SSH Access for Managed Products

SSH (Secure Shell) is an encrypted network protocol that lets you remotely access the shell of your account on the server. With SSH, you can manage files, run commands, transfer data, and use tools such as Git or Composer directly on your server.

This article explains how to connect to your konsoleH account via SSH.

Prerequisites

Before you can connect via SSH, please note the following:

• SSH access is only available on Managed Servers or on webhosting packages that include this feature.
• SSH access can be activated or deactivated per account by the account type. You can check whether SSH is enabled for your account in konsoleH under the corresponding account type settings.
• Root access is not possible on Managed Servers. You log in with the rights of your account user.

Note: If you are unsure whether SSH is included in your package, please check your account type or contact Hetzner Support.

Connection Data

To connect via SSH, you need the following data, which you can find in konsoleH under Settings → Login data → Main FTP user:

• Host: The hostname of your server (e.g. wwwXXX.your-server.de)
• Port: 222
• User name: Your main FTP user's login name (e.g. wbqnxy)
• Password: Your main FTP user's password (or, alternatively, an SSH key — see below)

⚠️ The SSH port for konsoleH is 222, not the default port 22. Make sure to specify this port in your SSH client.

The login credentials for SSH are identical to those of the Main FTP user. If you change the FTP password, the SSH password changes as well.

Connecting via SSH

Linux / macOS

On Linux and macOS, an SSH client is generally preinstalled. Open a terminal and enter the following command:

ssh -p 222 <user>@<host>

Replace <user> with your main FTP user's login name and <host> with your server's hostname. For example:

ssh -p 222 wbqnxy@wwwXXX.your-server.de

When connecting for the first time, you will be asked to verify and confirm the server's fingerprint. Confirm with yes to continue. Then enter your password.

Windows (PuTTY)

Windows does not include an SSH client by default. We recommend using PuTTY:

1. Download PuTTY from the PuTTY website and install it.
2. Start PuTTY.
3. Enter the following information:
   • Host Name (or IP address): Server name (e.g. wwwXXX.your-server.de)
   • Port: 222
   • Connection type: SSH
4. Click on Open.
5. When connecting for the first time, confirm the server's fingerprint.
6. Enter your user name and password when prompted.

SSH Key Authentication

For a higher level of security, we recommend using SSH key authentication instead of password login. The public key is stored in konsoleH and used for authentication on the server.

Note: SSH key authentication is only possible with the main FTP user. The key must be in the SSH Public Key format (RFC4716). The OpenSSH format commonly used elsewhere is not supported here directly, but konsoleH will convert OpenSSH keys to the correct format automatically when you upload them.

1. Generate a Key Pair

Windows

• Download the program puttygen from the PuTTY website.
• Generate a key pair with puttygen via Key → Generate Key pairs.
• Save the private key in a secure location. We recommend additionally setting a passphrase for this key.

Linux / macOS

• Generate an OpenSSH key using ssh-keygen (if not already done). You can find detailed instructions in the first step of the tutorial "Setting up an SSH Key".
• If your client requires the RFC4716 format, you can convert the public key as follows:

  ssh-keygen -e -f ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

2. Upload the Public Key

Once you have generated your key pair, upload the public key in konsoleH:

1. Log in to konsoleH and navigate to Settings → Login data.
2. In the Public SFTP Keys section, click on Add.
3. Paste the content of your public key file and save.

The key will be automatically converted to the correct format. You can also edit the entire key file via Edit key file to manage multiple keys at once.

Note: We accept no liability for keys that do not work.

3. Configure your SSH Client

Linux / macOS

If your private key is saved in the default location (~/.ssh/id_rsa or ~/.ssh/id_ed25519), no further configuration is required. Connect as usual:

ssh -p 222 <user>@<host>

If you saved the key under a different name or location, specify the path to the private key with the -i option:

ssh -i ~/.ssh/my_key -p 222 <user>@<host>

Windows (PuTTY)

1. Start PuTTY.
2. Enter the connection data (host, port 222, SSH) as described above.
3. In the left-hand menu, navigate to Connection → SSH → Auth → Credentials.
4. Under Private key file for authentication, click on Browse and select your private key file (.ppk).
5. Optionally, save the session under Session so you don't have to enter the data again.
6. Click on Open to connect.

File Transfer via SCP and SFTP

In addition to a shell login, the SSH connection can also be used for file transfers via SCP and SFTP. Both protocols use the same connection data as SSH, including port 222.

SCP (Linux / macOS)

To copy a file from your local computer to the server:

scp -P 222 <local_file> <user>@<host>:<remote_path>

To download a file from the server to your local computer:

scp -P 222 <user>@<host>:<remote_file> <local_path>

Note: For SCP, the port is specified with an uppercase -P, while SSH uses a lowercase -p.

SFTP

SFTP uses an underlying SSH connection and can be used with any compatible FTP client (e.g. FileZilla, WinSCP, Cyberduck). For SFTP, the port is 22, not 222.

Detailed instructions for setting up an SFTP connection can be found in the FTP & SFTP article.

Important Notes

• The SSH port for konsoleH is 222. If you use a firewall, make sure that this port is open for outgoing connections.
• SSH access is restricted to the main FTP user. Additional FTP users cannot use SSH.
• You have access to the home directory of your account, including public_html and other subdirectories. Root access is not possible.
• For security reasons, certain commands and tools may be restricted on Managed Servers. If you need a specific tool that is not available, please contact Hetzner Support.
• Change your password regularly and use SSH key authentication whenever possible to maximize security.