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Launch and connect to your first Compute instance

Step-by-step instructions to create your account, deploy your first instance, and connect via SSH.

Thanasis Karavasilis avatar
Written by Thanasis Karavasilis
Updated over 3 weeks ago

This article will walk you through the basics of Compute, Hivenet's GPU-powered cloud service built for AI, ML, and other high-performance workloads.

You’ll learn how to create an account, launch your first instance, connect to it, and manage your usage.

What you’ll need

  • A Hivenet account

  • An SSH key (public) to connect to your instance

  • Optional: a payment method to add credits later

Create your account

To get started:

  1. Log in to access your dashboard.

Your dashboard is where you'll manage your projects, launch instances, and track usage.

Dashboard of Compute with Hivenet

📝 Note: Compute uses a separate account from the one you may already have for Hivenet storage and other services. We know that’s not ideal, and we’re actively working on unifying accounts across the platform.

Launch an instance

Once you’re in the dashboard:

  • Go to the Instances page.

  • Click Launch new instance.

  • Under Location, choose a region.

  • Under Type, select your instance type (GPU or vCPU).

  • Choose a Size (Small, Medium, Large).

  • Upload your SSH key.

  • Click Deploy.

Your instance will now appear on the Instances page with its current status.

Connect to your instance via SSH

After launching, here’s how to connect:

  • On the Instances page, find your running instance.

  • Click Connectivity options.

  • Copy the provided SSH command.

  • Paste it into your terminal to connect.

💡 Tip: You can configure your ~/.ssh/config file for faster access later.

Stop or terminate an instance

To avoid using up credits, stop any instances you’re not actively using.

  • Stop: Pauses your instance (you can restart it later).

  • Terminate: Permanently deletes your instance and all data on it.

⚠️ Warning: Terminating an instance will erase everything on it. Be sure to back up any important files first.

Add credits to your balance (optional)

If you run out of free credits:

  • Open the Billing page from the left-hand menu.

  • Click Add credits.

  • Choose an amount and complete the Stripe checkout flow.

Need more help? Check our Pricing or visit the website FAQ.

What’s next?

Now that you’re set up, you can start running AI models, experimenting with machine learning, or deploying custom workloads—on demand and on your terms.


Need help?

🗣️ Join our Discord community to get real-time support, tips from other users, and updates from the team.

💬 Or use the chatbot in the bottom-right corner of your screen to get quick answers.

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