How can I connect to a Compute instance from Windows?

What you’ll need

When you create a Compute instance, you'll receive a unique ID that looks like:

ba184ade-84ed-4047-90bb-ca3b76e84246

Use this to build your SSH HostName:

ba184ade-84ed-4047-90bb-ca3b76e84246.ssh.hivecompute.ai

Fastest option (recommended)

In the dashboard go to Instance → Connectivity options → SSH.
Click Copy to terminal to connect.
Paste the command into your terminal and hit Enter.
- The command already includes your instance ID and user.
- It only works if you’ve added the “Add this to your SSH/config file” snippet shown right below the command.

Build the command yourself

ssh ubuntu@<your-instance-id>.ssh.hivecompute.ai

Replace <your-instance-id> with the ID you copied in Step 1.

If you’ve created a Host entry in ~/.ssh/config

ssh hivenet

Some connections require a jump host (a "bastion") for access. If you're getting timeouts, try this:

ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 -o "ProxyCommand ssh [email protected] %h" ubuntu@<your-instance-id>.ssh.hivecompute.ai

Note: You may need to replace id_ed25519 if your key has a different name.

This creates a secure tunnel from your machine to the instance through Hivenet’s bastion.

If everything works, you'll land in a Linux shell on your instance. You can now:

Terminal closes immediately — Run your SSH command from an open terminal window instead of double-clicking a file.
Connection timed out — Add -v to get detailed output and check for network issues.
Permission denied — Check that your SSH key matches what you uploaded in the Compute dashboard.
Bad Gateway — You may be trying to access a web app before it’s started. Use curl localhost:<port> to confirm it's running.

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