How to use SSH

Learning how to use SSH gives you secure, direct access to your hosting account from a terminal. Secure Shell (SSH) is a cryptographic network protocol for secure data communication, remote command-line login, remote command execution, and other secure network services between your computer and the server where your site is hosted. On JetHost shared hosting, SSH is enabled by default, so you can connect right away with your cPanel username and password – or with an SSH key for extra security.

What you need to connect

You need three things: your cPanel username, your server’s hostname or domain, and the correct SSH port. You can find the port in our guide on common hosting ports. Password login works out of the box; an SSH key is optional but recommended if you connect often.

Use the Terminal in cPanel (no software needed)

The quickest way to use SSH is right inside cPanel. Under the Advanced section, open Terminal to get a browser-based command line connected straight to your account. Accept the on-screen warning the first time, and you can start running commands immediately – no client, key, or port required. It is perfect for quick tasks from any computer.

Connect on Windows with PuTTY

PuTTY is a free, widely used SSH client for Windows, which does not include a built-in terminal of its own. It gives you a simple window to open an SSH session to your server.

Download, install, and open PuTTY.
Enter your domain or hostname in Host Name and your SSH port in Port.
Click Open and log in with your cPanel username and password.
To use a key instead, go to Connection > SSH > Auth, load your .ppk key, then connect with your username and the key’s passphrase.

Connect on Linux or Mac (Terminal)

Open the built-in Terminal and run the ssh command with your username, hostname, and port, then enter your password:

ssh user@hostname -p portnumber

To log in with a key, set its permissions to 600 and add the -i option:

chmod 600 keyname
ssh -i /path/to/keyname user@hostname -p portnumber

On the first connection, type yes to trust the server’s fingerprint.

Need more help?

To set up key-based login, see how to generate an SSH key in cPanel. Once connected, explore more Linux commands with examples, or get full root control with a JetHost VPS.