# What VNC is and when to use it
Source: https://docs.webgee.com/en/servers/what-is-vnc-and-how-to-use-it



VNC gives you the server's screen and keyboard as though you were standing in
front of it. Applies to all VPS and dedicated servers.

Its value is that it **does not depend on SSH or on the network stack inside the
server**. When those are broken, VNC still works — which makes it the tool for
exactly the situations where nothing else responds.

## When to use it [#when-to-use-it]

* **You locked yourself out with a firewall rule.** Very common: a misplaced
  `iptables` rule drops your own SSH session and you cannot get back in.
* **SSH will not start**, or is misconfigured after an edit.
* **The server boots but does not reach the network.**
* **You are installing an OS from your own media** and there is no SSH yet — see
  [Boot media and boot order](/en/servers/boot-media).

For a server that will not boot at all, [rescue
mode](/en/servers/rescue-mode-and-vnc) is usually the better tool — it gives you
a working environment with your disk mounted, rather than a console showing a
failed boot.

## Enable and connect [#enable-and-connect]

1. Open the [Cloud Console](https://console.webgee.cloud) and select your server.
2. Go to **Options → VNC**.
3. Select **Enable VNC Access**.
4. Select **Browser VNC** to open the console in a popup.

Allow popups for the console if nothing opens.

<Callout type="warn">
  **VNC is unencrypted.** Anyone able to observe the network between you and the
  server could record the session, including every keystroke — a root password
  typed into a VNC console is typed in the clear.

  Use it to regain access, then switch to SSH for real work, and select **Disable
  VNC Access** when you are finished. Leaving it enabled is an open console on a
  public server.
</Callout>

## Working in it [#working-in-it]

It is a raw console, so expect the limitations:

* **No clipboard.** You cannot paste; long commands must be typed.
* **Keyboard layout may not match yours**, which matters for symbols in
  passwords.
* **It is slower than SSH** and redraws visibly.

Fix what is broken, then get back to SSH.

## Related [#related]

* [Rescue mode and VNC](/en/servers/rescue-mode-and-vnc)
* [Boot media and boot order](/en/servers/boot-media)
* [Reset the root password](/en/servers/how-to-reset-root-password-from-webgee-cloud-console)