INSTALL SSH SERVER

Let's explore how to install an SSH server on Windows.

The SSH client has been included since Windows 10.

PREREQUISITES

Windows Server 2019 or Windows 10 (build 1809) or later
PowerShell 5.1 or later
Administrator account

INSTALL

Run PowerShell with administrative privileges.

Install the SSH server.

Command:

Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name OpenSSH.Server~~~~0.0.1.0

Output:

Path          :
Online        : True
RestartNeeded : False

If the installation is successful, Online will show as True.

RUN

Start the SSH server.

Run it manually.

Command:
```
Start-Service sshd
```
No output
Set the service to start automatically.

Configure it to run automatically at Windows startup.

Command:
```
Set-Service -Name sshd -StartupType 'Automatic'
```
No output

Allow through the firewall.

Allow access to port 22, which the SSH server uses, through the firewall.

Command:

if (!(Get-NetFirewallRule -Name "OpenSSH-Server-In-TCP" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object Name, Enabled)) {
    Write-Output "Firewall Rule 'OpenSSH-Server-In-TCP' does not exist, creating it..."
    New-NetFirewallRule -Name 'OpenSSH-Server-In-TCP' -DisplayName 'OpenSSH Server (sshd)' -Enabled True -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -Action Allow -LocalPort 22
} else {
    Write-Output "Firewall rule 'OpenSSH-Server-In-TCP' has been created and exists."
}

CHECK

Check the status of the SSH server.

Verify if the service is running.

Command:
```
Get-Service -Name 'sshd'
```
Output:
```
Status   Name               DisplayName
------   ----               -----------
Running  sshd               OpenSSH SSH Server
```
If Status is Running, it is functioning correctly.
If Status is Stopped, run the Start-Service sshd command and check again.
Verify connection.
- Check your account.
  
  If you created your Windows account using a Microsoft account during installation, your email ID is your account name.
  For IDs longer than 5 characters, it may have been changed, so verify it accurately.
  
  Command:
```
Write-Output $env:UserName
```
  Output:
```
xiyo
```
  The actual system account name will be displayed.
- Local SSH connection.
  
  Command:
```
ssh xiyo@localhost
```
  Replace xiyo with your own account name.
  
  Output:
```
The authenticity of host '127.0.0.1 (127.0.0.1)' can't be established.
ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:D/StxC2FjSpxjD9X+QcXyhHJHb0tfC+Hn9iFMbZooTM.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])?
```
  On the first connection, it will save the connection information.
  Type yes and press Enter.
  
  It will then prompt for your password.
  
  Output:
```
[email protected]'s password:
```
  When entering the password, nothing will appear on the screen.
  Type your password and press Enter.
  
  If the connection is successful, a new command prompt will appear.
- External SSH connection.
  
  For external connections, simply change the host's IP address and run the command.
  
  Command:
```
ssh [email protected]
```
  The scenario is the same as for local connections.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Unable to connect from external sources

If you successfully connected locally but cannot connect externally, there could be several issues.

Firewall blocking

Somewhere in the network, a firewall is blocking SSH connections.

Output:

ssh: connect to host 192.168.1.10 port 22: Connection refused

Port 22 is blocked from external access.

Disable all firewalls and gradually enable them from the server to the router while testing.

Unable to connect to the host

You may have mistakenly entered an extra 0 while typing 192.168.1.10.

Output:

ssh: connect to host 192.168.1.100 port 22: Network is unreachable

This is an IP address that cannot be found on the network.

Check the IP address and try again.

Connection timed out

You might be trying to connect to a different network range, such as 192.168.2.10 instead of 192.168.1.10.

Output:

ssh: connect to host 192.168.2.10 port 22: Operation timed out

The network ranges are different, so there is no response.

Check the IP address and try again.