How to set up your server (Single Server mode)

A step-by-step guide: how to connect your VPS to CreateYourVPN in Single Server mode — from renting a server to a working personal VPN in a few minutes.

Single Server mode is the simplest way to launch a personal VPN. You connect one server, and CreateYourVPN sets it up, secures it, and keeps it running for you. All you need to do is enter the server's access details and pick a masking site — everything else happens automatically in a few minutes.

The result is your own VPN that you can use yourself and share with people close to you.

This is the default mode for new accounts — you're most likely already in it. If there's a Mode switcher at the top of the page, make sure Single server is selected.

What you'll need

Before you start, get two things ready.

1. A server (VPS)

A VPS is a rented computer in a data center. You can rent one for a couple of dollars a month from any hosting provider. For a personal VPN or a small family, the cheapest plan is plenty.

Don't have a server yet? We have a step-by-step guide — How to buy a server on HostVDS — a low-cost provider where we show you how to order a suitable VPS in just a few minutes.

When ordering a VPS, choose:

Operating system — Ubuntu (we recommend a recent version, e.g. 24.04). Debian works too.
A clean, freshly created server. Don't install anything on it in advance — CreateYourVPN sets everything up itself.
A location — the country your server will "sit" in. It determines which sites open without restrictions.

2. The server's access details

Right after the VPS is created, the host shows you the login details — usually on the server's page in the control panel and/or in an email. You'll need:

the server's IP address (e.g. 203.0.113.10);
the password of the root user (the server's main user);
the SSH port — almost always 22.

Don't worry about the password. CreateYourVPN uses it only once — for the initial setup. Right after that the server is switched to secure key-based access and password login is disabled. The password itself is never stored.

Step 1. Open "Create server"

Open your dashboard and go to the home page (Home in the left menu).

While you don't have a server yet, you'll see the "Set up your first server" screen. Click the "Create server" button.

The "Connect a server" window opens. From here it's just two things: the server details and the masking site.

Step 2. Enter the server details

Copy the details your host gave you into the form.

Field	What to enter
Server IP address	Your VPS's public IP (e.g. `203.0.113.10`)
SSH port	Usually `22`
User	Usually `root`
Root password	The root password your host gave you
Display name	Any label that's convenient for your dashboard (e.g. `FRA-1` or "Home")

The display name is just a label for you — it doesn't affect anything. Call it whatever you like: by city, by country, or "my VPN".

Step 3. Pick a masking site

To make your VPN hard to spot and block, its traffic is disguised as ordinary visits to a popular site. From the outside it looks as if you're simply visiting, say, google.com.

In the "What site your VPN masks as" field, pick one of the ready presets (Google, Microsoft, Cloudflare, Apple, Yandex, and others) or type your own.

How to choose correctly — one simple rule:

Pick a large site that works well and is not blocked in your server's country.

Server in Europe or the US

Google, Microsoft, Cloudflare, Apple, Amazon — almost always a good choice.

Server in Russia

Prefer local sites: Yandex (ya.ru), VK, Kinopoisk — they're guaranteed to open there.

Don't pick a site that's blocked or unreliable in the server's country — otherwise your VPN will be unstable too. If in doubt, start with Google (for a server in Europe/US) or Yandex (for a server in Russia).

Step 4. Start the installation

Click the "Create server" button.

CreateYourVPN checks the connection to the server and starts the installation. You'll see a progress bar and a list of stages: preparing the server, setting up the control panel, starting the VPN, connecting to your network.

Wait. The installation usually takes a few minutes. You can safely close the window — setup continues in the background, and you'll see the progress on the home page.

If something goes wrong during the connection step, check that the IP address, password, and port are entered correctly and that the server is clean and freshly created. Then try again.

Give access to family

On the home page, in the User cabinet block, turn on 'Let users sign up themselves' and share the cabinet link — your family connects on their own.

For more on connecting apps, see the Connecting apps section.