How to Sign In to a Server for the First Time

Last updated 31 July 2026

How to Sign In to a Server for the First Time

Connect to a Brainsalt server's System Management web interface, sign in with the default administrator account, and change the factory password to secure the server.

[USER-ACTION-REQUIRED: Attach a screenshot of the System Management login page here]

Before you start

  • The Brainsalt server is powered on and connected to your network
  • You know the server's IP address or hostname (use the Brainsalt Hub app to discover servers on your network)
  • A web browser on a machine that can reach the server (same subnet by default)

Steps

1. Open the System Management interface

You have two ways to reach a server's web interface:

  • From the Brainsalt Hub app — find the server in the discovery list and click System Management. The Hub handles sign-in automatically via SSO, so you will land on the Overview page directly. If you have not yet signed in to this server through the Hub, it will prompt you for credentials.

  • From any web browser — navigate to https://<server-ip> or https://<hostname>. The server uses HTTPS on port 443 by default. If you type an HTTP address, the server redirects to HTTPS automatically.

2. Trust the server certificate

Each Brainsalt server generates its own self-signed HTTPS certificate. Your browser will show a security warning the first time you connect. You can proceed past the warning, but to remove it permanently, install the server's certificate as a trusted root on your client machine:

  1. Download the certificate by browsing to https://<server-ip>/api/cert. This returns the server's public certificate in PEM format.

  2. Install the downloaded certificate into your operating system's Trusted Root Certification Authorities store. On Windows, double-click the file and follow the Certificate Import Wizard.

  3. Restart your browser. The certificate warning will no longer appear for this server.

If you use the Brainsalt Hub app to access System Management, it handles certificate trust automatically. This step is only needed when accessing the interface directly in a standalone browser.

3. Sign in with the default administrator account

On the login page, enter the factory default credentials:

  • Username: ADMIN

  • Password: ADMIN2!!

Usernames are case-sensitive. Type ADMIN in uppercase exactly as shown. admin or Admin will not work.

Click Sign in. After a successful login you land on the Overview page, and a warning immediately opens on top of it: Default administrator password in use.

4. Change the default password

Do not skip this step. The default credentials are publicly documented. Any server left on the default password is accessible to anyone on the same network.

The Default administrator password in use warning offers three controls:

  • Set new password — opens the Change password page. This is the one you want.

  • Continue anyway — dismisses the warning for this browser session only. It reappears the next time you sign in.

  • Don't show this warning again — a checkbox. If it is ticked when you click Continue anyway, the warning is suppressed permanently for that account.

Leave Don't show this warning again unticked. The setting is saved per account, so a server left on its factory password will never remind you again.

Click Set new password.

[USER-ACTION-REQUIRED: Attach a screenshot of the Default administrator password in use warning here]

Because you are still on the default password, the system skips the "current password" field. Enter your new password twice and click Change password.

Your new password must meet these requirements:

  • 8 to 16 characters

  • At least one number

  • At least one special character (e.g. ! @ # $ %)

After a successful change, you are redirected to the Overview page. The security warning will no longer appear.

[USER-ACTION-REQUIRED: Attach a screenshot of the Change password page here]

Options explained

Roles at a glance

Every user account has one of three roles. The role determines what the user can see and do in System Management.

Role

Description

Typical use

User

Read and monitor only. Can view the Overview, GPU status, storage, hardware info, and logs.

Monitoring dashboards, read-only technicians

Operator

Everything a User can do, plus operate: start/stop applications, transfer files, control power, and open Remote UIs.

Show operators, AV technicians running events

Administrator

Full access to all pages, including network, GPU, user management, backup, and VNC screen control.

System integrators, IT administrators

Login settings

Setting

Description

Values / Range

Username

Case-sensitive. Letters, digits, and the characters . - _ are allowed.

4–16 characters

Password

Must include at least one number and one special character.

8–16 characters

Session timeout

Sessions expire after 30 minutes of inactivity or 12 hours total, whichever comes first.

30 min idle / 12 h absolute

Common Mistakes

  • "Login failed" with the correct password — Usernames are case-sensitive. ADMIN works; admin does not. Type the username exactly as it was created.

  • Browser shows "Your connection is not private" — The server uses a self-signed certificate. You can proceed past the warning safely, or install the server's certificate from /api/cert to remove the warning permanently (see Step 2).

  • "Too many attempts" after several tries — The server throttles login attempts for security. Wait one minute, then try again. After three consecutive failures on the same account, the wait time increases progressively.

  • The default-password warning stopped appearing — Someone ticked Don't show this warning again on this account. The reminder is suppressed per account, so the server may still be on its factory password. Check Step 4 and change the password; setting any new password re-arms the warning.

  • Cannot reach the server at all — The server's firewall restricts access to the local subnet by default. Make sure your client machine is on the same subnet as the server. If the server's IP is unknown or misconfigured, use the Brainsalt Hub app to discover and reconfigure it.

Tips

  • The Brainsalt Hub app handles SSO automatically. Once you sign in to a server through the Hub, you will not be prompted again when opening System Management or Remote UIs on that server.

  • If the default ADMIN account is ever deleted or its password lost, the server automatically re-creates the default ADMIN / ADMIN2!! administrator when no administrator account exists. This prevents permanent lockout.

  • After changing the default password, create separate accounts for operators and technicians rather than sharing the administrator account. See the related page below.

  • The server enforces a maximum of 15 user accounts. Plan your account structure accordingly for multi-user installations.

How to Manage Users and Roles — Create accounts, assign roles, and reset passwords for your team.

How to Access the BMC KVM Console from Brainsalt Hub — Access the BMC KVM remote console from the Brainsalt Hub app.

How to Control Backstage from a Web Browser (Remote UI) — Control Backstage from a web browser via the Remote UI.