{"id":116,"date":"2025-07-25T11:55:40","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T06:25:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nivohost.com\/blog\/?p=116"},"modified":"2026-06-02T00:46:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T19:16:04","slug":"how-to-connect-a-server-using-putty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nivohost.com\/blog\/how-to-connect-a-server-using-putty\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Connect a Server Using PuTTY"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether you are managing a <strong>VPS<\/strong>, <strong>dedicated server<\/strong>, or any <strong>Linux-based remote machine<\/strong>, PuTTY is one of the most popular tools for establishing SSH (Secure Shell) connections from Windows systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this guide, we\u2019ll walk you through <strong>how to use PuTTY to connect to your server<\/strong>, including downloading the tool, configuring it, and troubleshooting common issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udce6 What is PuTTY?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>PuTTY<\/strong> is a free and open-source terminal emulator that supports SSH, Telnet, and serial console connections. It is most commonly used to connect to Linux servers securely using SSH from a Windows PC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2705 Prerequisites Before You Begin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To connect to a server using PuTTY, you\u2019ll need the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u2705 <strong>PuTTY installed<\/strong> on your local machine<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 <strong>Server IP address or hostname<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 <strong>Port number<\/strong> (default is <code>22<\/code> for SSH)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 <strong>SSH credentials<\/strong> (username, usually <code>root<\/code>, and password or private key)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udd3d Step 1: Download and Install PuTTY<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Visit the official PuTTY website:<br>\ud83d\udc49 <a>https:\/\/www.putty.org\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Download the appropriate version for your system (<code>64-bit<\/code> or <code>32-bit<\/code>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Run the installer and follow the instructions to install PuTTY on your PC.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udd0c Step 2: Open PuTTY and Enter Server Details<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open <strong>PuTTY<\/strong> from the Start menu.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the <strong>Host Name (or IP address)<\/strong> field, enter your server&#8217;s IP (e.g., <code>192.168.1.10<\/code>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Port<\/strong>: Leave it as <code>22<\/code> (default for SSH).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Connection Type<\/strong>: Ensure <strong>SSH<\/strong> is selected.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>(Optional) In the left sidebar, go to <strong>Connection \u2192 Data<\/strong>, and enter your <strong>Auto-login username<\/strong> (e.g., <code>root<\/code>) to save time.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcbe Step 3: Save the Session (Optional but Recommended)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To avoid retyping the information every time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the <strong>Saved Sessions<\/strong> field, type a name (e.g., <code>My VPS Server<\/code>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Save<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Next time, just double-click the saved session to connect.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udd10 Step 4: Connect and Authenticate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <strong>Open<\/strong> to start the connection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If it\u2019s your first time connecting, PuTTY will ask to <strong>trust the server\u2019s SSH key<\/strong>. Click <strong>Yes<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A terminal window will open asking for a <strong>username<\/strong> (e.g., <code>root<\/code>), if not auto-filled.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter the <strong>password<\/strong> and press Enter. Note: The password will not be visible as you type (for security).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 You are now logged into your server!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udd11 Using SSH Key Instead of Password (Advanced)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your server requires <strong>SSH key authentication<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Convert your private key to <code>.ppk<\/code> format using <strong>PuTTYgen<\/strong> (bundled with PuTTY).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In PuTTY, go to:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Connection &gt; SSH &gt; Auth<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Browse<\/strong> and select your <code>.ppk<\/code> file<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Then connect as usual.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udee0\ufe0f Common PuTTY Errors and Fixes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Error<\/th><th>Solution<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><em>Network error: Connection timed out<\/em><\/td><td>Server might be offline or IP\/firewall blocked. Check port 22 access.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Access denied<\/em><\/td><td>Incorrect username or password. Double-check credentials.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><em>Server unexpectedly closed network connection<\/em><\/td><td>Could be due to key mismatch, firewall, or wrong login method.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\udde0 PuTTY Tips and Tricks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\ud83d\udcbe <strong>Always save your sessions<\/strong> for faster access.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\ud83d\udd10 <strong>Use key-based authentication<\/strong> for improved security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2699\ufe0f <strong>Enable keep-alive settings<\/strong> under Connection \u2192 Seconds between keepalives to prevent timeout.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2705 Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using PuTTY is a simple and secure way to manage your remote Linux server from a Windows PC. Whether you&#8217;re installing software, running scripts, or checking logs, PuTTY gives you full control over your server via SSH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Need a reliable Linux VPS or RDP server?<\/strong><br>\ud83d\udc49 <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/nivohost.com\">Nivohost<\/a> offers high-performance VPS with full root access and 24\/7 support.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Whether you are managing a VPS, dedicated server, or any Linux-based remote machine, PuTTY is one of the&hellip;","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tutorial","cs-entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nivohost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nivohost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nivohost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nivohost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nivohost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nivohost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118,"href":"https:\/\/nivohost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116\/revisions\/118"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nivohost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nivohost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nivohost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nivohost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}