Besides the standard FTP access, with the VPS hosting you have the option to log in to the server as a Root or an Administrator role (based on the OS - Linux or Windows). This role gives you a lot more access and functionality to make changes on the server.
Connecting to your Windows based VPS as Administrator
You can connect to your Windows based VPS by using the Remote Desktop Connection tool, which is builtin into your Windows OS.
- Open Remote Desktop Connection by clicking the Start button
- In the search box, type Remote Desktop Connection
- In the list of results, click Remote Desktop Connection
- You will now be prompted to enter the IP address of the VPS, which can be found in the "VPS Provisioning Successfully Completed" email we've sent you
- Once the IP address is entered, you will be prompted for a username and password (the username is always Administrator), which are also provided in the same email
- Clicking connect will now launch remote desktop, and you will be connected as Administrator to your Windows VPS
Note: If you want to connect to a Windows based VPS via Mac, please check on this article.
Connecting to your Linux based VPS as Root
Connecting your Linux based VPS will require a terminal. If you do not currently have one, you can download a program like PuTTY. Please have in mind that this is just a suggestion, and feel free to use any terminal software available that can establish SSH connections.
- You can download PuTTY from here
- Save the EXE file (for example on your Desktop) and run it
Note: You may receive a warning that the publisher cannot be verified but if you have downloaded this program from a good source, select Run. While Gate cannot vouch for third-party servers, the link provided above is generally a good source for PuTTY. - Enter your connection settings:
- Host Name: the IP address of the VPS (can be found in the "VPS Provisioning Successfully Completed" email from Gate)
- Port: 22 (leave as default)
- Connection Type: SSH (leave as default)
- Click Open to start the SSH session
- If this is your first time connecting to the server from this computer, you will see the following output. Accept the connection by clicking Yes
- Once the SSH Connection is open, you should see a terminal prompt asking for your username, so type in "root" (without the quotes):
login as: root - Next, enter the Root password (can be found in the "VPS Provisioning Successfully Completed" email from Gate). Please note that you will NOT see your cursor moving, or any characters typed (such as ******), when typing your password. This is a standard PuTTY security feature. Hit enter.
- If there are no error messages, you should be logged into your server as a Root with the SSH protocol.
What if I don’t want to connect via terminal or remote desktop?
Additionally, there is the option to use a Control Panel to manage your VPS. Gate provides two different Control Panels with the VPS product - Plesk or cPanel. They are usually included in the ordering process; however, in case your VPS is without one, you can order it easily by following the below steps:
- Log in to SiteControl
- Go to VPS Server under Manage Services
- Make sure to select the correct VPS from the Currently Managing drop down in case you have multiple VPS servers with us.
- On the Control Panel section, click on Order More and follow the instructions