A new server sits on a private network with no address the internet can reach. To make it reachable you attach a Public IP (also called a Floating IP).
Attach one from the server
- Open Cloud Servers and click your server.
- From the actions menu choose Associate Floating IP.
- In the dialog:
- IP Address: pick a spare address you already hold, or click Allocate IP to get a new one from the region's pool.
- Port: the server's network port to bind the address to. If the server has one network it is filled in for you; otherwise choose the right one.
- Click OK. The public address now shows on the server and stays with it across reboots.
Manage addresses directly
You can also allocate and release addresses under Networking, then Public IPs. Because a Floating IP belongs to your account rather than a server, you can detach it from one server and attach it to another, which is handy when you rebuild a server but want to keep the same address.
A public address alone does not let traffic in. Open the ports you need next with How to open a port on your server. A Floating IP costs a small amount while allocated, attached or not, so release ones you are not using.