How To Access Your Raspberry Pi Remotely Over The Internet

Hannah Arendt

2 min read

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26-03-2025

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Accessing your Raspberry Pi remotely allows you to control and monitor it from anywhere with an internet connection. This is incredibly useful for various projects, from home automation to server administration. However, setting this up securely requires careful attention to detail. This guide outlines the process, focusing on security best practices.

Prerequisites

Before beginning, ensure you have the following:

• A Raspberry Pi: With a stable operating system (like Raspberry Pi OS) installed.
• A Router: Providing internet access to your Raspberry Pi. You'll need its IP address.
• A Static IP Address: For your Raspberry Pi. This prevents connectivity issues caused by dynamic IP address changes. Your router's settings usually allow you to assign a static IP to a specific device.
• A Secure Network Connection: Preferably a secured Wi-Fi network with a strong password.
• SSH Client: On your computer (like PuTTY for Windows, or the built-in Terminal for macOS/Linux).

Setting up Port Forwarding

This crucial step allows external requests to reach your Raspberry Pi through your router's firewall.

1. Find Your Raspberry Pi's IP Address: This is the local IP address assigned to your Pi within your home network. You can find this through your router's interface or by using the hostname -I command within a terminal on the Pi itself.

2. Access Your Router's Settings: This process varies depending on your router's manufacturer and model, but typically involves accessing a web interface through your browser using the router's IP address (usually 192.168.1.1 or similar).

3. Configure Port Forwarding: Navigate to the section related to port forwarding, virtual servers, or NAT forwarding. You will need to forward port 22 (the default SSH port) to your Raspberry Pi's internal IP address. This tells your router to direct all traffic arriving on port 22 to your Raspberry Pi.

4. Save the Changes: Save the router's settings to apply the port forwarding configuration.

Enabling SSH on Your Raspberry Pi

If SSH is not already enabled, you'll need to do so. It's generally enabled by default on most Raspberry Pi OS installations. If not:

1. Enable SSH (if necessary): Open a terminal on your Raspberry Pi and use the command sudo systemctl enable ssh to enable SSH.

2. Verify SSH is Running: Use the command sudo systemctl status ssh to confirm it's running.

Connecting Remotely

Now, you can connect to your Raspberry Pi using your SSH client.

1. Open your SSH Client: Enter your Raspberry Pi's external IP address (obtainable from your router's status page, or a site such as "whatismyip.com") followed by a colon and port 22 (e.g., your_external_ip_address:22).

2. Enter Your Credentials: Enter your Raspberry Pi's username and password. You'll likely use the default username "pi."

3. Establish a Connection: Once you successfully enter your credentials, you'll be connected to your Raspberry Pi via SSH.

Security Considerations

• Strong Passwords: Use strong, unique passwords for both your Raspberry Pi and your router. Consider using a password manager.
• SSH Key Authentication: This is a far more secure method than password authentication. It involves creating a key pair on your computer and adding the public key to your Raspberry Pi's authorized_keys file. This eliminates the need for passwords.
• Firewall: Use a firewall on your Raspberry Pi (like ufw) to restrict access only to necessary ports.
• Regular Updates: Keep your Raspberry Pi's operating system and software up-to-date with security patches.

By following these steps and prioritizing security, you can securely access your Raspberry Pi remotely and harness its full potential. Remember, security should be a top priority in any remote access setup.