> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.runpod.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connection options

> Explore Pod connection options, including the web terminal, SSH, JupyterLab, and VSCode/Cursor.

<div className="overview-page-wrapper" />

<Frame alt="Pod connection options">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/runpod-b18f5ded/_BeZqveqZvW4ISvJ/images/pod-connection-options.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=_BeZqveqZvW4ISvJ&q=85&s=f9218705ee6220c239f2f7e6179e0539" width="2173" height="1014" data-path="images/pod-connection-options.png" />
</Frame>

Choose a connection method based on your workflow:

| Method             | Best for                                | Persistence   | Setup              |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------------- | ------------- | ------------------ |
| **Web terminal**   | Quick commands, debugging               | Session-based | None               |
| **SSH**            | Long-running processes, reliable access | Persistent    | SSH client         |
| **JupyterLab**     | Data science, notebooks                 | Session-based | Template-dependent |
| **VS Code/Cursor** | Full development environment            | Persistent    | Extension          |

## Web terminal

Browser-based terminal for quick access. Not recommended for long-running processes (use [SSH](#ssh) instead).

1. Navigate to the [Pods page](https://console.runpod.io/pods).
2. Expand your Pod and click **Connect**.
3. Click **Start** if the terminal is stopped, then **Open Web Terminal**.

<Tip>
  If **Start** doesn't respond, refresh the page.
</Tip>

## JupyterLab

Interactive web environment for code, files, and data analysis. Available on templates with JupyterLab pre-configured (e.g., "Runpod Pytorch").

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Web Console">
    1. Deploy a Pod with a JupyterLab-compatible template (all official Runpod PyTorch templates have JupyterLab pre-configured).
    2. Navigate to the [Pods page](https://console.runpod.io/pods) and click **Connect**.
    3. Under **HTTP Services**, click the **Jupyter Lab** link (usually port 8888).
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="CLI">
    Create a Pod with JupyterLab access using the CLI:

    ```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
    runpodctl pod create \
      --name my-jupyter-pod \
      --gpu-id "NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090" \
      --image "runpod/pytorch:2.1.0-py3.10-cuda11.8.0-devel-ubuntu22.04" \
      --container-disk-in-gb 20 \
      --volume-in-gb 50 \
      --ports "8888/http" \
      --env '{"JUPYTER_PASSWORD":"your_secure_password"}'
    ```

    After the Pod starts, access JupyterLab at `https://[POD_ID]-8888.proxy.runpod.net`.

    <Tip>
      Set the `JUPYTER_PASSWORD` environment variable to configure JupyterLab authentication. If not set, some templates use a default password shown in the Pod logs.
    </Tip>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Tip>
  If the JupyterLab tab displays a blank page for more than a minute or two, try restarting the Pod and opening it again.
</Tip>

## SSH

Secure, reliable command-line access for long-running processes and development.

See [Connect with SSH](/pods/configuration/use-ssh) for setup instructions.

## VS Code / Cursor

Connect your local IDE directly to your Pod for a full development experience.

See [Connect to VS Code or Cursor](/pods/configuration/connect-to-ide) for setup instructions.