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StartMyVPN can provision and configure a VPN server end-to-end on any of three paths:
MethodHow it works
DigitalOceanCreates a new droplet via API, then SSHes in to install VPN
VultrCreates a new instance via API, then SSHes in to install VPN
Custom serverSSHes into an existing VPS you provide to install VPN
All three methods use the same background installation job — the only difference is who creates the underlying VPS.

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Deploy on DigitalOcean

Requires a configured DigitalOcean API token. See DigitalOcean setup.
  1. Go to Admin → Deployments → DigitalOcean
  2. Fill in the form:
    • Region — geographic location for the droplet
    • Size — instance size
    • Protocol — OpenVPN or WireGuard
    • Server Name — display label shown to users
    • Country / City — shown in the user-facing server list
  3. Click Deploy
StartMyVPN creates the droplet, waits for it to boot, then connects via SSH and runs the VPN installation script automatically.

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Deploy on Vultr

Requires a configured Vultr API key. See Vultr setup.
  1. Go to Admin → Deployments → Vultr
  2. Fill in the form with region, plan, protocol, and display info
  3. Click Deploy

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Deploy on a custom server

Use this when you already have a VPS — from any provider (AWS, Hetzner, OVH, etc.) or a dedicated server. StartMyVPN connects via SSH and installs the VPN software automatically, exactly the same as for DigitalOcean and Vultr deployments.

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Requirements for the custom server

  • OS: Ubuntu 20.04+ or Debian 10+
  • Access: Root or sudo-capable SSH user
  • SSH port: Port 22 open (or specify a custom port)
  • Clean install: Ideally a fresh VPS with no conflicting VPN software

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Steps

  1. Go to Admin → Servers → Add Server
  2. Complete the 3-step wizard:
Step 1 — Location
FieldDescription
Server NameDisplay label (e.g. “Frankfurt #1”)
CityStart typing to search — auto-complete powered by Google Places if configured
CountryAuto-filled when you select a city
Hosting ProviderOptional label (e.g. “Hetzner”, “AWS”)
Step 2 — SSH Access
FieldDescription
IP AddressPublic IPv4 address of the server
SSH PortDefault: 22
SSH UsernameMust be root or a user with sudo privileges
SSH PasswordStored encrypted — never visible after saving
VPN ProtocolOpenVPN or WireGuard
Step 3 — Review & Deploy Review the summary and click Deploy Server. StartMyVPN will:
  1. Connect to the server via SSH using the credentials provided
  2. Automatically install and configure the selected VPN protocol
  3. Register the server and mark it active
Installation typically takes 3–5 minutes and runs in the background via the queue worker.
The queue worker must be running for deployment to proceed. See Queue Workers.

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SSH credential security

SSH passwords are encrypted at rest using Laravel’s Crypt facade (AES-256-CBC). They are only decrypted in memory during installation and are never logged or displayed after the server is saved.

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Post-deployment steps

After any server is deployed (regardless of method):
  1. Go to Admin → Server Groups and add the new server to a group
  2. Assign the server group to one or more Plans (Admin → Plans → Edit Plan)
  3. Users subscribed to those plans will see the server in their dashboard immediately

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Monitoring deployment progress

Deployment jobs log progress to storage/logs/laravel.log. Check queue status: 
php artisan queue:monitor
If a deployment fails, the job retries up to 3 times before landing in the failed jobs table: 
# List failed jobs
php artisan queue:failed

# Retry a specific failed job
php artisan queue:retry {id}

# Retry all failed jobs
php artisan queue:retry all

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Google Places API (optional)

The city autocomplete field in the custom server wizard uses Google Places. To enable it:
  1. Obtain a Google Maps API key with the Places API enabled
  2. Enter it in Admin → Settings → API → Google Maps API Key
Without this key the city field is a plain text input — you can still type city and country names manually.