We have emailed you a private key that gives you temporary, IP-locked SSH access to a hosting account. This guide shows you how to use that key file to connect, on macOS, Linux, or Windows, and what to do if the connection does not work. The email you received already contains the exact command to connect, with your username, server, and port filled in, so in most cases you only need to save the key and paste that one command.
Save the Key, Then Paste the Command From Your Email
Your email has everything you need. You do not have to figure anything out, just follow three steps.
- Save the attached key file (its name ends in
.key) to your computer - Lock down its permissions so your SSH client will trust it
- Paste the connection command from the email into a terminal
01. What You Received
The email we sent you contains two things:
- A private key file attached to the message. Its name looks like
uwh-your-username.key. This is the credential that logs you in. Treat it like a password. - A ready-to-use connection command in the body of the email. It already has the correct server name, port, username, and key file name filled in. In most cases you can simply copy and paste it.
The connection command in your email includes a specific port number (the number right after -p). It is not the standard port 22. For security we do not publish the port here, so always take it from the command in your email rather than guessing.
02. Connect on macOS or Linux
macOS and Linux have the ssh command built in. Open Terminal, then:
1. Go to the folder where you saved the key. For example, if you saved it to Downloads:
cd ~/Downloads
2. Lock down the key file permissions. SSH refuses to use a key that other users could read. Replace the filename with the one we sent you:
chmod 600 uwh-your-username.key
3. Connect using the command from your email. It looks like this, already filled in for you (your real port, username, and server will be in the email):
ssh -i uwh-your-username.key -p PORT your-username@your-server
The first time you connect you will see a message about the authenticity of the host and a fingerprint. That is our server identifying itself, which is normal. Type yes and press Enter to continue. You should then land directly at the account's command line, with no password prompt.
If you prefer, move the key into your ~/.ssh/ folder first and run chmod 600 there. Either location works, as long as you point the -i option at the right path.
03. Connect on Windows (PowerShell)
Windows 10 and 11 include the same ssh command. This is the simplest way to connect on Windows, with nothing to install.
1. Open PowerShell and change to the folder where you saved the key, for example:
cd $HOME\Downloads
2. Lock down the key file permissions. Windows needs the file restricted to your own account, which is the equivalent of chmod 600. Replace the filename with yours:
icacls uwh-your-username.key /inheritance:r icacls uwh-your-username.key /grant:r "$($env:USERNAME):(R)"
3. Connect using the command from your email (your real port, username, and server will be in the email):
ssh -i uwh-your-username.key -p PORT your-username@your-server
Type yes at the first host authenticity prompt to continue.
If PowerShell says it does not recognize ssh, open Settings, go to System, then Optional Features, and add OpenSSH Client. It is a one-click, built-in Windows feature.
04. Connect on Windows (PuTTY)
If you prefer the PuTTY graphical client, it needs the key converted to its own format first.
1. Install PuTTY from the official site at putty.org. The installer includes PuTTYgen, the key converter.
2. Convert the key. Open PuTTYgen, click Load, change the file filter to All Files, and open the .key file we emailed you. It loads without asking for a passphrase, because these keys do not have one. Click Save private key to write out a .ppk file. If it warns about saving without a passphrase, that is expected, click Yes.
3. Set up the connection. Open PuTTY and fill in:
- Host Name: enter
your-username@your-server, taking both from the command in your email. - Port: enter the port number from the command in your email (the number right after
-p). It is not 22.
4. Attach the key. In the left-hand tree, open Connection > SSH > Auth > Credentials and browse to the .ppk file you saved in step 2.
5. Connect. Click Open. Accept the security alert about the server's host key the first time you connect.
05. If It Will Not Connect
A few things trip people up. Work down this list:
- It asks for a password. That means the key was not accepted, so SSH fell back to asking for one. The usual causes are below: a wrong source IP, wrong file permissions, or pointing at the wrong key file. Do not type a password, fix the cause instead.
- You are connecting from a different IP address. The key only works from the one IP address it was locked to. A different office, home connection, VPN, or mobile hotspot will be refused. Check your current address at tools.ultrawebhosting.com/my-ip and, if it has changed, open a support ticket so we can update the lock.
- File permissions are too open. On macOS or Linux run
chmod 600on the key. On Windows use theicaclscommands in section 03. Without this, SSH ignores the key. - Wrong port. Use the port from the command in your email, not 22. A "connection refused" or "timed out" error usually means the port or network is wrong.
- The access has expired. These grants remove themselves automatically at the end of the window you were given. If it has passed, open a support ticket and we will issue a new key.
The "authenticity of host can't be established" message with a fingerprint is showing our server's identity, not a problem with your key. Typing yes is the correct and expected response the first time you connect.
06. Good to Know
- One IP address only. The key is tied to the address you connect from. If your network changes, it stops working until we update the lock.
- It expires on its own. When the access window ends, the key stops working automatically. Nobody has to remember to turn it off.
- One account, fully isolated. You land in a jailed shell for a single hosting account. You cannot see or reach other customers or the server itself, and there is no root access.
- Keep the key private. Do not forward it, post it in a shared chat or ticket, or commit it to a repository. If it is ever exposed, tell us and we will revoke it and issue a new one.
07. Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find the port number?
It is in the connection command in your email, immediately after -p. We do not list the port in this public article for security reasons, so always take it from your email. It is not the standard port 22.
The key has no passphrase. Is that safe?
Yes. The key only works from your single, specified IP address and it expires automatically, so a copy is useless to anyone else and the access cannot linger. Still keep the file private, the same as you would a password.
Can I use the key from another computer or network?
Only from the IP address the key is locked to. From any other address or network the connection is refused. If your location or connection changes, open a support ticket with your new IP (from tools.ultrawebhosting.com/my-ip) and we can move the lock.
I lost the key or deleted the email. Can you resend it?
We do not keep a copy of the private key after it is sent, so we cannot resend the original. Open a support ticket and we will issue a fresh key for you.
Does this give me cPanel or root access?
No. It is command-line access to one hosting account only, confined by CloudLinux CageFS. It is not a cPanel login and it does not grant root or system-level access.
If you are the account owner and want to understand how this access is set up, extended, or revoked, see How to Grant Temporary SSH Access to a Developer.
Need help connecting, or need to extend the window or change the IP address? Open a support ticket with Ultra Web Hosting and we will take care of it.
