vast-range.com Index  
 Home      Download     SSH Accounts     How To      Uses      Specs     FAQ     Forums     Contact 
http://www.vastrange.com/phpBB2/templates/fisubsilversh/images/spacer.gif

  
Advanced Usage > > Using a Private Key for Authentication


Motivation: Many users don't like typing their password each time they connect with Safe Passage. Private-Key Authentication could allow users to "save" their authentication information.

The SSH protocol allows for something called "Public-Key Authentication". This allows you to use encrypted RSA or DSA keys to log-in to an SSH host without typing a password. (Public-Key Authentication is generally considered to be more secure than password authentication.)





Safe Passage is compliant with the PuTTY Project. This means that authentication methods that work for PuTTY, work with Safe Passage. However, Vast Range does not provide technical support for this feature.

Safe Passage users have two options for using Public-Key Authentication:

  1. Use the PuTTYgen.exe PuTTY Utility to generate RSA and/or DSA keys for SSH2 authentication. Correctly save the public-key on the SSH2 server (usually in ~/.ssh/authorized_keys2). Then, under the Safe Passage "Advanced" tab, specify the path to your private-key. This should allow login to your SSH2 host without typing an SSH2 password.

  2. (after completing option #1) Uncheck "Use private key file" , and use the PuTTY Agent to automate key-authentication with Safe Passage. This feature works, but Vast Range offers no technical support. See the PuTTY Documentation for more info.