Using SSH with public keys to log into the Dig ConnectPort TS.

Introduction 

This article explains how to log into the Digi ConnectPort TS 16 using ssh, and public keys.

Prerequisites

You will need to create a new user first. 

Use puttygen, to generate your public key.

In Windows, use PuTTYgen to generate the keys:

• PuTTYgen is available here
• Open Puttygen
• Under Parameters, select RSA’

• Generate the key in PuTTYgen by clicking on the Generate button. You will need to move your mouse around the screen while generating the key.
• Do not put in a passphrase

• Cut & Paste the Public Key to "notepad" as displayed in the PuTTYgen window (do not use the "save" key in PuTTY Gen). Now save it as a "notepad" text file.

• Save the Private Key via the Save button in PuTTYgen.

 
Enter Public Key for User into the Digi ConnectPort TS device.

 In the Digi, go to Configuration - Users  then click on New Users

• Enter username & password
• Click on configuration > Users  Click the new user you have created.
• Click on User Access

• Click the “enable SSH public key authentication (RSA public key)’. Copy, and paste the public key from notepad. Into the public key display box.
• Click the apply button

 
PuTTY

• Open Putty
• Under ‘Hostname (or IP Address)’ enter <username>@<ip address>
• On left hand side, under the Connection file, open SSH, then click on Auth
• Under ‘Private key file for authentication’ enter the file where you saved the Private Key

• On left hand side, scroll up and click on ‘Session’
• Enter the proper port number (2501 for port 1, 2502 for port 2, etc)
• Click on Open

Click on accept

You are now connected to serial port 1 of the ConenctPort TS 16 using the public key that you created using puttygen.