Windows Computer: Gaining SSH Access Outside Home Network Using PowerShell

Gaining SSH Access to a Windows Computer Outside of a Home Network Using PowerShell

In this article, we will explore how to gain SSH (Secure Shell) access to a Windows computer outside of a home network using PowerShell. This will allow you to remotely access and manage your Windows computer from anywhere in the world.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, there are a few prerequisites that need to be in place:

• A Windows computer with PowerShell installed
• A router that supports port forwarding
• A static IP address or a dynamic DNS service for your home network

Setting Up Port Forwarding on Your Router

The first step is to set up port forwarding on your router. This will allow incoming SSH connections to be forwarded to your Windows computer. The exact steps for setting up port forwarding will vary depending on your router's make and model, but the general process is as follows:

1. Log in to your router's web-based configuration page
2. Navigate to the port forwarding section
3. Create a new port forwarding rule
4. Set the external port to 22 (the default SSH port)
5. Set the internal port to 22
6. Set the IP address of the internal device to the IP address of your Windows computer

Installing the OpenSSH Server on Windows

Next, you will need to install the OpenSSH server on your Windows computer. This can be done by following these steps:

1. Open PowerShell as an administrator
2. Run the following command to install the OpenSSH server: Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name OpenSSH.Server~~~~0.0.1.0
3. Once the installation is complete, start the SSH service by running the following command: Start-Service sshd
4. To ensure that the SSH service starts automatically when your computer boots, run the following command: Set-Service sshd -StartupType Automatic

Configuring the OpenSSH Server

After installing the OpenSSH server, you will need to configure it. This can be done by editing the sshd\_config file, which is located in the C:\ProgramData\ssh directory.

Here are a few key settings that you should consider changing:

• PermitRootLogin: Set this to no to prevent root login
• PasswordAuthentication: Set this to no to require key-based authentication
• AllowUsers: Add the username of the user(s) who should be allowed to log in via SSH

Connecting to Your Windows Computer via SSH

Once you have set up port forwarding and configured the OpenSSH server, you can connect to your Windows computer via SSH from any device with an SSH client. To do this, you will need to use the external IP address of your home network and the SSH port that you forwarded (22 by default).

For example, if your external IP address is 123.456.789.012, you would connect to your Windows computer via SSH using the following command:

In this article, we have covered the steps required to gain SSH access to a Windows computer outside of a home network using PowerShell. This includes setting up port forwarding on your router, installing the OpenSSH server on Windows, configuring the OpenSSH server, and connecting to your Windows computer via SSH.

References

• Installing and configuring the OpenSSH server on Windows
• Setting up port forwarding on your router
• SSH - Secure Shell