VGNCloud
The firewall you edit in the CLOUD panel sits outside the machine. A rule holds even if the guest is down, hung, or freshly reinstalled. That is the point. It is also why a DROP on port 22 can lock you out of SSH โ and why the browser console exists.
Default: everything is open
The default policy is ACCEPT in both directions. Every port your server listens on is reachable from the internet until you add a DROP or REJECT. That is a normal starting point, not a hole we forgot to close. Add rules to close what should not be open, or start from a preset.
Presets in the panel:
- SSH from anywhere โ inbound ACCEPT, TCP 22
- Web โ inbound ACCEPT, TCP 80 and 443
- Allow ping โ inbound ACCEPT, ICMP
A single rule can carry a list or a range of ports, such as 80,443 or 8000:8100. There is a cap of 50 rules per machine.
Saving is not instant
Save queues a change. A background job pushes the set to the host seconds later. The button stopping spinning is not the same as the rule being live. If you just locked yourself out, wait a few seconds, then use the console โ do not hammer Save.
The whole rule set is replaced in one go. Unsaved rows vanish if you leave the page. The editor warns you.
What this list cannot reach
Outbound SMTP on ports 25, 465, 587 and 2525 is rejected unless an operator has opened it for that server. Platform rules are evaluated before yours, so an ACCEPT for a mail port here does nothing. If you need to send mail, ask. Most people should relay through a mail provider anyway.
Anti-spoofing and management isolation are always on. They are not editable here, and they are not something you need to configure.
Locked out
If you DROPโd SSH from your own address, or from everywhere, SSH will fail and that is working as designed. Open the server in the panel, open Console, sign in as root. Fix the rule, Save, wait a few seconds, try SSH again.
A reinstall keeps firewall rules. Wiping the disk does not wipe the rules in front of it. If the rules are the problem, edit them; do not reinstall hoping they go away. See reinstall vs delete vs cancel. Plans are on the VPS page.