab → Password field.
6. Press Save.
7. Double-click the created connection in the list.

Connect via the console in the control panel⁠

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

Console is a browser-based VNC client, we recommend using it only in cases when it is impossible to connect to the server via SSH or RDP. Copying text from the console is not available, you can paste text using Ctrl+V.

1. In Control Panel, go to Cloud Platform → Servers.
2. Open the server page → Console tab.
3. At the server line, click .
4. Enter the user name (login). You can look in the Login field.
5. Enter your password. You can look in the Password field.