Changing the default SSH port from port 22 to a non-standard port is usually done for security purposes. Hackers tend to scan servers with port 22 opened, then attempt to brute-force their way into the server.
While this article is written for Debian/Ubuntu and RedHat/CentOS, the steps are the same for most Linux distributions.
Change Default SSH port
1 |
Log in into your server via SSH. |
2 |
Edit the file /etc/ssh/sshd_config with your preferred text editor. #vi /etc/ssh/sshd_config |
3 |
Change the default port from 22 to your preferred port, e.g. 2222 in the line with the Port number. Highlighted below:
Debian: RedHat: Uncomment the '#'. Once complete, save and exit the file. |
4 |
Restart the SSH service.
# /etc/init.d/ssh restart |
Make certain any local iptables or firewalls configured have this new port opened for connection.