To establish an SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) connection on a VPS (Virtual Private Server), you would need an SFTP client such as Cyberduck, WinSCP or FileZilla. These are available for different operating systems such as Windows, Mac or Linux. Here are the general steps:
1. Install your chosen SFTP client on your local machine. If you’re using WinSCP for example, you can download it from https://winscp.net/eng/download.php.
1. Open your SFTP client, and set up a new connection. You will need to enter your VPS’s IP address, the username and password or SSH Key. The port number should be 22 (the default for SSH connections).
Steps using FileZilla:
- Launch FileZilla client.
- Go to File > Site Manager.
- Click on New Site and name this new connection (any name you choose).
- On the Host field, fill in the IP address of your VPS.
- Port: leave it empty or set it to 22.
- Protocol: select SFTP.
- Logon Type: Normal (if you have a username and password) or ‘Key file’ (if you are using SSH key authentication).
- User: your username (e.g. root).
- Password: your password.
- Click Connect.
The SFTP client will try to connect to your server. Once the connection is established, you should see your VPS’s file system on one side of the interface, with your local file system on the other. You can now securely transfer files between your local machine and your VPS.
Some complications might arise if your server is configured differently, for instance if the SSH server is not using the default port. In that case you might need to check your server’s SSH config file to find the correct settings. If you are using SSH keys for authentication, you also need to add your SSH private key to the SFTP client.
Remember to always safeguard your login credentials and SSH keys. Only permit SFTP access to trusted users, as they can potentially gain full access to your server’s file system.
