Advanced Setup

Access your development machines from anywhere using secure networking solutions. This guide covers recommended tools and setup procedures for reliable remote connections.

Understanding remote access

The connectivity challenge

Devices on different networks cannot communicate directly due to:

Network Address Translation (NAT)
Firewall restrictions
Dynamic IP addresses
Security policies

Modern networking tools solve these challenges by creating secure tunnels between devices.

Setup guides

Enabling SSH on your computer

macOS

# Enable via System Settings
System Settings → General → Sharing → Remote Login

# Or via terminal
sudo systemsetup -setremotelogin on

Linux

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install openssh-server
sudo systemctl enable --now ssh

# Fedora/RHEL
sudo dnf install openssh-server
sudo systemctl enable --now sshd

# Check status
sudo systemctl status ssh

Windows 10/11

Settings → Apps → Optional Features
Add Feature → OpenSSH Server
Services → OpenSSH SSH Server → Start
Set startup type to Automatic

Network configuration

Finding your IP address

Local network:

# macOS/Linux
ifconfig | grep inet
ip addr show

# Windows
ipconfig

Public IP:

curl ifconfig.me
curl icanhazip.com

Firewall configuration

Ensure SSH port (22) is accessible:

macOS:

System Settings → Security & Privacy → Firewall
Allow incoming connections for Remote Login

Linux:

# UFW (Ubuntu)
sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw enable

# firewalld (Fedora)
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=ssh
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Windows:

Windows Defender Firewall → Allow an app
Check “OpenSSH Server”

Connection methods

Direct connection (same network)

When devices share a network:

Find space IP address
Add space in Kisuke
Use local IP (e.g., 192.168.1.100)

Tailscale connection

After Tailscale setup:

Check device name in Tailscale admin
Use as hostname in Kisuke
Connection works from anywhere

Port forwarding

For direct internet access:

Configure router port forwarding
Forward external port to internal IP:22
Use public IP in Kisuke
Consider security implications

Security best practices

Authentication

Use strong passwords (15+ characters)
Enable two-factor where available
Disable root login via SSH
Change passwords regularly

Network security

Always use encrypted connections
Verify host fingerprints on first connection
Keep software updated on all devices
Monitor access logs regularly

SSH hardening

Recommended sshd_config settings:

PermitRootLogin no
PasswordAuthentication yes
MaxAuthTries 3
Protocol 2
AllowUsers yourusername

Troubleshooting connections

Common issues

Connection refused

Verify SSH service is running
Check firewall allows port 22
Confirm correct IP/hostname
Test with: nc -zv hostname 22

Network unreachable

Check internet connectivity
Verify VPN/Tailscale status
Test with: ping hostname
Check routing: traceroute hostname

Authentication failed

Verify username spelling
Check password for typos
Ensure caps lock is off
Review auth logs on server

Timeout errors

Check network latency
Adjust SSH timeout settings
Enable keepalive packets
Consider using mosh for unstable connections

Diagnostic commands

# Test SSH connection
ssh -vvv user@host

# Check SSH service
sudo systemctl status ssh

# View SSH logs
sudo journalctl -u ssh

# Test port accessibility
telnet hostname 22

Advanced configurations

Jump hosts

Connect through intermediate space:

Host target
  ProxyJump jumphost
  HostName internal.server
  User username

SSH multiplexing

Reuse connections for speed:

Host *
  ControlMaster auto
  ControlPath ~/.ssh/sockets/%r@%h:%p
  ControlPersist 600