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How to Use SSH, RDP and FileZilla with Vultr Servers

Updated on 31 March, 2025
Guide
Learn how to securely connect to your Vultr servers using SSH, RDP and FileZilla.
How to Use SSH, RDP and FileZilla with Vultr Servers header image

This guide explains how to log in and transfer files to your new Linux or Windows server at Vultr using SSH, RDP, or SFTP.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you:

Key Components

This guide covers three methods for accessing your server.

  • SSH (Secure Shell) is the standard protocol for remote command-line access to Linux and *BSD servers. All Vultr Linux servers have SSH enabled by default.

  • RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) provides a graphical desktop interface for Windows servers. RDP is pre-installed on Windows and clients are available for macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux.

  • SFTP (Secure FTP) enables encrypted file transfers to and from your Linux server. All Vultr Linux servers have SFTP enabled by default.

Find Your Access Credentials

The server information page in the customer portal contains the credentials needed to connect.

  1. Navigate to the Products page in the Vultr Customer Portal.

  2. Click the server name in the product listing to open the server information page.

  3. Locate the IP address, username, and password on this page.

  4. Click the eye icon in the password field to reveal the password, or use the copy icon to copy it to your clipboard.

    Note
    The server information page displays the initial password only. If you change the password later, this page will not reflect the update. Keep a secure record of your server password. Snapshots are complete backups of a server, including passwords. A restored snapshot has the same password as the original server at the time the snapshot was taken.

Log in to the Console

You can use the Vultr web console to access your server directly from the browser. The console simulates a physical mouse, keyboard, and screen, and is accessible even when SSH is unavailable or the network is misconfigured. It is the best starting point when troubleshooting a VPS.

  1. Navigate to your server's information page in the Vultr Customer Portal.

  2. Click View Console to open the browser-based terminal session.

Connect with SSH

All Linux and *BSD servers at Vultr have SSH enabled by default. Use SSH for remote command-line access to your server.

  1. Open a terminal on your local machine.

  2. Connect to the server using your username and IP address.

    console 
    $ ssh username@your-server-ip

    For example, to connect as root to a server at 192.0.2.123:

    console 
    $ ssh root@192.0.2.123

  3. Enter your password when prompted.

    Note
    For a more secure authentication method, see Connect to a Server Using an SSH Key.

Connect with RDP

Windows servers at Vultr have RDP enabled by default. Use RDP for graphical desktop access to your Windows server.

RDP clients are available for all major platforms:

Platform Client
Windows Built-in Remote Desktop Connection
macOS Microsoft Remote Desktop (App Store)
iOS / Android Microsoft Remote Desktop (App Store / Google Play)
Linux Remmina or FreeRDP

  1. Navigate to your server's information page in the Vultr Customer Portal.

  2. Download the RDP client configuration file from the server information screen.

  3. Open the downloaded file with your RDP client to connect with pre-filled settings.

    Alternatively, open your RDP client manually and enter the following:

    • Host: Your server's IP address
    • Username: Administrator
    • Password: Your server password from the portal

Transfer Files with SFTP

All Vultr Linux servers have SFTP enabled by default. Use SFTP to upload or download files between your local machine and your server.

Connect via Command Line

  1. Open a terminal on your local machine.

  2. Connect to the server using SFTP.

    console 
    $ sftp username@your-server-ip

    For example:

    console 
    $ sftp root@192.0.2.123

Connect with FileZilla

FileZilla is a popular cross-platform SFTP client available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

  1. Open FileZilla and click File > Site Manager.

  2. Click New Site and give the connection a name.

  3. Click Connect.

    Note
    FileZilla also supports SFTP authentication using SSH keys in PuTTY's PPK format. See the FileZilla documentation for details.

Connect with Cyberduck

Cyberduck is an alternative SFTP client available for Windows and macOS.

  1. Open Cyberduck and click Open Connection.

  2. Select SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) from the dropdown menu.

  3. Enter your server's IP address, username, and password.

  4. Click Connect.

Conclusion

You have successfully connected to your Vultr cloud server using SSH, RDP, or SFTP. SSH provides secure command-line access for Linux and BSD servers, RDP delivers a full graphical desktop experience for Windows servers, and SFTP enables encrypted file transfers for managing content on your server. For production environments, consider switching from password-based authentication to SSH key pairs to improve security and streamline access.

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