Can SSH be used to access computers on different Networks?

[TechnoEagle]

I was wondering if SSH or FTP (or anything similar) could be used to access files on a computer using a different wireless network. How would this be accomplished?
I was hoping I could access files from my home computer while at school, 🙄 but I don't know much about file sharing, SSH, or FTP.
Thanks! 😀

 

[swiftaw]

Yes,

you'll need to do two things.

1) Find out the external IP address of your home network. This is the IP address that your ISP assigns your internet connection.

2)Port Forwarding. You need to setup your router to forward all FTP/SSH/File Sharing requests to the appropriate computer on your network. This is called Port forwarding.

Then, when you are away from home, connect to your external IP address and the router at home will forward that request to your computer and you'll be connected.

 

[Darth.Titan]

While everything swiftaw says is absolutely correct, if you don't know much about file sharing, SSH, or FTP, you would do well to consider a more user-friendly solution like GoToMyPC.

No it's not free, but you have the potential to really muck up your computer using SSH if you don't know what you are doing.

 

[BlueRevolution]

While everything swiftaw says is absolutely correct, if you don't know much about file sharing, SSH, or FTP, you would do well to consider a more user-friendly solution like GoToMyPC.

No it's not free, but you have the potential to really muck up your computer using SSH if you don't know what you are doing.

Just by way of clarification, SSH is no more dangerous than local shell on your computer. If you're comfortable in Terminal, have no fear of SSH.

As well, if you want to transfer files, bear in mind that if you can SSH you can SCP. If you connect to your computer using

ssh me@mycomputer

you'll be able to copy files from that computer with

scp me@mycomputer:~/path/to/file ~/path/to/destination

and back onto the computer by running

scp ~/path/to/file me@mycomputer:~/path/to/destination

SSH is primarily used for remote administration of headless servers, so yeah, it's designed to be used on remote networks.

All *nix systems that I know of, including Mac OS X, come with the SSH client preinstalled. If you're running Windows, PuTTY is a popular client, and on my iPod Touch I use the iSSH app.

 

[shrikant_lahase]

reply to swiftaw
from post #2:

what ever you said is correct...but..
1. How to know public ip of my computer which is at home(remote location
2. it changes everytime