MCP SSH Server

Provides SSH access to remote servers, allowing AI tools to securely connect to your VPS for management.

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides comprehensive SSH and serial console access to remote servers and network devices. Enables AI tools like Claude Desktop to securely manage Linux servers, network switches, and infrastructure devices through both network SSH connections and direct USB-to-Serial console access.

- SSH connection management with password or key-based authentication
- Remote command execution with timeout handling
- File upload and download via SFTP
- Directory listing and file operations
- Secure connection handling

- USB-to-Serial Console Access- Direct console connections via FTDI and other USB adapters
- Network Switch Management- Full support for Cisco IOS/IOS-XE and Aruba switches
- Device Discovery- Automatic detection of switch types and capabilities
- Configuration Management- Backup, restore, and automated configuration
- Network Diagnostics- Built-in ping, traceroute, and connectivity testing
- Console-to-SSH Transition- Automated SSH setup via console connection
- Firmware Management- Upload, verify, install, and rollback switch firmware

- Ubuntu server management tools (Nginx, SSL, packages, firewall)
- Compatible with Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients

This tool has been extensively tested in production network environments:

- Network Discovery- Successfully discovered previously unknown fluttering ports on production switches that were causing intermittent connectivity issues
- Zero Downtime- Managed multiple switches in live production networks without causing any network disruptions or outages
- Time Savings- Automated SSH configuration reduced switch setup time from 15-20 minutes to under 2 minutes
- Reliability- Zero incidents during production deployments across multiple network devices
- USB-to-Serial Compatibility- Tested with FTDI FT232R/FT232H, Prolific PL2303, Silicon Labs CP2102/CP2104, and CH340 adapters
- Switch Compatibility- Validated on Cisco Catalyst 2960/3560/3750 and Aruba 2530/2930 series switches

The tool has proven itself reliable enough for production network management tasks without requiring a separate lab environment for testing.

- Node.js 18 or higher
- npm or yarn
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/mcp-ssh-server.git cd mcp-ssh-server

- Open Claude Desktop
- Go to Settings > Developer (or press Ctrl+Shift+D)
- Edit the MCP configuration
- Add the following configuration:

{ "mcpServers": { "ssh-server": { "command": "node", "args": ["/path/to/mcp-ssh-server/build/index.js"], "env": { "NODE_NO_WARNINGS": "1" } } } }

Important:Replace/path/to/mcp-ssh-server/build/index.jswith the absolute path to your built index.js file.

VS Code Configuration (if using MCP extension)

Create or edit.vscode/mcp.jsonin your workspace:

{ "mcpServers": { "ssh-server": { "command": "node", "args": ["/path/to/mcp-ssh-server/build/index.js"] } } }

Establish an SSH connection to a remote server.

- host(required) - Hostname or IP address
- username(required) - SSH username
- password(optional) - SSH password
- privateKeyPath(optional) - Path to private key file
- passphrase(optional) - Passphrase for private key
- port(optional) - SSH port (default: 22)
- connectionId(optional) - Unique identifier for this connection

- success- Boolean indicating success
- connectionId- ID to use for subsequent commands
- message- Connection status message

Connect to my server at example.com using username 'admin' and password authentication

- connectionId(required) - ID from ssh_connect
- command(required) - Command to execute
- cwd(optional) - Working directory
- timeout(optional) - Command timeout in milliseconds (default: 60000)

- code- Exit code
- signal- Signal that terminated the process (if any)
- stdout- Standard output
- stderr- Standard error

Run "ls -la /var/www/html" on the server

- connectionId(required) - ID from ssh_connect
- localPath(required) - Local file path
- remotePath(required) - Remote destination path

- success- Boolean indicating success
- message- Upload status message

- connectionId(required) - ID from ssh_connect
- remotePath(required) - Remote file path
- localPath(required) - Local destination path

- success- Boolean indicating success
- message- Download status message

List files in a directory on the remote server.

- connectionId(required) - ID from ssh_connect
- remotePath(required) - Directory path to list

- files- Array of file objects with properties:

- filename- File name
- isDirectory- Boolean indicating if it's a directory
- size- File size
- lastModified- Last modification time

- connectionId(required) - ID from ssh_connect

- success- Boolean indicating success
- message- Disconnection status message

Please connect to my VPS at example.com using username 'admin' and my SSH key at ~/.ssh/id_rsa

Run the command "systemctl status nginx" to check web server status

Upload my local file ~/websites/index.html to /var/www/html/index.html on the server

Show me all files in the /var/www/html directory

Download the file /var/backups/website-backup.tar.gz to my local Downloads folder

Discover and identify network switch device type and capabilities.

- connectionId(required) - ID of an active SSH connection
- enablePassword(optional) - Enable password for privileged mode

Show interface status and configuration on network switch.

- connectionId(required) - ID of an active SSH connection
- interfaceType(optional) - Type of interfaces to show
- enablePassword(optional) - Enable password for privileged mode

Show VLAN configuration and status on network switch.

- connectionId(required) - ID of an active SSH connection
- enablePassword(optional) - Enable password for privileged mode

Backup switch configuration (running or startup config).

- connectionId(required) - ID of an active SSH connection
- configType(optional) - Type of configuration to backup
- enablePassword(optional) - Enable password for privileged mode

Run network diagnostics from switch (ping, traceroute).

- connectionId(required) - ID of an active SSH connection
- target(required) - Target IP address or hostname
- diagnosticType(optional) - Type of diagnostic to run
- enablePassword(optional) - Enable password for privileged mode

Show MAC address table on network switch.

- connectionId(required) - ID of an active SSH connection
- vlan(optional) - Specific VLAN to show MAC addresses for
- enablePassword(optional) - Enable password for privileged mode

These tools enable direct console access to network devices using USB-to-Serial adapters. This is essential for initial device setup, emergency access when network connectivity is lost, or when SSH has not yet been configured.

- FTDI FT232R/FT232H (recommended - most reliable)
- Prolific PL2303 (widely compatible)
- Silicon Labs CP2102/CP2104 (good performance)
- CH340/CH341 chipsets (budget-friendly option)

All adapters work with standard Cisco/Aruba console cables (RJ45 to DB9 or direct USB).

List available USB-to-Serial ports on the system. Automatically detects FTDI, Prolific, Silicon Labs, and CH340 adapters.

Connect to a network device via USB-to-Serial console port.

- port(required) - Serial port name (e.g., COM3 on Windows, /dev/ttyUSB0 on Linux)
- baudRate(optional) - Baud rate (default: 9600 for most switches)
- connectionId(optional) - Unique identifier for connection
- deviceType(optional) - Device type for optimal settings (cisco, aruba, generic)

Connect to my Cisco switch console on COM3

Send a command to network device via serial connection.

- connectionId(required) - ID of an active serial connection
- command(required) - Command to send to device
- waitForResponse(optional) - Wait for device response
- timeout(optional) - Response timeout in milliseconds

Send "show version" command to the console connection

Discover device type and capabilities via serial connection. Automatically identifies Cisco IOS, Cisco IOS-XE, Aruba, and generic devices.

- connectionId(required) - ID of an active serial connection

Discover what type of device is connected

- connectionId(required) - ID of an active serial connection

The following Ubuntu server management tools are available:

- ubuntu_nginx_control- Web server control (start, stop, restart, status, reload, check-config)
- ubuntu_update_packages- System package updates with security-only option
- ubuntu_ssl_certificate- SSL certificate management using Let's Encrypt (issue, renew, status, list)
- ubuntu_website_deployment- Website deployment with automatic backup and restore
- ubuntu_ufw_firewall- Firewall (UFW) management (enable, disable, allow, deny, delete)

These tools automate the process of configuring SSH access on network switches via console connection, enabling a smooth transition from console-only to SSH-based management.

Generate SSH configuration template for a network switch based on device type and security level.

- deviceType(optional) - Device type: cisco, aruba (auto-detected if not specified)
- securityLevel(optional) - Security level: basic, secure (default: basic)
- hostname(required) - Switch hostname
- ip_address(required) - Management IP address
- subnet_mask(optional) - Subnet mask (default: 255.255.255.0)
- gateway(required) - Default gateway
- username(required) - SSH username
- password(required) - SSH password

Apply SSH configuration to a switch via an active serial console connection.

- serialConnectionId(required) - ID of an active serial connection
- deviceType(optional) - Device type: cisco, aruba
- hostname(required) - Switch hostname
- ip_address(required) - Management IP address
- gateway(required) - Default gateway
- username(required) - SSH username
- password(required) - SSH password
- confirmApply(required) - Must be true to proceed

Check the current SSH configuration status on a switch via serial connection.

- serialConnectionId(required) - ID of an active serial connection

Test SSH connectivity to a newly configured switch.

- ip_address(required) - Switch IP address
- username(required) - SSH username
- password(required) - SSH password
- port(optional) - SSH port (default: 22)

Complete end-to-end SSH setup workflow via console connection. This automates the entire process of configuring SSH on a switch.

- serialConnectionId(required) - ID of an active serial connection
- hostname(required) - Switch hostname
- ip_address(required) - Management IP address
- gateway(required) - Default gateway
- username(required) - SSH username
- password(required) - SSH password
- confirmSetup(required) - Must be true to proceed

Complete automated workflow to transition a network switch from console-only access to SSH management. This is the recommended tool for initial switch setup.

- port(required) - Serial port (e.g., COM3, /dev/ttyUSB0)
- hostname(required) - Switch hostname
- ip_address(required) - Management IP address
- gateway(required) - Default gateway
- username(required) - SSH username
- password(required) - SSH password
- deviceType(optional) - Device type: cisco, aruba (auto-detected if not specified)
- confirmTransition(required) - Must be true to proceed

Set up SSH on my Cisco switch connected to COM3 with hostname "switch-core-01", IP 192.168.1.10, gateway 192.168.1.1, username "admin"