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 add to your account. 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 add the same public key everywhere.

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 add to your account with us.

2. Add 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). What happens next depends on your product.

Secure Hosting: add it yourself in the dotplex Dashboard

  1. Log in to the dotplex Dashboard and open SSH + FTP → SSH keys.

  2. Click Add SSH key and paste the line into the Public key field.

  3. Optional: give it a Title (e.g. “MacBook”) and a date under Valid through – handy for temporary access, such as for an agency.

  4. Click Add key.

Your key is active on your server within about a minute. On the same page you can delete keys at any time, and you'll find the server, username and port for your connection. Keys you sent us by email earlier are already listed there.

Note: On Secure Hosting, the dotplex Dashboard manages your ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file. Keys added to it by hand are overwritten, so always add keys through the Dashboard.

Managed Servers: email it to us

Email the line to support@dotplex.com, asking us to authorise it for your server. As soon as we've added it, you can log in with your key.

Important: Only ever add or send the public key (the .pub file). Never send or upload the private key (id_ed25519), and never share your passphrase – not even with us.

3. Connect from the terminal

Once your key has been added, connect with:

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

On Secure Hosting, you'll find the ready-to-copy command in the dotplex Dashboard under SSH + FTP → SSH keys.

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.