First Steps VPS – SSH Connection Failing?

You just ordered your VPS or root server at NexoraHost? This guide walks you through the first important steps – from the first SSH connection to basic security settings.

Note: Detailed guides on individual topics can be found in the left navigation.

Step 1: Find Your Access Credentials

After your order, you'll find all important data directly in the customer panel under your products:

• IP address: The public IPv4 address of your root or VPS server
• Username: Default is root
• Password: Your initial root password – visible directly in the customer panel

Simply log in at nexorahost.com/account, select your product and you'll immediately see all access credentials at a glance.

Step 2: First SSH Connection

ssh root@your-server-ip

On first connection, you'll be asked if you trust the fingerprint. Type yes and enter your password.

Step 3: Update System

apt update && apt upgrade -y

This brings all installed packages to the latest version and closes security gaps.

Step 4: Change Root Password

passwd

Set a new, secure password. Remember it well – without the password and SSH key, you won't be able to access the server.

Step 5: Set Up SSH Key

More secure than passwords – see our article on SSH key authentication.

Step 6: Activate Firewall

# Install UFW and allow SSH
apt install ufw -y
ufw allow 22/tcp
ufw enable

Step 7: Set Timezone

timedatectl set-timezone Europe/Berlin

Step 8: Snapshots and Backups (Root Servers Only)

With root servers, you can create complete snapshots in the customer panel – ideal before major changes. For VPS, we recommend manual backups via cronjob.

Next: Full VPS setup · SSH keys · Firewall · Install Pterodactyl

Next Steps

• Set up SSH key authentication for more security
• Configure backups
• Set up monitoring to detect problems early

Detailed guides on each step can be found in the articles in the left navigation.