What information do I need to connect to my server?

You will need the following information to connect to your server for the first time:

• Your server username
• The IP address of your server
  
  

If you’re not sure about these details, log in to the Customer Panel and open the relevant section depending on your server type: VDS control, VPS control, or Server control. You can then find the IP address in the ‘Server’ column and the username in the ‘Default User’ column.

Below you’ll find instructions on how to connect to your Contabo server based on the operating system of your local computer and the operating system of your Contabo server.

Table of contents

How do I connect to a Windows server using a Windows local computer?

1. Open Remote Desktop Connection
   Open the Remote Desktop Connection application.
2. Find the application
   On Windows 7: Navigate to the Start menu and search for ‘Remote Desktop Connection’.
   On Windows 8/10: Navigate to the Windows menu and search for ‘Remote Desktop Connection’.
   
   
3. Configure local resources (optional)
   When Remote Desktop Connection opens, click ‘Show Options’ and then open ‘Local Resources’.
   Under ‘Local devices and resources’, click ‘More’ and enable ‘Drives’ if needed.
   
   
4. Enter the server IP address
   Enter your server’s IP address (for example: ‘173.xxx.xxx.xxx’). You can find it in the Customer Panel or in the ‘Your login data!’ email.
5. Allow Remote Desktop (Windows 11 only)
   On Windows 11, make sure Remote Desktop is allowed. Open settings by pressing Windows + i.
6. Enable Remote Desktop
   Click ‘System’ in the left menu and enable ‘Remote Desktop’.
   
   
7. Start the connection
   Once complete, launch the Remote Desktop application and connect to your server.

How do I connect to a Windows server using a Linux local computer?

1. Install an RDP client
   To connect from a Linux system to Windows Remote Desktop, you need an RDP client. The command-line tool rdesktop is available for most Linux distributions.
2. Install rdesktop (example: Ubuntu)
   

   sudo apt-get install rdesktop

3. Start the connection
   You can start the RDP session via terminal:

   rdesktop <YOUR_IP>

4. Check X11 availability
   To establish an RDP connection, your local Linux system must have an X11 server available. If you’re using a GUI (e.g., GNOME or KDE), it is usually installed by default.

How do I connect to a Windows server using a MacOS local computer?

1. Install Microsoft Remote Desktop
   Download the Remote Desktop client from the App Store: Open App Store
2. Connect to your server
   After installation, open the app and enter your Windows credentials. In the ‘Domain’ field, you can use either the IP address of the server or the hostname.

How do I connect to a Linux server using a Linux local computer?

1. Open a terminal and connect via SSH
   Run the following command:

   ssh <username>@<IP address>

   Example:

   ssh example_user@255.255.255.255

2. Accept the SSH fingerprint
   If this is your first connection attempt, accept the SSH fingerprint by typing ‘yes’.
3. Enter your password
   Enter your server password. SSH will not display characters while typing. If you copy/paste, make sure there are no trailing spaces.
4. Verify the connection
   Once the connection is established, you should see a terminal prompt.
   
   

How do I connect to a Linux server using a Windows local computer?

Modern versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 include a built-in SSH client. You can connect to your Linux server directly using PowerShell or Windows Terminal - no additional software is required.

Method 1 (Recommended): Connect using the built-in SSH client

1. Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal

   Press: Windows Key → type PowerShell (or Terminal) → open it.

2. Connect to your server

   Run:

   ssh USERNAME@SERVER_IP

   Example:

   ssh root@123.123.123.123

   If your server uses a custom SSH port, run:

   ssh -p PORT USERNAME@SERVER_IP

   Example:

   ssh -p 2222 root@123.123.123.123

3. Accept the SSH fingerprint (first connection only)

   If you see a security prompt, type yes and press Enter to continue.

4. Enter your password

   Enter your server password when prompted.

   Note: Characters will not be shown while typing — this is normal.

You are now connected to your Linux server via SSH.

Alternative: Connect using PuTTY

If you prefer a graphical SSH client, you can use PuTTY.

1. Install PuTTY (via the Microsoft Store or the official PuTTY website).
2. Open PuTTY.
3. Enter your server IP address in the Host Name (or IP address) field.
4. Ensure the port is set to 22 (unless you changed it).
5. Click Open and accept the security prompt if it appears.
6. Enter your username and password to log in.

Video content

We also have a video walkthrough showing how to connect to your server:

  

If you’re having trouble accessing the video above, you can also watch it directly on YouTube here.

I’m having issues connecting to my server, what can I do?

If you’re having trouble connecting to your server, see: I Can't Connect to My Server, What Do I Do?. It provides solutions to common connection problems.