How to Connect to Your Raspberry Pi from Anywhere in the World Using SSH (Secure Shell) Protocol

Learn how to remotely connect to your Raspberry Pi using SSH protocol, allowing you to control and access it from anywhere with an internet connection. …


Updated October 3, 2023

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Learn how to remotely connect to your Raspberry Pi using SSH protocol, allowing you to control and access it from anywhere with an internet connection.

SSH allows you to securely log in to a computer and control it from another device over the internet or local network. It provides an encrypted connection that protects your data from hackers and other security threats. Here’s how to set up remote access for your Raspberry Pi:

  1. Enable SSH on your Raspberry Pi:

    • Open a terminal window (you can use the command line or an SSH client like PuTTY) and connect to your Raspberry Pi using its IP address or hostname, username, and password.
    • Type sudo raspi-config and press Enter. This will open the Raspberry Pi configuration tool.
    • Navigate to Interfacing Options > SSH and select “Yes” to enable SSH. Then choose “Finish” and reboot your Pi.

  2. Find your Raspberry Pi’s IP address:

    • To connect remotely, you need to know your Raspberry Pi’s IP address on the local network. You can find it in various ways:
      • Check your router settings to see a list of connected devices and their IP addresses.
      • Use a tool like ifconfig or hostname -I in the terminal window of your Pi to get its IPv4 address.
      • Set up a static IP for your Pi if you want a consistent address.

  3. Connect via SSH:

    • Open an SSH client on your remote device (like PuTTY on Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux).
    • Enter the Raspberry Pi’s IP address and port number (default is 22) in the appropriate fields. For example, ssh pi@192.168.0.10 if your Pi has the IP address 192.168.0.10.
    • Enter the username (usually “pi”) and password when prompted. You will be logged in to your Raspberry Pi’s terminal.

  4. Generate an SSH key pair:

    • To improve security, it’s recommended to use public-key authentication instead of a password. This means you create a key pair (private and public keys) on your local device and upload the public key to your Raspberry Pi.
    • First, generate the key pair using ssh-keygen on your local machine. Follow the prompts to set a passphrase if desired. The default location for the keys is ~/.ssh/id_rsa (private) and ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub (public).
    • Copy the public key to your Raspberry Pi by running ssh-copy-id pi@192.168.0.10. This command will add the public key to the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file on your Pi.
    • You can now log in using ssh pi@192.168.0.10 without entering a password. Just type your passphrase if you set one during key generation.

  5. Configure port forwarding (optional):

    • If your Raspberry Pi is behind a router or firewall, you might need to configure port forwarding to allow remote connections through the internet.
    • Log in to your router admin page and add a port forwarding rule that forwards incoming SSH requests (port 22) to your Pi’s local IP address.
    • Be aware of security risks and only enable port forwarding if you trust the network you are connecting from.

Now, you can remotely access and control your Raspberry Pi from anywhere in the world as long as it has an internet connection! You can run commands, transfer files, edit code, or even use graphical interfaces (like VNC) with a secure remote connection.