Beginner’s Guide: How to Get Started With VPS Hosting

This beginner’s guide on how to get started with VPS hosting explains some of what happens every time you visit a website, stream a video, or play an online game, you are relying on a server—a powerful computer that stores and delivers information across the internet.

Most people never think about how these servers work, but if you want to build your own website, run an online business, or pursue a career in technology, this knowledge is crucial. VPS hosting is one of the most flexible and cost-effective ways to run your own server.

Understanding how VPS hosting works helps you unlock practical digital skills. Instead of relying entirely on third-party platforms like Shopify, Wix, or Squarespace, you gain control of your online presence. From a career perspective, employers and freelance clients value professionals who can set up, manage, and troubleshoot servers. This makes VPS hosting knowledge not only a technical skill but also a gateway to new opportunities.

On a personal level, knowing VPS hosting gives you confidence. Instead of seeing websites as mysterious things that “just work,” you will understand the mechanics behind them. That confidence is empowering, because once you know how to set up and run a VPS, you can apply that same knowledge to websites, apps, cloud platforms, and even private projects like VPNs or game servers.

A quick run through of what a beginner needs to do, first is to secure a reputable VPS, archive credentials, and install an SSH client. Then connect via SSH (PuTTY on Windows), then update the OS (apt or dnf).

A sudo user is created, root SSH is disabled, and key-based auth enforced. SSHD is restarted and access validated. UFW or firewalld permits SSH/HTTP/HTTPS. Fail2Ban is installed and tuned in jail.local. Backups, monitoring, and alerts are enabled. Then choose cPanel or a web server stack, with automation and audits sustaining parity. That said, let’s dive into the full process.

Key Takeaways

• Choose a reputable VPS provider, select Ubuntu 22.04 or AlmaLinux 9, and securely store your server IP, root username, and initial password.
• Connect via SSH (Terminal or PuTTY), accept the fingerprint, log in as root, then create a sudo-enabled non-root user.
• Update the system, harden SSH (disable root login, enforce key-based auth), and restart the SSH service to apply changes.
• Configure a firewall (UFW or firewalld), allow SSH/HTTP/HTTPS, install Fail2Ban, and set up automated backups with tested restores.
• Document configurations, monitor performance and logs, schedule maintenance tasks, and audit settings regularly to meet security and uptime goals.

What You will Need Before You Start

Before provisioning a VPS, the operator confirms access to a reputable provider and verifies receipt of the welcome email containing the server IP, root username, and initial password. The checklist begins with validating the VPS provider’s reliability and archiving all credentials, including the server’s IP address and root login, to streamline the configuration process.

For an unmanaged VPS, the operator standardizes on supported operating systems—Ubuntu 22.04 or AlmaLinux 9—to guarantee predictable package sources and kernel behavior. A vetted SSH client is installed on the local machine to enable secure access and enforce key-based policies later.

Foundational Linux commands are reviewed to accelerate task automation, file permissions management, and service control. These preparations create a controlled baseline for reproducible, infrastructure-oriented workflows.

Connect to Your VPS

This section outlines two connection paths: SSH from macOS/Linux and PuTTY on Windows. Users reference the welcome email for root credentials, execute ssh root@your-server-ip or configure PuTTY with the VPS IP and username root, and acknowledge the initial host key prompt. Once authenticated—note that password input is not echoed—the secure shell session opens for immediate server management.

SSH From Macos/Linux

Although macOS and most Linux distributions ship with an OpenSSH client by default, establishing an initial connection to a VPS is explicit and repeatable. From Terminal, they initiate SSH access with: ssh root@your-server-ip to connect to your VPS. On first contact, the server’s fingerprint is presented; confirming “yes” persists trust in known_hosts.

They then enter the root password from the welcome email—input remains invisible for security reasons. After login, they immediately create a new user and grant sudo privileges to minimize root exposure.

• Verify OpenSSH availability on macOS or Linux distributions.
• Validate IP, DNS, and port 22 reachability before attempting.
• Confirm the server’s fingerprint and record it in deployment notes.
• Change the root password and enforce key-based auth.
• Create a new user with constrained sudo privileges.

Windows With Putty

From a Windows workstation, PuTTY provides a reliable SSH client to establish the initial administrative session to a VPS. After installation from the official source, launch PuTTY and input the VPS IP address in Host Name, set Connection type to SSH, and Open.

On first contact, verify and accept the host key. Authenticate as root and enter the root password from the provider; input is hidden by design. Immediately provision a new user, then secure your VPS: edit SSH configuration to disable root login and enforce key-based access.

Restart SSH. Use Linux commands to validate access controls, update packages, and harden services. This workflow establishes a repeatable baseline for administration, enabling automation-friendly connectivity while minimizing attack surface for ongoing operations.

Update Your Server and Create a New User

With SSH access established, the next workflow enforces baseline hardening: run system updates to apply current security patches. A new non-root account is created and granted sudo to constrain privileged operations. Finally, root SSH login is disabled to reduce attack surface while maintaining administrative access via the sudo user.

Run System Updates

Begin by updating the base system to apply the latest security patches and software fixes, then establish a non-root administrator for safer operations. In VPS hosting, teams should run system updates immediately: on Ubuntu/Debian use apt update && apt upgrade -y; on AlmaLinux/CentOS use dnf update -y.

Next, create a dedicated admin: adduser yourusername, then grant minimal elevation with usermod -aG sudo yourusername (Ubuntu/Debian) or usermod -aG wheel yourusername (AlmaLinux/CentOS). Harden SSH configuration by setting PermitRootLogin no in /etc/ssh/sshd_config and restarting with systemctl restart sshd.

These steps reduce attack surface, enforce least privilege, and maintain a secure VPS environment through ongoing user permissions governance.

• Standardize patch cadence
• Automate post-update reboots
• Verify package integrity
• Enforce SSH key authentication
• Monitor sudo activity logs

Add Sudo User

After applying system updates, the next step is to establish a least-privilege administrator and lock down remote access. In a modern VPS hosting workflow, first update your VPS: apt update && apt upgrade -y on Ubuntu/Debian or dnf update -y on AlmaLinux/CentOS.

Next, create a new user with adduser yourusername and set a strong password.

Grant sudo privileges using the usermod command: usermod -aG sudo yourusername (Ubuntu/Debian) or usermod -aG wheel yourusername (AlmaLinux/CentOS). Validate group membership with id yourusername to confirm elevation.

Harden the SSH configuration by editing /etc/ssh/sshd_config to enforce principle-of-least-privilege around root login and other controls. Apply changes and restart the SSH service with systemctl restart sshd. This hosting setup enhances security, supports automation, and prepares infrastructure for scalable operations.

Disable Root Login

Disable root SSH access to shrink the attack surface and enforce least privilege. In VPS hosting, practitioners first update your server packages (apt update && apt upgrade -y or dnf update -y), then create a new user and grant sudo privileges (adduser yourusername; usermod -aG sudo yourusername or usermod -aG wheel yourusername).

Next, modify SSH configuration at /etc/ssh/sshd_config and set PermitRootLogin no to disable root login, then restart the SSH service with systemctl restart sshd. This sequence reduces unauthorized access against the root account and elevates server security through controlled privilege escalation.

• Prioritize immutability: document baseline before changes.
• Validate sudo access in a second session prior to lockout.
• Enforce key-based auth and disable password authentication.
• Monitor auth logs to verify policy impact.
• Automate through configuration management for repeatability.

Set Up Your Firewall and Install Fail2Ban

A disciplined perimeter is established by configuring a host-based firewall and deploying automated intrusion mitigation with Fail2Ban.

On Ubuntu/Debian, set up your firewall with UFW: allow SSH, HTTP, and HTTPS using ufw allow OpenSSH, ufw allow 80, and ufw allow 443, then activate with ufw enable.

On AlmaLinux/CentOS, apply firewalld commands: firewall-cmd –permanent –add-service=ssh, http, https, followed by firewall-cmd –reload to materialize firewall rules.

Next, install Fail2Ban, a security tool engineered to monitor log files and suppress brute-force attacks. Use apt install fail2ban -y on Ubuntu/Debian; on AlmaLinux/CentOS enable EPEL, then dnf install fail2ban -y.

Configure settings in /etc/fail2ban/jail.local to align jails with active services and enhance security. Periodically review firewall and Fail2Ban logs to adapt protections in VPS hosting.

Choose Your Hosting Setup (cPanel or Web Server Stack)

Why choose between cPanel and a manual web server stack? In VPS hosting, both paths optimize different priorities. With cPanel, installation is streamlined: cd /home && curl -o latest -L https://securedownloads.cpanel.net/latest && sh latest.

Post-install, the WHM interface at https://your-server-ip:2087 centralizes how admins manage server settings, accounts, and automation. A manual setup favors granular control of the server environment and tailored performance across the web server stack.

• cPanel accelerates provisioning while preserving oversight via WHM interface
• Manual setup enables custom hardening, bespoke modules, and minimal footprints
• Upload website files to /var/www/html and execute DNS updates to A records
• Apply changes by restarting Apache: systemctl restart apache2 or systemctl restart httpd
• Choose based on operational model: convenience versus precision engineering

What’s Next?

Once initial provisioning is complete, the next phase centers on resilience, security, and observability. The operator should enable automated backups with defined retention and test restores to validate recovery time objectives.

Implement continuous server monitoring to track CPU, memory, disk I/O, and network resource usage, triggering alerts before thresholds impact ideal operation. Enforce transport security with SSL certificates via ACME automation and renewals.

Harden the system by applying security patches and routine software updates using unattended upgrade pipelines and maintenance windows. Leverage the VPS provider’s ecosystem, control panels and application installers to streamline multi-site management, scheduled tasks, and one-click rollouts while preserving IaC parity.

Document procedures, version configurations, and baseline metrics, ensuring repeatability. Regular audits confirm configurations remain aligned with policy and performance targets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

By completing initial access, updates, user hardening, and baseline security, the VPS is now a controlled, automatable asset. Operators can standardize deployments with configuration management, apply IaC for repeatability, and select either cPanel-driven orchestration or a lean web stack for maximal control.

Monitoring, backups, and CI/CD integration extend reliability and velocity. From here, document runbooks, enforce secrets management, and codify network policies. The outcome is a maintainable, scalable, and secure infrastructure foundation ready for application workloads.