In this lesson,
we're going to discuss remote access ports and protocols.
As we begin to dive into the world
of remote access ports and protocols,
it's important to remember what their key function is.
And when it comes to remote access ports and protocols,
their key function is for us to be able to manage systems
and network from across the network, or across the world.
Remote access technologies
are crucial in today's interconnected environments,
and allows our network administrators and our users
to control their systems, run commands,
and manage files from a remote location,
no matter where they're in the world.
Now, when we discuss remote access,
there are several protocols that we need to cover,
including SSH, Telnet, and RDP.
Each of these protocols
are ones that we use for remote connectivity,
and each one provides
different levels of functionality and security.
Let's get started with SSH.
Now, SSH or the Secure Shell is a protocol
that's used for secure remote login
and other secure network services over an unsecure network.
SSH is going to operate over port 22,
and it provides a secure channel over an insecure network
in a client server architecture
that offers strong authentication,
and encrypted data communications
for anything inside of that SSH tunnel.
SSH is widely used by network administrators
to control web and server applications remotely,
and to ensure that the communication
is not being intercepted by a malicious actor.
When it comes to SSH, I want you to remember
that it's all about creating a secure encrypted tunnel
so you can operate text-based commands
from wherever you are in the world on a remote server.
This allows you to do this over an unsecured network
like the internet without anybody being able to see
what data you're sending or receiving
over that SSH connection.
The second one we have is known as Telnet.
Now, Telnet is actually one of the earliest
remote login protocols, and it operates over port 23.
Telnet allows a user on one computer
to log in remotely into another computer
that's part of the same network.
Telnet was designed for local area networks only,
although some people have used it over the internet.
The problem with that is that
Telnet actually transfers its data in plain text,
and it makes it susceptible
to eavesdropping and on-path attacks.
This is because there's a lack of encryption,
and this is why SSH was developed
because SSH was developed as a replacement for Telnet,
it can do a lot of the same things,
but it does it inside of an encrypted tunnel,
which gives you more security.
These days, you should never use Telnet.
There's really no good reason to use it,
unless you're operating
some really old legacy piece of equipment
that's been around for the last 20 or 30 years,
and it simply doesn't support SSH.
Anytime SSH is an option,
you should use SSH instead of Telnet.
The third option we have is what's known as RDP.
Now, RDP or the Remote Desktop Protocol
is a proprietary protocol that was developed by Microsoft
to provide users with a graphical user interface
to connect to another computer over a network connection.
When it comes to Telnet and SSH,
by default, they're only going to allow you
to issue and receive text-based information.
But with RDP, you can log in remotely
to another window system no matter where it is in the world,
and see their screen,
and operate it just as if you were sitting in front of it.
When it comes to RDP, you're going to operate
the Remote Desktop Protocol over port 3389,
and this RDP is designed
to support different types of network topologies
and multiple LAN protocols.
RDP does allow for the encryption of data,
it allows for smart card authentication,
and bandwidth reduction mechanisms that make it suitable
for managing Windows-based systems remotely,
no matter where you're actually sitting in the world.
In these days of cloud computing
and server environments that are always remote,
using something like RDP or SSH has become critical
to be able to manage these remote servers.
So remember, when it comes
to remote access ports and protocols,
there are three groups you have to remember,
these are SSH, Telnet, and RDP.
SSH, Telnet, and RDP are all integral
for system administrators and users
who need to manage their computers remotely
either at a text-based,
or graphical user interface environment.
SSH operates over port 22,
and it's the go-to for secure command line-based management.
Telnet, which operates over Port 23,
is a legacy method that is now largely replaced by SSH
because Telnet does not operate in an encrypted manner.
And the third one we have is RDP,
which operates over Port 3389,
and it's essential for secure graphical access
to Windows-based systems.
Remember to always choose the protocol
that aligns with your security requirements,
and the specific tasks that you need to accomplish at hand.
As we continue to embrace remote working and management,
understanding these remote access protocols
is even more important than ever
for us as IT professionals and network administrators.