Why Use ShellHub Instead of a Traditional SSH Server?
Tags: linux, devops, cloud, security
Published: 2022-12-26 17:45:37

ShellHub is a centralized SSH gateway that allows users to remotely access and manage their servers and devices from anywhere, using a web browser or a mobile app. It provides a secure and convenient way to connect to and control your servers and devices, and can help to improve the security of your servers by preventing unauthorized access.

### So why use ShellHub instead of a traditional SSH server? Here are some reasons:

1. **Easy access:** With ShellHub, you can access your devices and servers from anywhere, using a web browser or a mobile app. This is more convenient than connecting to a traditional SSH server, which requires you to know the server's public IP address and possibly configure the router to allow SSH connections.

2. **Enhanced security:** ShellHub offers various security measures to protect your devices and servers. For example, it allows you to create firewall rules to filter SSH connections, only allowing the connections you authorize. It also supports public-key authentication, which can help prevent unauthorized access. In comparison, a traditional SSH server may be more susceptible to hacker attacks.

3. **Simplified access management:** ShellHub allows you to create user accounts for each person who needs to access your devices and servers. This can make it easier to manage access, as you can grant or revoke access for individual users without affecting the access of other users. In comparison, a traditional SSH server may be more difficult to manage, as all people who need to access the server need to share the same password or use a private key.

4. **Monitoring and tracking:** ShellHub offers audit logging and session recording features, which allow you to monitor and track access to your devices and servers. This can be useful for identifying unauthorized access attempts or for monitoring user activity on your devices. In comparison, a traditional SSH server may be more difficult to monitor and track.

In summary, ShellHub is a valuable tool that offers many advantages over a traditional SSH server for remotely accessing and managing your servers and devices. It allows you to easily access Linux devices behind a firewall and NAT, use standard tools to connect to devices and transfer files securely, manage access to devices using public-key authentication, protect your devices with flexible firewall rules, and monitor access and user activity with audit logging and session recording features.

If you're interested in trying out ShellHub, you have two options: you can either test out the ShellHub Cloud for free, or follow the documentation to set up the Community Edition on your own server.

The **ShellHub Cloud** is a SaaS (Software as a Service) offering that provides a convenient way to manage your servers and devices from anywhere. It's easy to get started: simply [sign up for a free account](https://cloud.shellhub.io/) and you can start using ShellHub right away.

If you prefer to self-host ShellHub, you can [follow the documentation](https://docs.shellhub.io/self-hosted/deploying) to set up the **Community Edition** on your own server. The Community Edition is open-source and includes the core features of ShellHub.

In addition to the Community and Cloud, ShellHub also offers an **Enterprise Edition** that is designed for use in a business environment. The Enterprise edition includes all of the features of the Community edition, as well as additional features that are specifically geared towards business use. These features may include things like firewall rules and session recording.

One of the main benefits of the Enterprise Edition is that it can be installed on a dedicated infrastructure, which can provide greater reliability and performance. By running ShellHub on its own dedicated servers or virtual machines, you can ensure that it has the resources it needs to operate smoothly and effectively. This can be especially useful if you have a large number of devices and users that need to access your servers and devices through ShellHub.

Overall, the Enterprise Edition of ShellHub is a powerful and flexible solution that offers a range of features and benefits for businesses. If you need a robust and reliable SSH gateway that can support your business needs, the Enterprise Edition may be the right choice for you.

No matter which option you choose, ShellHub can help you easily and securely access and manage your servers and devices from anywhere. So why wait? Try ShellHub today and see for yourself how it can make your remote access experience better!

If you're interested in contributing to the development of ShellHub, or just want to stay up to date with the latest news and updates, we invite you to join us on [GitHub](https://github.com/shellhub-io/shellhub/).