Objective

The Secure Shell (SSH) server feature enables you to establish an SSH session with the Sx500 Series Stackable Switches. An SSH session is just like a telnet session but it is more secure. The security is obtained by the device when it generates the public and private keys automatically. These keys can also be changed by the user. An SSH session can be opened through the use of the PuTTY application.

This article provides information on how to select the authentication method for a SSH client. It also explains how to set up a username and password for the SSH client on Sx500 Series Stackable Switches.

Applicable Devices

• Sx500 Series Stackable Switches

Software Version

• 1.3.0.62

Client SSH User Authentication Configuration

This section explains how to configure user authentication on the Sx500 Series Stackable Switches.

Step 1. Log in to the web configuration utility and choose Security > SSH Client > SSH User Authentication. The SSH User Authentication page opens:

Step 2. In the Global Configuration area, click the radio button for the desired SSH User Authentication Method. The available options are:

• By Password — This option lets you configure a password for user authentication

• By RSA Public Key — This option lets you use an RSA public key for user authentication. RSA is used for encryption and signing.

• By DSA Public Key — This option lets you use a DSA public key for user authentication. DSA is for only signing.

Step 3. In the Credentials area, in the Username field, enter the user name.

Step 4. If you chose By Password in Step 2, then in the Password field, click the method to enter the password. The available options are:

• Encrypted — This option lets you enter an encrypted password.

• Plaintext — This option lets you enter a plain text password. Plain text is entered so that you can log in to the device and view the password if you forget.

Step 5. Click Apply to save your authentication configuration.

Step 6. (Optional) To restore the default username and password, click Restore Default Credentials.

Step 7. (Optional) To show the sensitive data of the page in plain text format, click Display Sensitive Data as Plaintext.

SSH User Key Table

This section explains how to manage the SSH User Table on the Sx500 Series Stackable Switches.

Step 1. Log in to the web configuration utility and choose Security > SSH Client > SSH User Authentication. The SSH User Authentication page opens:

Step 2. Check the check box of the key you wish to manage.

Step 3. (Optional) To generate a new key , click Generate. The new key overrides the checked key.

Step 4. (Optional) To edit a current key, click Edit. The Edit SSH Client Authentication Settings window appears.

The options you can edit are:

• Key Type — This option lets you choose from the Key Type drop-down list the key type of your preference. You can choose RSA or DSA as the key type. RSA is used for encryption and signing, while DSA is for only signing.

• Public Key — In this field, you can edit the current public key.

• Private Key — In this field, you can edit the private key, and you can click Encrypted to see the current private key as an encrypted text, or Plaintext to see the current private key in plain text.

Step 5. Click Apply to save your changes.

Step 6. (Optional) To delete the checked key, click Delete.

Step 7. (Optional) To view the details of the checked key, click Details. Below is an image of the user key details.