What to Do After Buying a VPS: Step-by-Step Guide

After purchasing and activating your virtual server, many users ask: what’s next? This guide explains the essential steps to take immediately after buying a VPS to make it secure, efficient, and ready to use.

Step 1: Access Your Server

Once your server is active, you’ll receive an email with its IP address, login (usually root), and password. Use an SSH client to connect:

Windows: PuTTY or MobaXterm;
macOS / Linux: ssh root@IP in terminal.

Step 2: Secure Your VPS

Security should be your first priority. We recommend:

Change the root password;
Create a separate user and disable root login;
Set up SSH keys and disable password login;
Install Fail2Ban to block brute-force attacks;
Configure a firewall (UFW or iptables).

Step 3: Install System Updates

Updated software ensures better security and performance. After connecting:

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

# For CentOS/AlmaLinux:
yum update -y

Step 4: Install Essential Software

It depends on your goals: web server (Apache/Nginx), database (MySQL, PostgreSQL), PHP and modules. At minimum, install:

Web server: apt install nginx or yum install httpd;
PHP: apt install php php-cli php-mysql;
DB: apt install mariadb-server.

Step 5: Install a Control Panel (optional)

For easier server management, install a hosting panel:

ISPmanager — commercial, user-friendly, with Russian support;
HestiaCP / VestaCP — free and lightweight;
CyberPanel — great for OpenLiteSpeed and WordPress.

Step 6: Set Up Backups

Regular backups are essential to restore your data in case of failure. Use:

rsync for manual backups;
BorgBackup or Duplicati for automation;
External storage, FTP, or cloud services.

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Still have questions about VPS setup? Contact Bit.Hosting Support — we’ll help you out!

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