How to securely access your Raspberry Pi from anywhere using SSH and VNC

A step-by-step guide on how to configure and connect to your Raspberry Pi remotely using SSH (Secure Shell) and VNC (Virtual Network Computing) protocols. …


Updated October 3, 2023

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A step-by-step guide on how to configure and connect to your Raspberry Pi remotely using SSH (Secure Shell) and VNC (Virtual Network Computing) protocols.

There are many scenarios where you might want or need to access your Raspberry Pi remotely, such as when it’s not physically accessible or if you simply prefer to manage it from afar. In this article, we will cover how to securely remote access a Raspberry Pi using two popular protocols: SSH and VNC.

Setting up SSH (Secure Shell)

SSH is a powerful protocol that allows you to connect to your Raspberry Pi remotely and securely execute commands on it as if you were sitting in front of the device. Here are the steps to set up SSH:

  1. First, make sure your Raspberry Pi has an internet connection. You can connect it to a wired Ethernet port or configure Wi-Fi by editing /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf.
  2. Find the IP address of your Raspberry Pi by running hostname -I in the terminal. This will give you an output similar to 192.168.1.100. Make a note of this IP address as you’ll need it later.
  3. Open a terminal on your local computer (Mac, Linux, or Windows with PuTTY installed) and type the following command:
ssh pi@your_raspberrypi_ip_address

Replace your_raspberrypi_ip_address with the IP address you noted in step 2. 4. If this is your first time connecting to the Raspberry Pi, you will be prompted to add it to your known hosts. Type “yes” and press enter. 5. You’ll then be asked for a password. By default, the username is “pi” and the password is “raspberry”. Enter these credentials and press enter. 6. If everything went well, you should now have remote access to your Raspberry Pi through SSH! Try running some commands like ls or sudo apt-get update.

Setting up VNC (Virtual Network Computing)

VNC allows you to view and interact with the graphical interface of your Raspberry Pi remotely. Here are the steps to set up VNC:

  1. First, ensure that your Raspberry Pi has a desktop environment installed. You can install one using the following command in the terminal:
sudo apt-get install xrdp
  1. Install the VNC server by running:
sudo apt-get install tigervnc-standalone-server
  1. Set a password for your VNC server with the command:
vncpasswd
  1. Start the VNC server by running:
vncserver
  1. On your local computer, download and install a VNC client like RealVNC or TigerVNC.
  2. Open the VNC client on your local machine and connect to your Raspberry Pi using its IP address and port 5901. Make sure to use the password you set in step 3 for authentication.
  3. You should now have remote access to your Raspberry Pi’s graphical interface! Feel free to navigate around and interact with it as if you were sitting at the device.

Additional Tips:

  • Use a static IP address for your Raspberry Pi so that you don’t need to look up its IP every time you want to connect. You can do this by editing /etc/dhcpcd.conf.
  • For added security, disable SSH password authentication and use SSH keys instead. This will eliminate the risk of brute force attacks. To do this, edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config and set PasswordAuthentication no.
  • Use a VPN or other secure connection when accessing your Raspberry Pi remotely to protect against eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.
  • If you’re using the default Raspbian OS, remember that the username is “pi” and the password is “raspberry”. Change these for added security!

Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Be careful when allowing remote access to your Raspberry Pi and always use best practices for security. Now you can access your Raspberry Pi from anywhere in the world, as long as it has a reliable internet connection!