Getting started with your VPS or dedicated server

Welcome! This article is a quick orientation for new VPS and dedicated server clients - what you have, how to access it, and what we take care of for you.

What you have access to

Your server ships with the following by default:

• WHM (WebHost Manager) - the server-wide control panel for creating and managing cPanel accounts, viewing logs, managing DNS, and much more. See Logging in to WHM.
• cPanel - the per-account control panel for each website you host on the server. Each cPanel account has its own files, databases, email accounts, and settings.
• SSH / root access - full command-line control of the server, over a non-standard port for security. See Accessing your server via SSH.
• FTP - on port 921 (not the default 21). Credentials are your cPanel username and password.
• Dedicated IP address - your server has one or more dedicated IPs included.

How to access your server

Your initial credentials (root password, server hostname, IP address) were emailed to you when your server was provisioned. Look for the New Server Information email from us. If you can't find it, open a ticket and we'll resend it.

WHM

https://your-server-hostname:2087 - log in as root with the password from your setup email

cPanel (for each account you create)

https://your-server-hostname:2083 - log in as the cPanel account username

Webmail

https://your-server-hostname:2096 - log in as a full email address

SSH

ssh -p 5622 root@your-server-hostname - note the non-standard SSH port (5622 instead of 22)

FTP

Host your-server-hostname, port 921, use cPanel account credentials

What we manage for you

Unless you specifically opt for a self-managed setup, we take care of all of the following automatically:

• Operating system and control panel updates - security patches and cPanel/WHM version upgrades are applied on a regular cadence
• Security hardening - firewall (CSF), intrusion prevention, KernelCare live patching, secure SSH and FTP configuration. You can manage firewall rules yourself at any time - see Using CSF to unblock, whitelist, and block IPs
• Nightly backups - full server backups are stored off-server, typically with 2-3 rolling snapshots available
• 24/7 network monitoring - we're alerted immediately if your server becomes unreachable
• Software installation on request - need a specific PHP version, Redis, a Node.js module, or anything else? Open a ticket and we'll handle it
• Troubleshooting - high server load, email delivery problems, misbehaving services - we diagnose and fix

What's up to you

Your responsibility is anything that lives inside a cPanel account:

• Creating and managing cPanel accounts for your sites or customers
• Your website files, code, databases, and content
• WordPress, Joomla, or other application updates within a site
• Email account management within cPanel
• DNS records within your domains' zones

Common first tasks

1. Log in to WHM to confirm access.
2. Create your first cPanel account for the domain you want to host.
3. Point your domain to the server - update the nameservers at your registrar to your server's nameserver pair (e.g. yourserver.canspace.ca and yourserver-2.canspace.ca). Your setup email includes these.
4. Upload your site files via File Manager in cPanel, FTP on port 921, or SSH/SCP on port 5622.