How do I connect via SSH?

SSH, or Secure Shell, gives you an encrypted command line on your hosting account. You can manage files, run commands and make configuration changes without going through the File Manager. Access is protected either by a public/private key pair or by an SSH password combined with two-factor authentication.

Note: SSH is only recommended if you are already comfortable with the command line interface. Everything below can also be done through the control panel and File Manager.

Before you start #

• SSH stays switched off until you either add a public key or set an SSH password. Both are done on the SSH Access page in your control panel.
• Your username is always your domain name, for example example.com. It is not your email address and not your client area login.
• A newly added public key can take up to 30 minutes to become active across the platform. If the first login attempt is refused, wait and try again before changing anything.
• Shared hosting does not give you root. sudo is not available, and attempting to use it can get the account blocked. If your connection closes the instant it opens, that is usually the reason — contact us and we will check it.

Finding your SSH details #

1. Log in to cPanel at cpanel.parknil.top.

2. Go to Manage Hosting and select the package you want SSH access for.

3. Under the Security section, click SSH Access.

The hostname, port and username for your package are shown at the top of this page. Always use exactly what is shown there, because it depends on which server your package sits on. For our budget cloud hosting the hostname is normally ssh.cpanel.parknil.top. If no port is listed, use the standard port 22.

This same page holds the Public Key box and the SSH password and two-factor setup, so keep it open while you work through the steps below.

Windows: connecting with PuTTY #

Windows has no built-in graphical SSH client, so you will need to download one. This guide uses PuTTY, which is free: https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html

1. Once PuTTY is installed, search for and open PuTTY Key Generator (PuTTYgen).

2. Click Generate and move your mouse around inside the grey box. The random movement is what generates the key, so keep moving until the bar fills.

3. Enter a Key passphrase and confirm it. This is the password you will be asked for each time you connect, so make a note of it. A key with no passphrase means anyone who copies the file can log in as you.

4. At the top of PuTTYgen there is a box labelled Public key for pasting into OpenSSH authorized_keys file. Select the whole contents of that box and copy it. It is one long line starting with ssh-rsa.

This is the step people get wrong most often. Do not copy the contents of a saved .pub file from PuTTYgen and do not paste it across several lines — only the text from that box, on a single line, will be accepted.

5. Back on the SSH Access page in the control panel, paste the key into the Public Key box. A handle is generated for you automatically. Click Add Public Key.

6. Return to PuTTYgen and click Save private key. Save it somewhere you will not delete it, under any name you like — it will be saved as a .ppk file.

7. Open PuTTY. In the left-hand menu, expand Connection > SSH > Auth, then select Credentials.

8. Next to Private key file for authentication, click Browse and select the .ppk file you just saved.

9. Go back to Session in the left-hand menu and enter the Host Name and Port exactly as they appear on your SSH Access page. Before clicking Open, type a name under Saved Sessions and click Save, so you do not have to set this up again next time.

10. Click Open. A terminal window appears asking for a username. Enter your domain name, for example example.com, and press Enter.

11. You are then asked for the passphrase you set in step 3. PuTTY hides the characters as you type, so nothing will appear on screen — this is normal. Type it and press Enter.

12. You are now logged in with full access to your file space.

macOS and Linux: connecting with a key pair #

macOS and Linux both have SSH built in, so there is nothing to install. Everything is done in Terminal.

1. Open Terminal and generate a key pair:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096

2. Press Enter to accept the default location (~/.ssh/id_rsa), or type a different path if you want to keep this key separate from others.

3. You are asked for a passphrase. Setting one is strongly recommended — make a note of it, because you will be asked for it every time you connect.

4. Display the public key so you can copy it. If you kept the default location:

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

Make sure you are looking at the file ending in .pub. The other file is your private key and must never be shared or uploaded anywhere.

5. Copy the whole output, from ssh-rsa to the end, and paste it into the Public Key box on the SSH Access page. The handle fills in automatically. Click Add Public Key.

6. Wait a few minutes, then connect, replacing the domain and hostname with your own:

ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa example.com@ssh.cpanel.parknil.top

If your SSH Access page lists a port other than 22, add it with -p:

ssh -p 2222 -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa example.com@ssh.cpanel.parknil.top

7. The first time you connect you are asked to confirm the server’s fingerprint. Type yes and press Enter.

8. Enter your passphrase when prompted. As with PuTTY, the characters are hidden while you type.

9. You are now connected to your hosting package.

Connecting with a password and two-factor authentication #

If you would rather not manage key files, you can use an SSH password protected by a one-time code instead. You will need an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator, Authy or 1Password.

1. On the SSH Access page, set an SSH password. Use a strong one that you do not use anywhere else.

2. Scan the QR code shown on the page with your authenticator app. The app will start generating a six-digit code that changes every 30 seconds.

3. Connect using the hostname and port from the SSH Access page. There is no key file to select, so in PuTTY you only need the Session screen; on macOS or Linux use:

ssh example.com@ssh.cpanel.parknil.top

4. Enter your domain as the username, then the six-digit code from your authenticator app, and then your SSH password. The code is requested before the password.

5. You are now connected.

Keep a backup of the authenticator entry. If you lose the device and have no other key set up, you will need to contact us to reset SSH access.

If it does not work #

• “Server refused our key” — most often the key has not finished propagating. Wait the full 30 minutes and try again. If it still fails, re-copy the key: on Windows it must come from the Public key for pasting into OpenSSH authorized_keys file box in PuTTYgen, and on macOS or Linux from the .pub file. It must be a single line beginning with ssh-rsa.
• “Access denied” straight away — check the username. It is your domain name, not your email address or control panel login.
• The connection closes the moment it opens — the account may have been blocked for unauthorised sudo use. Contact us and we will look into it.
• Connection timed out or refused — confirm the port on the SSH Access page. Many office networks, schools and some mobile providers block outbound SSH; if you can, test from a different connection or a mobile hotspot to rule this out.
• “Permissions 0644 for id_rsa are too open” on macOS or Linux — tighten the file permissions on your private key: chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa
• Nothing appears while typing the passphrase — that is deliberate. The characters are hidden for security; type it out and press Enter.

If you are still stuck, contact us with the exact error message and we will help you get connected.