VPS Documentation

VNC Console

The VNC Console gives you browser-based graphical access to your VPS — including full screen output and keyboard input. It works even when SSH is unreachable, making it essential for emergency recovery, OS installations, and boot-level troubleshooting.

Opening the Console

  1. Open your VPS in the dashboard
  2. Click Connect in the navigation bar
  3. Select VNC Console

A popup window opens with a live view of your server's screen.

How It Works

The console uses the noVNC protocol (Remote Framebuffer) to stream your server's display to the browser. Your dashboard authenticates the session and relays the connection through a secure WebSocket, so no additional software or plugins are required.

The VNC session is shared — opening a second console window shows the same screen rather than starting a separate session.

Interacting with the Console

Once connected, click anywhere inside the console window to focus it. From there:

  • Keyboard input is forwarded directly to the server
  • Mouse input works as expected — the cursor appears as a dot overlay
  • The display scales automatically to fit the popup window and adjusts when you resize it

Authentication

The VNC connection itself is authenticated automatically. When the console requests credentials to establish the session, the dashboard provides a ticket behind the scenes — no manual entry is needed to open the console.

Once connected, you still need to log into your operating system with your username and password as you normally would.

When to Use VNC Instead of SSH

The VNC Console is the right tool when:

  • SSH is not available — the server is booting, reinstalling an OS, or the SSH daemon is not running
  • You need graphical output — viewing a desktop environment, a boot menu, or BIOS/UEFI screens
  • You are locked out of SSH — for example, after disabling password authentication without a working key. You can use the console to fix /etc/ssh/sshd_config and restore access

For routine command-line administration, SSH or the web terminal are faster and support features like copy/paste and scrollback.

Troubleshooting

Console shows a black screen — the server may be powered off or still booting. Check the power state on the server's overview page and start or restart it if needed.

Connection fails or times out — refresh the page and try again. If the issue persists, verify the server is running and check for provider-side maintenance.

"VNC password required but not available" — the automatic session ticket could not be retrieved. Close the console window and reopen it from the dashboard. If the error continues, the upstream VNC endpoint may be temporarily unavailable.

Session disconnects unexpectedly — network interruptions or server reboots can drop the connection. Close the console window and reopen it from the dashboard.