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SSH Port 22: Connect on the Default or a Custom Port

OpenSSH defaults to port 22. Learn how to connect on a custom port, save the setting for a host, change the server listener, and troubleshoot access.

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OpenSSH uses TCP port 22 by default. To connect to a server on another port, run ssh -p PORT username@host; to change the port a server listens on, configure Port in the server’s sshd_config. These are separate settings, and the selected port must also be reachable through the host firewall and any network controls between you and the server.

Connect to a server on a custom port

For a single connection, use the SSH client’s -p option and replace the example port, username, and hostname with the values provided by the server administrator:

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ssh -p 2222 [email protected]

The number 2222 is only an example; do not assume it is the server’s port. If you omit -p, the OpenSSH client uses port 22 by default. See the OpenBSD ssh_config(5) manual.

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Save the port for repeated connections

For a host you connect to regularly, add a host-specific entry to your SSH client configuration, usually ~/.ssh/config:

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Host my-server
    HostName server.example
    User username
    Port 2222

Connect using the alias:

ssh my-server

Place Port under the Host pattern for the server it should apply to. If your configuration has other matching host entries, inspect the effective settings before relying on the result.

Change the port on which the server listens

A client’s -p option changes where that client connects; it does not reconfigure the server. To change the listening port, edit the server’s sshd_config and set the intended value, for example:

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Port 2222

The daemon’s Port setting defaults to 22 and may be specified more than once, allowing sshd to listen on multiple ports. ListenAddress can also specify an address and port. See the OpenBSD sshd_config(5) manual; that reference is for OpenBSD 5.3, so check the manual for the system and release you administer.

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Apply the configuration using the service-management procedure for that operating system. There is no single restart or reload command that is appropriate for every platform. Keep an existing administrative session open, then test a new connection on the intended port before closing it.

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Client port and server port are different settings

Setting Where it applies What it controls Documented default
Client -p or Port The SSH client The destination port on the remote host 22, according to the OpenBSD ssh_config(5) manual
Server Port The sshd daemon The port on which the server listens 22, according to the OpenBSD 5.3 sshd_config(5) manual

For a successful connection, the client must target a port where the daemon is listening, and traffic to that port must be permitted by the relevant network controls.

Troubleshoot a connection to a custom port

  1. Confirm the port. Ask the server administrator for the exact port number and hostname or address.
  2. Set the client destination. Try ssh -p PORT username@host, or check that the matching entry in ~/.ssh/config has the intended Port value.
  3. Verify the server listener. Confirm that sshd is listening on that port and on an address reachable from your client. The server’s Port and ListenAddress settings govern this behavior.
  4. Check network rules. The host firewall, cloud firewall, and any intervening network policy must allow traffic to the selected TCP port. The correct steps depend on the operating system, cloud provider, and network design.
  5. Check how the daemon starts. If the configuration-file port seems to be ignored, inspect the daemon’s launch options. The Linux man-pages sshd(8) reference says that specifying sshd -p makes the daemon ignore Port entries in the configuration file, with an interaction involving ListenAddress.
  6. Separate reachability from authentication. A TCP connection does not prove that an account is authorized. Conversely, a timeout or refusal alone does not establish that credentials are the problem.
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Does changing port 22 make SSH secure?

Choosing a different port changes where the client connects and where the daemon listens; it does not itself authenticate users or control access. Treat a custom port as a configuration choice, not as a substitute for security controls.

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