When using PuTTY to authenticate to a Cisco device via SSH keys, the SSH key generated by PuTTYgen must be converted into a format that Cisco devices understand.

Also check how to use SSH key authentication on Raspberry Pi from Ubuntu by using PuTTY.

Using PuTTYgen to generate an SSH key pair:

To produce a key pair, launch PuTTYgen and select "Generate."

To generate randomness, move your mouse over the blank area. Choose a key type, a key size, and a key type.

Click "Save private key" to save the private key.

To save the public key, click the "Save public key" button.

Setup the PuTTY connection:

Open PuTTY on Windows and input the public IP address or username of your remote server in the Hostname section.

Set the connection type to SSH and the port number to 22.

Navigate to the Connection > SSH > Auth category on the left panel.

Click "Browse" and choose the private key generated by PuTTYgen.

Maintaining the Connection:

In the Saved Session section, give the connection a name and click "Save" to preserve it for later use.

Create the Connection:

To connect, press the "Open" button. When asked, enter your username and password.

Using PuTTY to enable SSH key authentication for Cisco devices provides a safe and efficient method of accessing and managing network equipment. SSH keys improve security by removing the requirement for password-based authentication, minimizing the danger of unwanted access and potential security breaches.

Explore how to establish secure connection to Node by using PuTTY.

Follow these steps to connect these two devices and provide command-line access and control of the Raspberry Pi's operations from an Ubuntu environment:

Enabling SSH on the Raspberry Pi:

Start up the Raspberry Pi terminal. Execute the following command:

sudo raspi-config

Navigate to the interface option, then pick SSH and enter. Then shut the window.

Find the Raspberry Pi IP address here:

Run the following command in the terminal to determine the Raspberry Pi's IP address:

hostname -I

Setup PuTTY:

If PuTTY is not already installed on your Ubuntu machine, use the commands below to install it:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install putty

Setup the PuTTY connection:

Launch the PuTTY configuration dialog. In the Hostname section, enter the Raspberry Pi IP address or username.

Set the connection type to SSH and the port number to 22.

To store the connection, enter a name in the "Saved Sessions" area and click store. When asked, enter your username and password.

You have successfully created a connection to the Raspberry Pi from Ubuntu using PuTTY to manage its operations remotely by following this procedure.