Enable and configure ssh on Cisco router

Enabling SSH on Cisco IOS

As a pre-requisite you need to set a domain name for your router.
R1(config)#ip domain-name safeer.in

Now you need to generate a host rsa key for your router.

R1(config)#crypto key generate rsa
The name for the keys will be: R1.safeer.in
Choose the size of the key modulus in the range of 360 to 2048 for your
General Purpose Keys. Choosing a key modulus greater than 512 may take
a few minutes.

How many bits in the modulus [512]:
% Generating 512 bit RSA keys, keys will be non-exportable...[OK]

Now configure a few ssh options.

R1(config)#ip ssh authentication-retries 3
R1(config)#ip ssh time-out 60

Configure your terminal lines to access ssh as a transport mechanism.

R1(config)#line vty 0 4
R1(config-line)#transport input ssh telnet
R1(config-line)#end

Now save your configuration

R1#copy run start
Destination filename [startup-config]?
Building configuration...
[OK]
R1#

AAA via TACACS in Cisco

Assume that the Cisco TACACS server "Cisco Secure ACS+" is running in a Win2K3 server @ 172.16.1.11 and a user "safeer" is added in it.

First enable AAA in the router.

R1(config)#aaa new-model

Configure the authentication method.
R1(config)#aaa authentication login tac_access group tacacs+ local
R1(config)#aaa authentication login default local

Configure the tacas client to connect to server.

R1(config)#tacacs-server host 172.16.1.11 key keep_IT_secret

The problem with just enabling AAA new-model is that if you don't have local authentication configured as last login option with at least one local user-name password, you take the risk of locking yourself out of the router.

R1(config)#username jayesh password jayesh123

Now configure your terminal lines for aaa authenticated login. On your console and auxiliary lines, it is better to configure local authentication alone

R1(config)#line console 0
R1(config-line)#login authentication default
R1(config-line)#exit
R1(config)#line aux 0
R1(config-line)#login authentication default
R1(config-line)#exit
R1(config)#line vty 0 4
R1(config-line)#login authentication tac_access
R1(config-line)#end
Now save your configuration
R1#copy run start

From R2
R2>ssh -l safeer 192.168.2.1

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