How to change SSH port

Changing the default SSH port on a CentOS system can help enhance and security of your server. By default, SSH runs on port 22.

Open the SSH daemon configuration file with a text editor:

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Look for the line that says:

#Port 22

Uncomment it (remove the #) and change 22 to your desired port number (e.g., 3389):

Port 3389

Note: Please choose a port number greater than 1024 to avoid conflicts with well-known services, and less than 65535.

Update your firewall rules to allow traffic on the new port. For CentOS 7, 8, or CentOS Stream (using firewalls):

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=3389/tcp 
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

If you’re using iptables instead of firewalld, use:

sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3389 -j ACCEPT sudo service iptables save

After updating the configuration file, restart the SSH service to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart sshd

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