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Getting started

A VPS Pro goes into service in five steps: you choose your size, we prepare your offer, you add your SSH key, you pay, and your server creates itself.

1. Choose your size​

On the VPS Pro page, each size carries a button, Choose Pro 1 to Choose Pro 6: it opens the contact form, already filled in with the chosen size. Tell us what you want to run: we recommend the right size and prepare your server.

From your client area my.simafri.com, the Our services section shows the VPS Pro family: See the offer displays each size and its price, and Write to us puts you in touch with our team.

In your message, specify:

  • the size you want, or what your application needs (language, database, number of users), so that we can advise you;
  • the cycle: monthly, or yearly with one month free;
  • your site's domain name, if you have one (see the next step);
  • the system you want, if it is not Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

Our team then sends you your proforma, which you find in the Billing section of your client area.

2. Your server's name​

Every VPS Pro carries a name, set when you order. It is used to reach your server over SSH and to serve your site over HTTPS.

  • With a domain name: your server takes the name you give, for example my-company.com or app.my-company.com. A subdomain works very well: your current site and your mailboxes stay where they are, and only this subdomain points to your VPS.
  • Without a domain name: your server receives a name of its own under vps.simafri.cloud, for example pro2-k7m2qx.vps.simafri.cloud, which works immediately, with no DNS setup at all.

You add other domains at any time (see Putting a site or an application online).

3. The system​

Your VPS Pro is delivered with Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, or with Debian 13 if you request it when ordering. For Rocky Linux or AlmaLinux, also say so when ordering. You then install everything your project needs.

4. Add your SSH key​

Your server opens with your SSH key, which you add yourself in your client area, VPS section, as soon as your server's card appears there, even while it is being prepared: the key is then installed when the server is created. The details are in Connecting over SSH.

5. Pay the proforma​

Pay your proforma from the Billing section, with one of the payment methods it shows for your country (see Invoices and payments). No setup fee is added.

Going into service​

As soon as your payment is recorded, your VPS Pro is created automatically, in a few minutes:

  1. The server is created with its system, updated, then connected to the network: its name answers over SSH, HTTP and HTTPS.
  2. The SSH key you added is installed on it.
  3. Your server's card moves from Being prepared to Running in the VPS section, with its IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and the SSH connection command.
  4. A "Your server ... is ready" email reaches you, with the connection command. If you do not yet have access to your client area, your invitation arrives in a separate email.

Your subscription runs from the date the server goes into service, shown in the card: In service since.

Your first connection​

Copy the SSH connection command from your card into your computer's terminal. It has the form:

ssh -p 22101 root@203.0.113.10

The port and the address are specific to your server: always use the ones from your card. On the first connection, your computer asks you to confirm the server's fingerprint: answer yes.

You are now the administrator of your server. To begin:

apt update && apt upgrade

then install what your application needs. The following guides help you along: Putting a site or an application online and System and security.

Frequently asked questions​

Can I order a VPS Pro without a domain name?​

Yes. Your server receives a name under vps.simafri.cloud, which works straight away over SSH, HTTP and HTTPS. You add your own domain whenever you wish.

My card has shown "Being prepared" since I paid: what is happening?​

Your server is being created and updated: allow a few minutes. If the card stays at Being prepared while your invoice is paid in the Billing section, write to support from the card, with the Contact us link.

Who receives the email announcing that the server is ready?​

The contact address of your account, in the account owner's language. The connection command remains available at any time in your server's card.