PuTTY is a free SSH client for Windows that lets you connect to and manage your Hordanso VPS server via the command line.
Step 1: Download and Install PuTTY
- Go to putty.org and click Download PuTTY.
- Download the Windows installer (.msi file) and run it.
- Follow the installation wizard.
Step 2: Connect to Your VPS
- Open PuTTY.
- In the Host Name (or IP address) field, enter your server IP address.
- Set the Port to 22 (or 49152 if your server uses a custom SSH port — check your welcome email).
- Make sure Connection type is set to SSH.
- (Optional) In the left panel, click Session and type a name for this connection in the Saved Sessions field. Click Save so you can reconnect quickly next time.
- Click Open.
- A security alert may appear asking if you trust the server's fingerprint. Click Accept.
- PuTTY will open a terminal window. Type your SSH username (usually root) and press Enter.
- Type your SSH password and press Enter. Note: the password will not appear on screen — this is normal.
- You are now logged in to your server.
Connecting with an SSH Key (.ppk file)
- In PuTTY, in the left panel, go to Connection > SSH > Auth.
- Click Browse and select your .ppk key file.
- Go back to Session, enter your server IP and port, and click Open.
- Log in with your username — PuTTY will use the key automatically, so no password is needed.
Note: If you were given a .pem key file (not .ppk), you need to convert it first using PuTTYgen (included with PuTTY). Open PuTTYgen, load your .pem file, and click Save private key to create a .ppk file.
Disconnecting from the Server
Type exit and press Enter, or simply close the PuTTY window.
