Cisco Blog

On windows I use two different clients:

Putty: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/

WinSCP: http://winscp.net/eng/index.php

Not perfect, but they do have 'enough' functionality.

Just do it, it is really worth it. I (actually my company) has purchased it for my laptop and desktop and I wouldn't want to use another application. I love Putty, but I need to console into devices all the time. SecureCRT is by far the best implementation I've seen.

Absolutely worth it. I've purchased my own copy as my employer will not foot the bill. Great for all the reasons you list, plus the logging functionality is good. It's the price for one-app convenience I suppose.

It's even worth spending 129$ for the bundle with SecureFX. These two programs together make my workday really comfortable. This Bundle together with Kiwi Cattools is the only reason to stay on linux and not to switch completly to Linux and MacOS.

The last sentence has to be "...stay on Windows..." of course. ;-)

Tabbed PuTTY with the ability to save sessions :)
http://puttycm.free.fr/

I recommend combining putty and GNU screen. Screen gives you all the windows you need, session resumption and logging among other things. Everyone here but me uses SecureCRT, but I can't think of any good reason to switch when you combine it with screen.

The latest putty supports serial connections. I used SecureCRT at my last job, loved it. But I use putty at the new job and wouldn't go back.

BTW I also use pscp.exe for copying stuff over SSH.

Sean

I have used SecureCRT for ~9 years and have winced every time I have changed jobs and had to purchase licenses (either thru my employer or personally) but there just isn't anything else that comes close to the functionality, stability or usability of SecureCRT - I'm always on the lookout for a replacement, but I am always disappointed when I can't find anything else. It's even changed my keyboard shortcuts since ctl-v does not paste - my shortcut to paste has had to be shift-insert (luckily shift-insert pastes in other programs too). The only consolation for spending what seems to be an inflated price for a tool that should be built into the OS is that Van Dyke is an Albuquerque company and buying licenses supports the local economy, and we can use every little bit.

putty with plink will save session nicely - open from dos with 'plink routername' Also supports console - not as nice as SecureCRT but the cut and paste options are standard - last time I looked at SecureCRT it had weird cut and paste shortcut keys

TeraTerm Pro Open Source Project has a great menu component with an inelegant but fully functional scripting capability.
I use this every day to automatcally log in to pix/router/switch. bonus, it's open source and supports serial connections. I just hit the taskbar and grab the name of the device.

i also use it to keep my free silence is defeat shell open for using IRC...

The open source project is supported out of the japanese sourceforge, but is fully supported in English.

http://ttssh2.sourceforge.jp/

As has already been mentioned, PuTTY saves sessions, and you can use a tab bar with PuTTY Tabs (http://www.raisin.de/putty-tabs/putty-tabs.html), WinTabber (http://www.wintabber.com/) or possibly even the PuTTY Connection Manager (http://puttycm.free.fr)

I would have stayed with putty except for the fact that the CCIE Lab exams use Secure CRT as the official terminal program, so in situation where every second counts, it pays to be 100% up to speed with the terminal program you are going to have to use anyway.

Also putty seems to handle mass pasting of configs into console better than CRT does, but maybe that is just the version I have and has been fixed for later versions.

Check this out.
http://en.poderosa.org/

Supports tab, telnet, ssh, and all other sweet functions : )

Wow - the Ponderosa looks nice, but the menus are in Japanese! I'll have to check this out - there's a ton of good tools in this response train!!

Definitely PuTTY for telnet / ssh / serial communications... I end up using cygwin ssh and rsync for data backups.

Don't buy an SSH client. Use putty. It works well and it's free, just like SSH clients on Mac, Linux, and every other operating system out there.

Also, don't buy SecureCRT because just because it's the official "terminal program" used by Cisco. There's no such thing as an official terminal program. The experience is exactly the same regardless of the client you use. That is no reason to pay money for something that should be free.

Go read about ssh on www.openssh.org. SSH is free and so should SSH clients. Stop wasting your money. SecureCRT costs half the price of windows. Cmon, it's a freakin terminal emulator!

You might as well go out and buy a $250 Monster HDMI cable while your at it. (HDMI is a digital cable much like a network cable...you can get them for $7 at fry's or you can buy the monster cables for hundreds...all for a digital cable that transmits on/off...lol)

What are you using on your mac to do all the SecureCRT functionality. I've been using a mac a while, but am new to using it in the cisco space - thanks for any tips!

I gotta agree 100% - I'm on my trial of SecureCRT right now for the 5th time - I've looked up/down for a replacement and just can't find a viable replacement. Putty is nice but it just isn't there. I want tabbed/passwords/a good copy/paste - I find myself still using TeraTerm from 10 years ago.

PLEASE SAVE ME

I couldn't imagine myself using "applications" . Open up a terminal and its all rolling out with my macbook. Anything else...is just an imitation with too many bells and whistles.

I know how you feel.

But for the last 6 years, every two years, I shell out whatever VanDyke asks for the upgrade (just paid for the 6.x upgrade this past Friday).

The program is flawless, is maintained well, and is as feature rich as a terminal program can get.

I always pause before I upgrade, but not having SecureCRT at my beck and call day in and day out simply costs me more money in productivity than whatever they ask for.

Putty is fine when I am not on my computer, but in no way is it a professional alternative to SecureCRT.

I guess it comes down to the word professional. If you make any part of your living from your terminal program, get the tools you need. No pro goes without those fundemental tools that only makes them better.

Small price to pay...

I don't say use Secure CRT because it's the official "terminal program" used by Cisco.

I say if you are going to be doing any CCIE Lab exam, then use Secure CRT because it IS the official "terminal program" used by Cisco in the Cisco Lab exam, and the last thing you need to be doing in a Cisco CCIE Lab exam is worrying about the nuances of your bloody terminal program, you definitely have enough on your plate.

Hmm, I've used SecureCRT back in '00 and have used PuTTY since I found it in '01. The PuTTY tools (ssh, scp) have never given me any problems with numerous O/S's and ssh servers - including X11 redirect and port forwarding.

I'd use PuTTY with whatever add-ons you like and use the trial license of SecureCRT to study for the Cisco labs that use it.

Okay I take back everything I've said - I am now converted to Putty Connection Manager - seems to be working great - I liked putty but the add on changes everything I didn't like about it

My thanks to the people above for the recommendation

http://puttycm.free.fr/

scrt (with the scp/sftp) is a great program.

if microsoft added ssh (rather than removing telnet) i would have to say it would be a 'wow' factor for them. they really are just flawed by design in this respect.

Ok I agree, putty is good for cheap, quick down and dirty has allot of features. But if you ever plan on doing the CCIE R/S you better stick with SecureCRT the old version 3.1. Time is a big factor on the LAB every second counts!

Using SecureCRT would be more flexible than using any other software I have came across of...

Just ran across this and thought it's exactly what you were looking for for SectureCRT replacement. A bit late, but I just found it and it's free and functional.

http://en.poderosa.org/