How to Connect to a Server Using PuTTY

What PuTTY and SSH are

PuTTY is a free Windows program that opens an encrypted session to another computer. SSH is the protocol that session uses, almost always on port 22. The window that opens after login is a shell on the server: commands you type run there, not on your PC.

PuTTY is the client. It stays on the Windows machine.
The server runs an SSH service that checks the user and then gives a shell.
A prompt that names the host means the connection worked.

Windows 10 and Windows 11 use this same client. macOS and Ubuntu already include OpenSSH, so Terminal with ssh user@server-ip does the job there and PuTTY is optional. A cheap dedicated server in the US, or any other US dedicated server, still needs only a hostname, port 22 and a user. SQL Server Management Studio is a different login: it talks to the database, not to an SSH shell.

What you need before you open PuTTY

Four values are enough: the server IP or hostname, the port, the username, and either a password or a private key. Port 22 is the SSH default. If the host moved SSH, use the port they gave you. PuTTY will not guess a custom port.

On a new Linux VPS the username is often root. A WebJi VPS includes root over SSH. If the IP or the first password is not in the order message, email support@webji.services. That desk replies in Hindi and English, and the average first reply is under 60 minutes. The office phone is not a support line.

How to download and configure PuTTY

Install PuTTY from the project site maintained by Simon Tatham. Take the 64-bit installer on a current Windows PC so PuTTY, PuTTYgen and PSFTP arrive together. Skip download sites that wrap the installer in extra offers.

Start PuTTY. The window is titled PuTTY Configuration.
In Host Name (or IP address), enter the server IP or hostname.
Set Port to 22 and select SSH under Connection type. Leave Telnet and Raw alone. Telnet sends the password without encryption.
Optional: open Connection in the left list and set Seconds between keepalives to 60 so a quiet session is less likely to drop.
Under Saved Sessions, type a name such as my-vps and click Save. Load brings those settings back.

You know it worked when the name sits in the saved list and Load fills Host Name and Port. A connection manager with tabs is optional. Saved sessions already reopen this host.

Soft evening clouds reflected in the glass facade of a modern office building at dusk — how to connect to server using putty

How the first PuTTY login works

Open starts the connection. The login itself happens in the black window, after you accept the host key.

Click Open.
On the first visit, PuTTY shows a host-key warning. That fingerprint identifies the server. Choose Accept only for a machine you meant to reach. If the same host warns you again later, stop and confirm the key really changed before you type a password.
At login as:, type the username and press Enter.
Type the password and press Enter. Nothing appears as you type. In PuTTY, right-click pastes. Ctrl+V does not.

You know it worked when the prompt looks like root@hostname:~# or user@hostname:~$, and whoami prints the name you typed. Type exit or close the window to end the session.

How to log in with a .ppk key in PuTTY

PuTTY will not use a .pem private key as-is. PuTTYgen, installed with PuTTY, converts it to a .ppk. Creating the key pair on Ubuntu is covered in the SSH key guide. The public line must already be in ~/.ssh/authorized_keys for that user.

Open PuTTYgen, choose Load, and switch the file type to All Files so the .pem is visible.
Select the private key, then Save private key. A passphrase is safer. You will type it at each login.
In PuTTY, open Connection, then SSH, then Auth, then Credentials. Next to Private key file for authentication, click Browse and choose the .ppk.
Go back to Session, check Host Name and port 22, click Save, then Open.
Type the username. If the key matches, you get a shell or a prompt for the key passphrase, not the account password.

You know it worked when PuTTY does not print Server refused our key, and whoami matches the account that owns the public key.

Why PuTTY says refused, timed out, or server refused our key

Read the first line of the PuTTY window. Each message below has one cause, so change that one thing and try Open again.

Message	What it means	What to change
Network error: Connection refused	A host answered, and nothing accepted SSH on that port.	Confirm port 22 and that the SSH service is running. A firewall must allow your current public IP.
Network error: Connection timed out	No reply. The IP is wrong, the machine is off, or packets are dropped.	Recheck the IP. If an office network blocks outbound 22, try another network.
Server refused our key	The .ppk does not match a line in authorized_keys, or the wrong file was selected.	Convert the .pem again, or put the matching public line on the server, then retry.
Access denied	The username or password is wrong. The password is case-sensitive and invisible as you type.	Reset it from the provider console. Do not keep guessing.
Host-key warning on a server you already trusted	The server key changed, or you are not talking to the same machine.	Do not accept it until the host confirms the change.

Commands to run after the first PuTTY login

Stay on the server you just reached. These commands only identify the box and replace a password that arrived in email. Do not turn off password logins until a key login has already succeeded in a second window.

whoami and hostname confirm the account and the machine.
passwd sets a new password. Type it twice. Nothing is shown while you type.
df -h shows disk. free -h shows memory.
On Ubuntu or Debian, apt update refreshes package lists. Read the list before you run apt upgrade.
Add a normal admin before you rely on root every day. The sudo user guide tests the new login in a second session before you close this one.

If SSH stops accepting connections after a change, email support@webji.services with the IP, the exact PuTTY message, and what you changed last. Do not enable a firewall until an allow rule for SSH is already saved, or the next Open will time out. The monthly price, before 18% GST, is on the VPS page. This guide does not quote it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I connect to a server using PuTTY?

Open PuTTY, enter the server IP or hostname, set Port to 22 and Connection type to SSH, and click Open. Accept the host-key warning on the first visit, type the username and password, and stop when a shell prompt appears.

What login details does PuTTY need?

It needs the server IP or hostname, the SSH port (22 unless the host changed it), the username, and a password or a .ppk private key. A new Linux VPS often uses root.

How do I use a private key in PuTTY?

Open PuTTYgen, load the .pem file, and save a .ppk. In PuTTY open Connection, SSH, Auth, Credentials, browse to that .ppk, then Open the session and type the username. A shell without an account-password prompt means the key was accepted.

Why does PuTTY say connection refused?

Connection refused means a host answered and nothing accepted SSH on that port. Check that the port is 22, that the SSH service is running, and that a firewall allows your current public IP. A timeout is different: no reply at all, usually a wrong IP or a dropped packet.

Can I connect to a Linux VPS from Windows?

Yes. PuTTY on Windows 10 or 11 opens the SSH session, and the shell you land in is the Linux VPS. macOS and Ubuntu can use the built-in ssh command instead.

Is PuTTY safe to use for server login?

The SSH session is encrypted. Download PuTTY from the maintainer's site, accept the host key only on the first visit to a server you expect, and prefer a .ppk key over a password you reuse. A repeated host-key warning means stop and confirm the server before typing a password.