Home FAQ Connecting with SSH Keys

An SSH key is a much safer alternative to a password. It comes as a pair: a private key that stays on your computer and a public key that you share with us so we can unlock your account for it. You keep the private half secret; even if someone intercepts the public half, they cannot log in without the private one.

Good to know: You normally only need a single key. The same key pair can be safely reused for all your hosting accounts – at dotplex and anywhere else. There's no need to create a separate key for each server or provider; just send us the same public key.

Below is the short version for creating a key in the terminal and using it in a terminal session or in your favourite SFTP client.

1. Create a key in the terminal

Open the Terminal app (macOS and Linux have it built in; on Windows use PowerShell) and run:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@example.com"

Then:

  • Location: press Enter to accept the default (~/.ssh/id_ed25519).

  • Passphrase: choose a strong passphrase. This encrypts the private key, so a stolen laptop still doesn't give anyone access. Do not leave it empty.

You now have two files in the hidden .ssh folder in your home directory:

  • id_ed25519 – your private key. Never send or share this file.

  • id_ed25519.pub – your public key. This is the one you send to us.

2. Send us your public key

Display the public key so you can copy it:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Copy the whole line (it starts with ssh-ed25519 and ends with your email) and email it to support@dotplex.com, asking us to authorise it for your server / hosting account. As soon as we've added it, you can log in with your key.

Important: Only ever send the .pub file. Never send or upload the private key (id_ed25519), and never share your passphrase.

3. Connect from the terminal

Once your key is authorised, connect with:

ssh -p 2215 your-username@your-server.dotplex.host

Your computer uses the matching private key automatically. If you set a passphrase, you'll be asked for it the first time.

4. Connect with an SFTP client

You only need to point the client to your private key file (~/.ssh/id_ed25519) – it handles the rest.

Cyberduck

  1. Click Open Connection.

  2. Choose SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) at the top.

  3. Enter the Server and your Username.

  4. Leave the password empty and, under SSH Private Key, select your id_ed25519 file.

  5. Click Connect (enter your passphrase if prompted).

Transmit

  1. Create a new server / connection and set the Protocol to SFTP.

  2. Enter the Server (Address) and Username.

  3. Next to the password field, switch the method from Password to Key, then choose your id_ed25519 file.

  4. Click Connect.

FileZilla

  1. Open File → Site Manager → New Site.

  2. Set Protocol to SFTP – SSH File Transfer Protocol.

  3. Enter the Host and your User.

  4. Set Logon Type to Key file and browse to your id_ed25519 file (FileZilla will offer to convert it to its own format – just confirm).

  5. Click Connect.

That's it – you're now logging in securely without a password.