Virtual Private Server User Guide

Internet and UNIX Basics

that accesses a server in some way, such as a Web browser, e mail program or 

FTP client. In addition, you will access services on your VPS server to allow you to 

perform administration, create or upload Web pages, maybe even do software 

development. The process of accessing your virtual server for administration 

purposes or to gain "command line" access is called logging in. 

This section discusses the various methods available to you for logging into your 

VPS server and introduces many useful UNIX commands for using and 

administering it. This information is meant only as a resource to help you get 

started. For more advanced, comprehensive documentation, please refer to the 

Additional Resources appendix at the end of this guide.

SSH   The Preferred Login Protocol

There are several different methods, or protocols, that enable you to log into your 

server and gain command line access. However, only the SSH ("Secure SHell") 

protocol should be considered secure. Secure from what, you ask? From the 

potential bad guys between you and your VPS server on the Internet that could try 

to "snoop" your connection and obtain passwords or other data. We encourage all 

of our customers to use SSH exclusively as the protocol of choice for logging into 

their server. SSH provides a high level of security by encrypting the data 

transmitted between you and your VPS server across the Internet. 

To log on to your server via SSH, you must download and install the SSH client 

of your choice on your PC. The next section, Obtaining an SSH Client, provides 

some SSH client options. Once you have an SSH client installed, you will log on to 

your server using your domain or IP address and the administrative user name 

and password you were provided when you signed up for your VPS account. 

Specific documentation is provided by the SSH client providers.

If you connect to your VPS server from a UNIX workstation, you probably already 

have an SSH client. Users of other platforms such as Windows who want to take 

advantage of the security provided by SSH will need to obtain an SSH client. The 

next section of this guide contains some suggested SSH client applications. 

Note: Local and international cryptography restrictions may 

prevent you from using SSH or other cryptography software. 

Interland is not responsible for any unauthorized use of 

cryptographic tools, libraries or algorithms.

For completeness, or in the event that you are unable to obtain a suitable SSH 

client, three additional methods can be used to log into your server for command 

line access:

Telnet. Telnet is a popular protocol from a time when security was less critical. 

Because data transmitted in a Telnet session is not encrypted, Telnet should only 

be used if you cannot use SSH. 

Technical Training Department

August 2004

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