Reverse SSH Enhancements

The Reverse SSH Enhancements feature, which is supported for SSH Version 1 and 2, provides an alternative way to configure reverse Secure Shell (SSH) so that separate lines do not need to be configured for every terminal or auxiliary line on which SSH must be enabled. This feature also eliminates the rotary-group limitation.

Finding Feature Information

Your software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest caveats and feature information, see Bug Search Tool and the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, see the feature information table at the end of this module.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/​go/​cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Prerequisites for Reverse SSH Enhancements

  • SSH must be enabled.

  • The SSH client and server must be running the same version of SSH.

Restrictions for Reverse SSH Enhancements

  • The -l keyword and userid :{number} {ip-address} delimiter and arguments are mandatory when configuring the alternative method of Reverse SSH for console access.

Information About Reverse SSH Enhancements

Reverse Telnet

Reverse telnet allows you to telnet to a certain port range and connect to terminal or auxiliary lines. Reverse telnet has often been used to connect a Cisco device that has many terminal lines to the consoles of other Cisco devices. Telnet makes it easy to reach the device console from anywhere simply by telnet to the terminal server on a specific line. This telnet approach can be used to configure a device even if all network connectivity to that device is disconnected. Reverse telnet also allows modems that are attached to Cisco devices to be used for dial-out (usually with a rotary device).

Reverse SSH

Reverse telnet can be accomplished using SSH. Unlike reverse telnet, SSH provides for secure connections. The Reverse SSH Enhancements feature provides you with a simplified method of configuring SSH. Using this feature, you no longer have to configure a separate line for every terminal or auxiliary line on which you want to enable SSH. The previous method of configuring reverse SSH limited the number of ports that can be accessed to 100. The Reverse SSH Enhancements feature removes the port number limitation. For information on the alternative method of configuring reverse SSH, see How to Configure Reverse SSH Enhancements.”

How to Configure Reverse SSH Enhancements

Configuring Reverse SSH for Console Access

To configure reverse SSH console access on the SSH server, perform the following steps.

SUMMARY STEPS

    1.    enable

    2.    configure terminal

    3.    line line-number ending-line-number

    4.    no exec

    5.    login authentication listname

    6.    transport input ssh

    7.    exit

    8.    exit

    9.    ssh -l userid : {number} {ip-address}


DETAILED STEPS
     Command or ActionPurpose
    Step 1 enable


    Example:
    Device> enable
     

    Enables privileged EXEC mode.

    • Enter your password if prompted.

     
    Step 2 configure terminal


    Example:
    Device# configure terminal
     

    Enters global configuration mode.

     
    Step 3 line line-number ending-line-number


    Example:
    Device# line 1 3
     

    Identifies a line for configuration and enters line configuration mode.

     
    Step 4 no exec


    Example:
    Device(config-line)# no exec
     

    Disables EXEC processing on a line.

     
    Step 5 login authentication listname


    Example:
    Device(config-line)# login authentication default
     

    Defines a login authentication mechanism for the lines.

    Note   

    The authentication method must use a username and password.

     
    Step 6 transport input ssh


    Example:
    Device(config-line)# transport input ssh
     

    Defines which protocols to use to connect to a specific line of the device.

    • The ssh keyword must be used for the Reverse SSH Enhancements feature.

     
    Step 7 exit


    Example:
    Device(config-line)# exit
     

    Exits line configuration mode.

     
    Step 8 exit


    Example:
    Device(config)# exit
     

    Exits global configuration mode.

     
    Step 9 ssh -l userid : {number} {ip-address}


    Example:
    Device# ssh -l lab:1 router.example.com
     

    Specifies the user ID to use when logging in on the remote networking device that is running the SSH server.

    • userid --User ID.

    • : --Signifies that a port number and terminal IP address will follow the userid argument.

    • number --Terminal or auxiliary line number.

    • ip-address --Terminal server IP address.

    Note   

    The userid argument and :rotary{number}{ip-address} delimiter and arguments are mandatory when configuring the alternative method of Reverse SSH for modem access.

     

    Configuring Reverse SSH for Modem Access

    To configure Reverse SSH for modem access, perform the steps shown in the “SUMMARY STEPS” section below.

    In this configuration, reverse SSH is being configured on a modem used for dial-out lines. To get any of the dial-out modems, you can use any SSH client and start a SSH session as shown (in Step 10) to get to the next available modem from the rotary device.

    SUMMARY STEPS

      1.    enable

      2.    configure terminal

      3.    line line-number ending-line-number

      4.    no exec

      5.    login authentication listname

      6.    rotary group

      7.    transport input ssh

      8.    exit

      9.    exit

      10.    ssh -l userid :rotary {number} {ip-address}


    DETAILED STEPS
       Command or ActionPurpose
      Step 1 enable


      Example:
      Device> enable
       

      Enables privileged EXEC mode.

      • Enter your password if prompted.

       
      Step 2 configure terminal


      Example:
      Device# configure terminal
       

      Enters global configuration mode.

       
      Step 3 line line-number ending-line-number


      Example:
      Device# line 1 200
       

      Identifies a line for configuration and enters line configuration mode.

       
      Step 4 no exec


      Example:
      Device(config-line)# no exec
       

      Disables EXEC processing on a line.

       
      Step 5 login authentication listname


      Example:
      Device(config-line)# login authentication default
       

      Defines a login authentication mechanism for the lines.

      Note   

      The authentication method must use a username and password.

       
      Step 6 rotary group


      Example:
      Device(config-line)# rotary 1
       

      Defines a group of lines consisting of one or more virtual terminal lines or one auxiliary port line.

       
      Step 7 transport input ssh


      Example:
      Device(config-line)# transport input ssh
       

      Defines which protocols to use to connect to a specific line of the device.

      • The ssh keyword must be used for the Reverse SSH Enhancements feature.

       
      Step 8 exit


      Example:
      Device(config-line)# exit
       

      Exits line configuration mode.

       
      Step 9 exit


      Example:
      Device(config)# exit
       

      Exits global configuration mode.

       
      Step 10 ssh -l userid :rotary {number} {ip-address}


      Example:
      Device# ssh -l lab:rotary1 router.example.com
       

      Specifies the user ID to use when logging in on the remote networking device that is running the SSH server.

      • userid --User ID.

      • : --Signifies that a port number and terminal IP address will follow the userid argument.

      • number --Terminal or auxiliary line number.

      • ip-address --Terminal server IP address.

      Note   

      The userid argument and :rotary{number}{ip-address} delimiter and arguments are mandatory when configuring the alternative method of Reverse SSH for modem access.

       

      Troubleshooting Reverse SSH on the Client

      To troubleshoot the reverse SSH configuration on the client (remote device), perform the following steps.

      SUMMARY STEPS

        1.    enable

        2.    debug ip ssh client


      DETAILED STEPS
         Command or ActionPurpose
        Step 1 enable


        Example:
        Device> enable
         

        Enables privileged EXEC mode.

        • Enter your password if prompted.

         
        Step 2 debug ip ssh client


        Example:
        Device# debug ip ssh client
         

        Displays debugging messages for the SSH client.

         

        Troubleshooting Reverse SSH on the Server

        To troubleshoot the reverse SSH configuration on the terminal server, perform the following steps. The steps may be configured in any order or independent of one another.

        SUMMARY STEPS

          1.    enable

          2.    debug ip ssh

          3.    show ssh

          4.    show line


        DETAILED STEPS
           Command or ActionPurpose
          Step 1 enable


          Example:
          Device> enable
           

          Enables privileged EXEC mode.

          • Enter your password if prompted.

           
          Step 2 debug ip ssh


          Example:
          Device# debug ip ssh
           

          Displays debugging messages for the SSH server.

           
          Step 3 show ssh


          Example:
          Device# show ssh
           

          Displays the status of the SSH server connections.

           
          Step 4 show line


          Example:
          Device# show line
           

          Displays parameters of a terminal line.

           

          Configuration Examples for Reverse SSH Enhancements

          Example Reverse SSH Console Access

          The following configuration example shows that reverse SSH has been configured for console access for terminal lines 1 through 3:

          Terminal Server Configuration

          line 1 3
   no exec
   login authentication default
   transport input ssh

          Client Configuration

          The following commands configured on the SSH client will form the reverse SSH session with lines 1, 2, and 3, respectively: 

          ssh -l lab:1 router.example.com
ssh -l lab:2 router.example.com
ssh -l lab:3 router.example.com

          Example Reverse SSH Modem Access

          The following configuration example shows that dial-out lines 1 through 200 have been grouped under rotary group 1 for modem access:

          line 1 200
   no exec
   login authentication default
   rotary 1
   transport input ssh
   exit

          The following command shows that reverse SSH will connect to the first free line in the rotary group: 

          ssh -l lab:rotary1 router.example.com

          Additional References

          Related Documents

          Related Topic

          Document Title

          Cisco IOS commands

          Cisco IOS Master Commands List, All Releases

          Configuring Secure Shell

          Secure Shell Configuration Guide

          Security commands

          Cisco IOS Security Command Reference

          Technical Assistance

          Description

          Link

          The Cisco Support and Documentation website provides online resources to download documentation, software, and tools. Use these resources to install and configure the software and to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues with Cisco products and technologies. Access to most tools on the Cisco Support and Documentation website requires a Cisco.com user ID and password.

          http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​cisco/​web/​support/​index.html

          Feature Information for Reverse SSH Enhancements

          The following table provides release information about the feature or features described in this module. This table lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature.

          Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/​go/​cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

          Table 1 Feature Information for Reverse SSH Enhancements

          Feature Name

          Releases

          Feature Information

          Reverse SSH Enhancements

          Cisco IOS 12.2(33)SRD

          Cisco IOS 12.2(33)SXI

          Cisco IOS 12.3(11)T

          The Reverse SSH Enhancements feature, which is supported for SSH Version 1 and 2, provides an alternative way to configure reverse Secure Shell (SSH) so that separate lines do not need to be configured for every terminal or auxiliary line on which SSH must be enabled. This feature also eliminates the rotary-group limitation.

          The following command was introduced: ssh.