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Setting up SSH (Windows and Mac)

With SSH, you will be logging into Prairienet Classic where you will have access to a number of text-based Internet tools such as PINE email, tin news reader, text-based browsers lynx or links, secure FTP, and SSH. (If you are an experienced UNIX/Linux user, you may prefer the Linux shell to the Prairienet Classic menu-driven interface.)

During an SSH session, all information exchanged between your computer and Prairienet (or any other host) is encrypted, protecting not only your login and password from interception, but everything transmitted during your SSH session as well.

Other SSH programs are available for both Windows and Mac. The ones given below are small programs that are free to download and quick to set up.

See below for Macintosh

PuTTY for Windows (95, 98, ME, NT, 2000 and XP)

1. Click on the link above and you will be asked where you want to save the downloaded file. You may save it anywhere on your computer but we recommend that you save it to your desktop -- C:\Windows\Desktop -- so that it will be easily accessible.
2. Once the program is finished downloading, doubleclick on the PuTTY icon. The next screen will ask for a host name. Enter prairienet.org
3. Under Protocols, select ssh instead of telnet.
4. To select black text on a white background, click on Colors from the selections on the left. Click on Default Background, click the modify button and select white, click OK. Next click on Default Foreground and click Modify and select black, click on OK.
5. The default font is 8 point Courier. To change the font, select Appearance. The size of the font will affect the size of the PuTTY window.
6. To save your settings, select Session in the left-hand column. Under Saved Sessions, type: prairienet and click Save.
7. Click on Open at the bottom of the window to open your session.
8. The first time you connect, you will see a message about the host key. This is normal for the first connection. Click on Yes.
9. Right-clicking the blue title bar at the top of the window will give you extra options while working.
10. When your session is done, just exit Prairienet as usual. Once you have exited Prairienet the PuTTY window should disappear.
11. To start your next session, just doubleclick on the PuTTY icon. Under Saved Sessions, select prairienet, click on Load, and then click Open.

Macintosh

1. Click on the link to tell your computer to download this program.
2. Click on the new icon on your desktop to open it.
3. It will need to be uncompressed with a program called Stuffit that is included on most mac operating systems.
4. Once that is done click on the "Nifty Telnet" folder.
5. Click on "Nifty Telnet 1.1".
6. Next click on File and then select "New Connection".
7. From the buttons on the right hand side of the screen select "New"
8. Fill in the following information in the window that now pops up
   Shortcut name: prairienet
   Host name: prairienet.org
9. Under protocol (on the right side) select ssh-blowfish from the pull down menu
10. You can enter your user name if you like.
11. Click okay at the bottom and it will save these settings.
12. The new Prairienet connection will now be listed. Simply click on it and then click connect once you have an Internet connection established. The first time that you connect it will display a Host Identification Alert dialog box that says the public key for this host is unknown. Click Accept & Save to prevent this dialog box from appearing in future sessions.
13. Next time you wish to connect, make the Internet connection. and then go to the Nifty Telnet folder and click on the Nifty Telnet 1.1 icon. The Prairienet choice should be highlighted, so just click on "Connect".