SSH Hosting

Full Root Access, Included on Every Bare Metal Server

Root access means logging into your server as the superuser, with full administrative privileges over the entire system. You can install any software package, modify system files, configure kernel parameters, manage users and permissions, and alter firewall rules without any restrictions imposed by the hosting provider.

Most shared hosting accounts give you SSH access with a locked-down shell. You can read files and run some commands, but the system is still controlled above you. Root access removes that ceiling entirely.

You need root access when:

• Installing software not available in a standard control panel (custom compilers, specialized runtimes, build toolchains)
• Configuring system-level services like systemd units, iptables rules, or kernel network parameters
• Running containerized workloads with Docker or Kubernetes
• Setting up your own control panel, such as WHM/cPanel or CyberPanel
• Deploying custom application stacks that require specific OS-level dependencies
• Managing dedicated database server instances with full configuration control

Every InMotion Hosting Bare Metal Server ships with full root access included. There is no add-on purchase, no support ticket required, and no waiting period.

SSH Tunneling for Secure Remote Connections

An SSH tunnel creates an encrypted channel between your local machine and your server, forwarding traffic through it. This is useful for securing traffic that would otherwise travel in plain text, such as database connections from a remote workstation or access to internal admin interfaces.

A common example: a developer connects to a remote MySQL instance on port 3306 without exposing that port to the public internet. The connection routes through SSH, remains encrypted end-to-end, and the database never appears in an external port scan.

You can configure SSH tunnels for:

• Remote database access (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis)
• Securing web application admin panels
• Proxying internal services to your local machine for development
• Establishing encrypted connections between servers in a private network

InMotion Hosting Bare Metal Servers include SSH key management built into the platform, so you can generate and manage your key pairs securely without relying on password authentication. Key-based authentication is faster, more secure, and eliminates the risk of brute-force password attacks.

Install Any Application Stack, Without Restrictions

With root access on a Bare Metal Server, you get full control over your environment configuration.

InMotion Hosting Bare Metal Servers include SSH key management built into the platform, so you can generate and manage your key pairs securely without relying on password authentication. Key-based authentication is faster, more secure, and eliminates the risk of brute-force password attacks.

A few examples of what teams deploy on InMotion Hosting Bare Metal: