The console: your VPS in your browser

The console shows the screen of your VPS in your browser, as if you were sitting next to it with a keyboard and a monitor. It also works when SSH stops working, when your firewall blocks everything or when the server's network is set up incorrectly. It's your emergency exit.

How to open the console

1. Open the VPS screen via My Products.
2. Click Console. The console opens in a new window.
3. Press Enter if the screen stays black. You will then see the login prompt.
4. Log in as root with the root password.

The link to the console is only valid for a short time. Click Console again if the window stops responding.

What do you use the console for?

• You have locked yourself out with the firewall or with a mistake in the SSH settings (see Locked out: you can no longer reach your server).
• You want to check your server's fingerprint before you log in with SSH for the first time (see Logging in with SSH for the first time).
• Your server doesn't start up properly and you want to see where it gets stuck.
• You are installing from an ISO yourself (see Reinstalling or attaching an ISO).

Can't log in to the console?

In the console you always log in with a password, even if you only allow keys via SSH. If you've forgotten the root password, first set a new password in the Settings tab (see The VPS screen: on and off, charts, system and log). Type the password carefully: no characters appear as you type, and that's normal. To paste, use the console's clipboard button.

Tip: Try the console once now, while everything still works. Then you'll know how it works when you really need it.