n8n-nodes-customssh/README.md

n8n community node for advanced SSH connections with configurable ciphers and network device support

# n8n-nodes-customssh

This is an n8n community node for advanced SSH connections with configurable ciphers and network device support. It's designed specifically for connecting to network devices that may have non-standard SSH configurations.

## Features

- **Advanced SSH Configuration**: Support for custom ciphers, key exchange algorithms, and SSH protocols
- **Network Device Support**: Optimized for Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and other network equipment
- **Configurable Authentication**: Multiple authentication methods including password and key-based
- **Command Execution**: Execute commands on remote devices with proper output handling
- **AI Integration**: Marked as `usableAsTool: true` for AI agent compatibility
- **Robust Connection Management**: Handles connection timeouts, retries, and device-specific requirements

## Installation

```bash
npm install n8n-nodes-customssh
```

## Configuration

1. Go to **Credentials** in n8n
2. Select **SSH Password** credential type
3. Configure your connection parameters:
   - **Host**: Target device IP or hostname
   - **Port**: SSH port (default 22)
   - **Username**: SSH username
   - **Password**: SSH password
   - **Timeout**: Connection timeout in milliseconds

## Usage

1. Add the **Custom SSH** node to your workflow
2. Select your SSH credential
3. Choose the operation (Execute Command)
4. Configure connection options:
   - **Cipher Configuration**: Select appropriate ciphers for your device
   - **SSH Version**: Force SSH version if needed
   - **Keep Alive**: Configure connection keep-alive settings
5. Enter the command(s) to execute

## Operations

### Execute Command
Execute SSH commands on remote network devices with:
- Custom cipher support for legacy devices
- Configurable connection parameters
- Output formatting and parsing
- Error handling and retry logic

## Use Cases

- **Network Device Automation**: Configure routers, switches, and firewalls
- **System Administration**: Execute commands on remote servers
- **Monitoring and Diagnostics**: Collect device information and status
- **Configuration Management**: Deploy configuration changes
- **Troubleshooting**: Interactive device debugging

## Device Compatibility

Tested and optimized for:
- Cisco IOS/IOS-XE/NX-OS devices
- Juniper Junos devices
- Arista EOS devices
- Generic Linux/Unix systems
- Legacy devices with older SSH implementations

## License

MIT

## Support

This is a community-maintained node. For issues and questions, please use the GitHub issues.