Setting up SSH Server on Windows for Dev

Welcome Dev, in this article, we’ll be discussing how to set up an SSH Server on a Windows machine. In today’s digital world, security is a primary concern for software developers. One of the most secure ways to connect to a server remotely is via Secure Shell (SSH). It is an encrypted protocol that enables secure remote login and other network services over an unsecured network. SSH is widely used among developers and system administrators. In this article, we will be discussing how to set up an SSH Server on Windows in a step-by-step guide. Let’s get started!

What is SSH?

Secure Shell, also known as SSH, is a cryptographic network protocol used for secure remote login and other secure network services across an unsecured network. SSH provides a secure channel over an unsecured network by encrypting the traffic between two hosts. SSH is widely used for remote access to servers and networking devices. SSH provides an encrypted connection and is more secure than Telnet or FTP. SSH also supports various authentication methods such as passwords, public key authentication, and two-factor authentication.

Why use SSH?

Reasons to use SSH:	Reasons not to use SSH:
1. Secure data transmission	1. High CPU Usage
2. Encrypted connection	2. Complex setup
3. Strong authentication methods	3. Limited GUI support
4. Remote access to servers	4. Limited support for legacy protocols

Setting up SSH Server on Windows

Setting up an SSH server on Windows is not as complicated as it sounds. There are various ways to set up an SSH server on Windows, including third-party applications, but we will be focusing on the native built-in solution. In this section, we will be discussing how to set up an SSH server on Windows in a step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Enable OpenSSH Server

The first step is to enable the OpenSSH Server feature on your Windows machine. Open the Windows PowerShell terminal as an administrator and run the following command:

Get-WindowsCapability -Online | Where-Object -Property Name -like "OpenSSH.Server*" | Add-WindowsCapability -Online

This command will install the OpenSSH Server feature on your Windows machine.

Step 2: Start the SSH Service

After enabling the OpenSSH Server feature, the next step is to start the SSH service. Open the Windows Services app and find the “OpenSSH SSH Server” service. Set the startup type to “Automatic” and start the service.

Step 3: Configure Firewall Rules

To allow SSH connections through the firewall, you need to configure the firewall rules. Open the Windows Defender Firewall app and add a new inbound rule for TCP port 22. This will allow incoming SSH connections through the firewall.

Step 4: Test the SSH Connection

The final step is to test the SSH connection. Open a terminal application on another machine and run the following command:

ssh username@windowsmachineIP

Replace “username” with the username of the account on the Windows machine and “windowsmachineIP” with the IP address of the Windows machine. If the connection is successful, you should be prompted for a password. Enter the password of the account on the Windows machine, and you should be logged into the Windows machine via SSH.

FAQs

Q1. Do I need to install any third-party application to set up an SSH server on Windows?

A1. No, you don’t need to install any third-party application to set up an SSH server on Windows. Windows has a built-in solution for SSH called OpenSSH Server. You just need to enable it and configure it.

Q2. Can I use SSH to access my Windows machine remotely?

A2. Yes, you can use SSH to access your Windows machine remotely. SSH provides a secure channel for remote login and other network services over an unsecured network. It is more secure than Telnet or FTP.

Q3. Can I use SSH to transfer files between Windows machines?

A3. Yes, you can use SSH to transfer files between Windows machines. SSH supports various file transfer protocols such as SCP and SFTP.

Q4. How do I generate SSH keys for authentication?

A4. To generate SSH keys for authentication, use the ssh-keygen command in the terminal. This command generates a public and private key pair. The public key is added to the authorized_keys file on the server, and the private key is used for authentication.