Getting started with your HOSTDOG Cloud VPS

This guide covers everything you need to do after your Cloud VPS is provisioned — from accessing your server dashboard and connecting via SSH to understanding your managed services tier and configuring your first application.

What you receive

When your Cloud VPS order is activated, you receive an email containing:

Your server IP address
Root login credentials (username and password)
SSH port and connection instructions
Your assigned managed services tier (Basic, Advanced, or Premium)

All HOSTDOG Cloud VPS plans run on NVMe SSD storage with AMD EPYC processors, scalable up to 192 GB RAM. Your server is hosted in a German data center powered by 100% renewable energy.

Access your Cloud VPS

Follow these steps to log in and start managing your new VPS.

Step 1:

Log in to your client area

Navigate to the HOSTDOG homepage and click the Log in button in the top right corner. Go to Services and select your Cloud VPS plan from the list.

Step 2:

Connect via SSH

Open a terminal (macOS/Linux) or an SSH client such as PuTTY (Windows) and connect using the credentials from your welcome email:

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Enter the password provided in the welcome email when prompted. For security, change the root password immediately after your first login.

Important: Change your root password after first login. Use a strong password with at least 16 characters, mixing uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters.

Step 3:

Review your server environment

Once connected, verify your server configuration:

# Check operating system
cat /etc/os-release

# Check available resources
free -h        # RAM
df -h          # Disk space
nproc          # CPU cores

Your VPS comes pre-installed with the Linux distribution you selected during ordering. HOSTDOG supports various distributions including Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, and AlmaLinux.

Step 4:

Update your system

Run an initial system update to ensure all packages are current:

# Debian/Ubuntu
apt update && apt upgrade -y

# CentOS/AlmaLinux
dnf update -y

Tip: If you are on a managed services plan, HOSTDOG handles OS updates and security patching for you. Check your managed services tier to see what is included.

Point your domain to the VPS

To make your website accessible on your Cloud VPS, create an A record in your domain's DNS settings pointing to your server's IP address. If your domain is registered with HOSTDOG, you can manage DNS records from the Client Area. For detailed instructions, see How to manage DNS records.

Record type	Name	Value
A	`@` (or `yourdomain.com`)	Your VPS IP address
A	`www`	Your VPS IP address

Next steps

Install a web server — Set up Nginx or Apache to serve your websites
Configure a firewall — Secure your server with firewall rules
Set up backups — Learn about VPS backup options to protect your data
Scale as you grow — Add more resources whenever your traffic demands it
Monitor performance — Track your server health and resource usage

Frequently asked questions

Is my Cloud VPS fully managed?

All HOSTDOG Cloud VPS plans include a managed services tier. The Basic tier covers 24/7 monitoring, OS updates, and security patching. Advanced and Premium tiers add remote backups, priority support, and dedicated account management. See Understanding HOSTDOG managed services for details.

Can I upgrade my VPS resources later?

Yes. HOSTDOG Cloud VPS plans are fully scalable. You can increase CPU, RAM, and storage at any time without migrating to a new server. See How to scale your Cloud VPS resources.

Which Linux distributions are available?

HOSTDOG supports popular Linux distributions including Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, and AlmaLinux. You choose your preferred OS during the ordering process. If you need a different distribution, contact support before ordering. [VERIFY: exact list of available OS options]