8-36
Cisco ME 3800X and 3600X Switch Software Configuration Guide
OL-23400-01
Chapter 8 Configuring Switch-Based Authentication
Configuring the Switch for Secure Shell
Configuring the Switch for Secure Shell
This section describes how to configure the Secure Shell (SSH) feature. To use this feature, you must
install the cryptographic (encrypted) software image on your switch. You must obtain authorization to
use this feature and to download the cryptographic software files from Cisco.com. For more information,
see the release notes for this release.
These sections contain this information:
•
Understanding SSH, page 8-36
•
Configuring SSH, page 8-37
•
Displaying the SSH Configuration and Status, page 8-39
For SSH configuration examples, see the “SSH Configuration Examples” section in the “Configuring
Secure Shell” chapter of the Cisco IOS Security Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS Release 12.2, at
this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/12_2/security/configuration/guide/scfssh.html
Note
For complete syntax and usage information for the commands used in this section, see the command
reference for this release and the Cisco IOS Security Command Reference at this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/security/command/reference/sec_book.html
Understanding SSH
SSH is a protocol that provides a secure, remote connection to a device. SSH provides more security for
remote connections than Telnet does by providing strong encryption when a device is authenticated. This
software release supports SSH Version 1 (SSHv1) and SSH Version 2 (SSHv2).
This section consists of these topics:
•
SSH Servers, Integrated Clients, and Supported Versions, page 8-36
•
Limitations, page 8-37
SSH Servers, Integrated Clients, and Supported Versions
The SSH feature has an SSH server and an SSH integrated client, which are applications that run on the
switch. You can use an SSH client to connect to a switch running the SSH server. The SSH server works
with the SSH client supported in this release and with non-Cisco SSH clients. The SSH client also works
with the SSH server supported in this release and with non-Cisco SSH servers.
The switch supports an SSHv1 or an SSHv2 server.
The switch supports an SSHv1 client.
SSH supports the Data Encryption Standard (DES) encryption algorithm, the Triple DES (3DES)
encryption algorithm, and password-based user authentication.
SSH also supports these user authentication methods:
•
(for more information, see the
“Controlling Switch Access with ” section on
page 8-10
)
•
RADIUS (for more information, see the
“Controlling Switch Access with RADIUS” section on
page 8-17
)
