How can you use SSH to manage network devices? (2024)

Key takeaways from this article

• Enable SSH first:

  Before you dive into managing devices, ensure SSH (Secure Shell) is set up on each one. It's like giving your devices their own secure phone line for you to call in and manage them from anywhere.

• Automate wisely:

  With automation tools, you can batch-process repetitive tasks across multiple network devices. Think of it as teaching your computer to do your chores—while you focus on bigger things.

This summary is powered by AI and these experts

• Ghufran Ashiq Cyber Security Analyst || Certified…

• Ghufran Ashiq Cyber Security Analyst || Certified Ethical Hacker || Risk Assessment || ISO\IEC 27001 LA || CIS Controls || Nerwork Security || Threat Hunting || CCNA || Microsoft Specialist

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  Enabling and configuring SSH settings on network devices is essential before using them for management. Depending on the vendor and kind of device, this process can vary, but it usually entails multiple steps. To begin with, create a public-private key pair for authentication and encryption. After that, give the device a hostname, domain name, and IP address configuration, along with default gateway configuration. With the version, port, and timeout parameters specified, enable the SSH service. For SSH access, create a user account and password. To strengthen security, you might choose to limit SSH access to specific IP addresses or interfaces. Managing network devices using SSH is safe and effective when you follow these procedures.

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• Heorhii Yumashev DevOps Engineer | AWS | Terraform | Kubernetes | Azure | GCP |

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  By utilizing SSH for managing network devices, you can securely access and control your devices from anywhere with an internet connection, enhancing efficiency and security in network management.

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• Sukma Wahyu W. Kuli @ CV. Indonesia Corner

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  Belajar console di awal dan perintah perintahnya unix dulu untuk bisa lebih lincah kedepannya menggunakan SSH, jadi jangan dadakan, tp gpp jg sih banyak tutorialnya sekarang

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• Jeremiah Oladimeji I am a Cisco Certified Network Engineer with 7+ years’ experience in the industry. With vital skills in designing, implementing and supporting large-scale complex multi-vendor networks.

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  SSH must be configured1. generate a public and private key pair for encryption and authentication, 2. assign a hostname and domain name to your device, 3.configure an IP address and a default gateway for your device, 4. enable SSH service with the version, port, and timeout settings specified, create a user account and password for SSH access, and optionally restrict SSH access to specific IP addresses or interfaces.

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• Aziz Abushelikh Information Technology Engineer @ Edw. C. Levy Co. | Information Technology Infrastructure

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  See Also

  CISCO IOS in a NutshellConfiguring SSH on a Cisco DeviceWhat Is Telnet? How Do I Run It?
  In addition In my experience as of practicing need the SSH client on your local machine and an SSH server running on the remote device

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  Enable SSH: Ensure SSH is activated on your network devices through initial console access.Use SSH Clients: Connect to devices using SSH clients like PuTTY or terminal, entering the device's IP address.Authenticate: Log in with the credentials set up for SSH access on the device.Execute Commands: Perform configuration or monitoring tasks directly through the command line.Automate with Tools: Use tools like Ansible for automating repetitive SSH tasks across devices.Secure Your Connections: Use strong passwords and consider key-based authentication. Regularly update devices for security.SSH facilitates secure, remote management of network devices, streamlining administrative tasks.

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• Ghufran Ashiq Cyber Security Analyst || Certified Ethical Hacker || Risk Assessment || ISO\IEC 27001 LA || CIS Controls || Nerwork Security || Threat Hunting || CCNA || Microsoft Specialist

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  After setting up SSH on your network devices, you can connect using SSH clients to enable command-line interface (CLI) interaction. OpenSSH, SecureCRT, and PuTTY are a few well-known SSH clients. Launch the SSH client, enter the IP address or hostname of the network device, the port number and username for SSH access, the password or private key for authentication, confirm the network device's fingerprint if prompted, and start an SSH session to easily access the CLI.

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• Alfredo Ocana Senior Security and Network Architect IP/Cloud at Ericsson

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  Once SSH is configured on the network devices, you can connect to them using SSH clients such as PuTTY, OpenSSH, or SecureCRT. Simply open the SSH client, enter the IP address or hostname of the device, specify the SSH port if it's not the default port 22, and provide your login credentials.

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• Dada Olugbenga President @ JEHU ENTERTAINMENT LTD | Network Administration, Microsoft Products

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  I agree with these 💯, also running commands and configure settings on network devices using SSH can also be a good way to go

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• Ghufran Ashiq Cyber Security Analyst || Certified Ethical Hacker || Risk Assessment || ISO\IEC 27001 LA || CIS Controls || Nerwork Security || Threat Hunting || CCNA || Microsoft Specialist

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  When you use SSH to log in to a network device, the CLI—a text-based interface—allows you to run commands and make configuration changes. Common CLI features include monitoring device status and configuration, modifying CLI mode and level, adjusting device parameters and options, saving and reloading configurations, and using diagnostic and troubleshooting utilities, but command syntax might vary depending on the type of device and manufacturer.

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• Alfredo Ocana Senior Security and Network Architect IP/Cloud at Ericsson

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  After establishing an SSH connection, you can run commands directly on the network device's command-line interface (CLI). This allows you to configure settings, monitor device status, and troubleshoot issues remotely.

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• Ghufran Ashiq Cyber Security Analyst || Certified Ethical Hacker || Risk Assessment || ISO\IEC 27001 LA || CIS Controls || Nerwork Security || Threat Hunting || CCNA || Microsoft Specialist

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  Using SCP or SFTP protocols, SSH enables safe file transfers to and from network devices. Installing a SCP or SFTP client on your computer and turning on the service on your network devices are prerequisites for using these protocols. Then you establish a connection to the network device and provide the source and destination directories for the scripts or files. This guarantees safe file and script transfers across hosts.

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• Alfredo Ocana Senior Security and Network Architect IP/Cloud at Ericsson

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  In addition to running commands, SSH also supports secure file transfer protocols such as SCP (Secure Copy Protocol) and SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol). These protocols allow you to transfer configuration files, scripts, firmware updates, and other files between your local machine and the network devices securely

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• Ghufran Ashiq Cyber Security Analyst || Certified Ethical Hacker || Risk Assessment || ISO\IEC 27001 LA || CIS Controls || Nerwork Security || Threat Hunting || CCNA || Microsoft Specialist

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  when managing network devices over SSH, but resolving them successfully is essential to guaranteeing a safe connection. Common issues include incorrect commands, host key verification failure, authentication failure, and connection denial or timeout. Verify network connectivity and SSH configuration settings, examine logs and messages from the SSH client and network device, and use the ssh -v or ssh -vvv command to increase verbosity in order to debug these problems. Additionally, test network and SSH connectivity using tools like ping traceroutetelnet, or ssh-keygen. By using these troubleshooting approaches, you can keep your connection to your network devices safe and quickly resolve SSH issues.

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• Alfredo Ocana Senior Security and Network Architect IP/Cloud at Ericsson

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  When using SSH to manage network devices, it's important to be familiar with common issues and errors that may arise. These can include authentication failures, connection timeouts, and compatibility issues between SSH client and server versions. Troubleshooting techniques may involve checking SSH configuration settings, verifying network connectivity, and reviewing system logs for error messages

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• Neeraj Joshi SOC Analyst (Tier 2)

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  Secure Shell (SSH) is a protocol used for securely accessing and managing devices over an unsecured network. SSH allows you to log into another computer over the network, execute commands in a remote machine, and move files from one machine to another.To use SSH, you typically need the SSH client on your local machine and an SSH server running on the remote device. You connect via the command line using 'ssh username@hostname', and after authentication, you'll have access to the remote system's command line.For managing multiple devices, you might use SSH in conjunction with automation tools like Ansible, which use SSH to execute commands and scripts on various devices at once.

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• Alfredo Ocana Senior Security and Network Architect IP/Cloud at Ericsson

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  In addition to the technical aspects of SSH configuration and usage, it's important to consider security best practices. This includes regularly updating SSH software to patch known vulnerabilities, implementing strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), and restricting SSH access to authorized users and IP addresses. Regular auditing and monitoring of SSH connections can also help detect and mitigate potential security threats

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