Connect to your VPS via SSH from Windows (PuTTY / Windows Terminal)

SSH (Secure Shell) is how you log into your LochStudios KVM VPS from a Windows PC and run commands as if you were at the machine. We listen on port 22. The IPv4, username, password, and an out-of-band console all sit on that server in the portal. Do not guess a hostname.

On a new VPS the login is often root. After you create a sudo user, use that account for daily work. See First steps on a new VPS.

On a Mac or Linux box, use Connect to your VPS via SSH from macOS or Linux instead.

Find the login in the portal

1. Sign in at the portal.
2. Open the VPS service.
3. Copy the IPv4, username, and password shown there.

Keep that page open the first time. If SSH from your PC will not connect, open the console on the same service. The console does not need port 22 from your network.

Using Windows Terminal (recommended)

Windows 10 (1809 and later) and Windows 11 ship the OpenSSH client. Windows Terminal (or PowerShell) is the usual place to run it.

1. Open Windows Terminal. Press Win + X and choose Terminal or Windows PowerShell, or search for Windows Terminal in the Start menu.

1. Confirm ssh is available.

```
ssh -V
```

If Windows says the command was not found, install OpenSSH Client under Settings → Apps → Optional features, or use PuTTY below.

1. Connect. Swap in the username and IPv4 from the portal.

```
ssh youruser@203.0.113.10
```

Add -p and a port number only if you changed the SSH port yourself.

1. Accept the host key the first time. The client asks you to confirm the server fingerprint. Type yes and press Enter so Windows can save it.

1. Enter the password from the portal and press Enter. Nothing prints as you type. That is normal.

You should land at a shell prompt on the VPS.

Optional: save the host in OpenSSH config

In Windows Terminal (PowerShell):

mkdir $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh -Force
notepad $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\config

If Windows asks to create the file, say yes. Add a block (use your real user and IPv4):

Host myvps
    HostName 203.0.113.10
    User root

Save the file. After that, ssh myvps is enough.

Using PuTTY

Use PuTTY if you prefer a windowed client, or if this PC is on an older Windows build without OpenSSH.

1. Install PuTTY. Download the Windows installer from putty.org and run it.

1. Enter the connection. Open PuTTY. Host Name (or IP address): the VPS IPv4 from the portal. Port: 22 unless you changed SSH yourself. Connection type: SSH.

1. Connect. Click Open. Accept the host key when PuTTY asks. Enter the username, then the password from the portal. Nothing prints as you type the password. That is normal.

1. Save the session (optional). Before Open, type a name under Saved Sessions (for example my-vps) and click Save. Next time, select that name and click Open.

Prefer keys over a password

A password is fine for the first login. For daily use, put an SSH key on the VPS and turn password login off. Steps for Windows Terminal and PuTTY are in Secure SSH with key-based authentication.

If you cannot connect

The client never reaches a login prompt

• Compare the IPv4 to the one on the VPS service in the portal. Type it again.
• Confirm you are on a network that allows outbound TCP 22. Some office and hotel Wi-Fi block it. Try another network, or use the console in the portal.
• If you recently changed the firewall or sshd on the VPS, you may have closed your own access. Open the console and check. On Ubuntu, see Set up a UFW firewall on Ubuntu.

The client reaches the server but the login fails

• Use the username and password from the portal. Watch for Caps Lock and a stray space.
• If you already created a sudo user, that account's password is the one you set, not the original root password.

You need a shell right now

Open the console on the VPS service in the portal. That session does not depend on SSH from your PC.

Still stuck? Open a support ticket. Tell us the VPS service, the IPv4 you used, the username, and what the client showed. Do not send the password in the ticket.

What to do once you are in

• Patch the OS and add a sudo user: First steps on a new VPS
• Restrict SSH to keys: Secure SSH with key-based authentication
• Allow only the ports you need: Set up a UFW firewall on Ubuntu
• Watch CPU, disk, and memory: Monitor Server Resources

Unsure about any of those steps? Open a support ticket and we will walk through it with you.