This article describes SSH clients. Windows for a long time did not include administration tools that work through the SSH protocol. Although the latest versions come with built-in tools, it’s better to use third-party utilities for convenience. They have been developed for a long time, so they take into account the wishes of most administrators. Due to the fact that the first versions of the described utilities appeared a long time ago, at present each software sample is stable and equipped with many additional functions.
NetSarang xShell
xShell is a popular SSH client for Windows . The leader in the quantity and quality of custom options. Until recently, Windows, unlike Unix systems, were very limited in software and did not include programs of this kind.
This advanced program, in addition to the capabilities of SSH1 and SSH2, provides the user the ability to interact with servers through a number of popular protocols (SFTP, TELNET, RLOGIN, SERIAL).
XShell Features
The main advantages of the utility:
- Ability to work simultaneously with multiple servers.
- Saving commands for speed dialing.
- Support for batch sending commands (not only the built -in Windows SSH clients do not have this function , third-party products also rarely boast of such a skill).
- Support for UTF-8 encoding.
To track multiple simultaneous connections, the utility has a convenient tab system. All the necessary tools and options (fonts, transcoding, etc.) are configured separately for each bookmark. Moreover, having saved the configuration, the system administrator will be able to use it in subsequent sessions.
Quick Commands are one more feature of the program, which helps to increase the efficiency of the administrator. Using this tool, the system administrator is freed from routine actions. Typing most of the commands manually is not required.
This SSH client can be installed on any version of the Windows family of OS . Windows 7 , 8 or 10 - it doesn’t matter. xShell works equally stable in any. Developers are doing their best to popularize their brainchild, and now it is available for use at home or in educational institutions without paying a license fee.
The disadvantages include the lack of the Russian language. However, system administrators are unlikely to complain about such a harmless gap.
PuTTY
As with NetSarang xShell, PuTTY supports a wide range of protocols, including Raw. Naturally, SSH support for both versions is present. There is also a setting for the visual interface of the program. Initially, the utility was free and was developed exclusively for Windows systems. Later, given the popularity of software among system administrators, it was ported to other OSs.
PuTTy has the largest army of fans. The possibilities of PuTTY are amazing. Because of the huge functionality, many users choose PuTTy, and not other SSH clients. Windows after installing the client does not write new data to the registry. To store the settings, files are used inside the utility directory. This allows you to use the client as a portable program.
Key Features of PuTTy
Key features of the application:
- Emulation of connection activity (so that you do not need to reconnect to the server after a long period of inactivity).
- Authentication based on the public key and without it.
- Support for connection via serial port (from version 0.59).
- The software is able to use a proxy server.
- The utility saves connection parameters after each successful connection.
- Work with support for IPv6, Arcfour, DES and other popular protocols.
- The program can forward ports .
Secure shell
So far, the article has described classic, stand-alone SSH clients. Windows to run Secure Shell must include Google Chrome, since the utility is an add-on for a popular browser. It connects directly to the server, and the use of external proxies is impossible. The functionality of the program is slightly inferior to the utilities described above. Administration is carried out using the hterm terminal .
The high speed of the client add-in is due to the use of the full range of JavaScript web programming language features. A direct connection to any port on the sshd daemon is an advantage of Secure Shell. The project is constantly being improved and finalized.
Winscp
WinSCP is an SSH client for Windows 7 , which a small number of ordinary Russian-speaking users know about. Software promotion is carried out mainly on English-language resources. The open source project supports working with different protocols, the main of which is SSH. The program interface can look like either Windows Explorer or Norton Commander.
The program is equipped with a text editor, saves the settings of old connections, synchronizes folders in semi-automatic and automatic modes. Automation is possible with scripts. The built-in configuration file allows you to install the utility once on a portable storage medium. After that, you can use the same SSH client under any OS version . Whether Windows 8 , 7 or 10 is installed on the machine, WinSCP will work equally stable under any version.
Conclusion
If the main workspace for you is a browser window, and SSH access is necessary from time to time, Secure Shell will be the best choice. If you often move from one office to another, administer both from the workplace and from home, you should stop at WinSCP or PuTTy. If the application is installed on one PC and does not need to be transferred to other machines, take a look at the features of xShell.
Of course, the choice of a specific tool is the prerogative of the administrator. Not everyone will agree that the programs described are the best. However, the high places of these utilities in TOPs are caused not by subjective opinion, but by their popularity.