How to Tunnel VNC over SSH

Prevent your passwords from being sniffed

If you’re connecting to a remote desktop using the Virtual Network Computing (VNC) protocol, your connection might not be secure. Some VNC clients, like the popularTightVNC, don’t encrypt your connection beyond the initial sign-in stage. To get around the problem, you can tunnel a VNC connection over a Secure Shell (SSH) tunnel.

Not only does an SSH tunnel provide an entirely secure connection for VNC, but it also allows you to use VNC connections when the typical VNC port (port 5901) is blocked. Some corporate networks will block common ports like port 5901 for extra security, so tunneling VNC over SSH would allow you to get around this problem.

Setting Up PuTTY

Windows 10 does have an SSH client built-in, thanks to theWindows PowerShell, but this is only a recent development. If you want to know how to tunnel VNC through SSH, it’s recommended you usePuTTYto make the connection to your SSH server.

PuTTY offers a graphical user interface that can easily be configured to allow you to tunnel other software, like your VNC viewer, over the connection. For this to work, you’ll need to have a suitable SSH server installed on the remote desktop PC or server you’re looking to connect to over VNC.

With the SSH tunnel to your remote desktop server active, you’ll now be able to make a VNC connection. You can use any VNC client you choose, but this guide will run through how to connect usingTightVNC, a popular and free VNC client for Windows and Linux.

You can minimize PuTTY while the connection is active.

Connecting Using TightVNC

If your SSH connection is active, connecting using TightVNC is pretty simple. This assumes that your VNC server is running on your remote PC or server.

If your SSH connection is working correctly, TightVNC should load your remote VNC desktop window, ready for you to use.

SSH Clients With Tunneling Support

While TightVNC is a popular Windows client for VNC connections, it doesn’t support SSH tunneling within the client itself, requiring you to use PuTTY to make the connection.

Other VNC clients, however, do include SSH tunneling within the client itself. One example isSSVNCwhich, while basic, will tunnel over SSH before making a VNC connection. SSVNC is supported by Windows and Linux operating systems.

Once the SSH tunnel is active, your VNC connection will begin, and your VNC client window should appear, where you can begin using your remote desktop.

While VNC connections aren’t encrypted by default, Microsoft’s ownRemote Desktop Protocolisencrypted. If you’re running Windows and you’re planning on connecting to a remote Windows PC or server, you can connect using the Remote Desktop Connection tool instead.

Ben Stockton is a freelance technology writer based in the United Kingdom. In a past life, Ben was a college lecturer in the UK, training teens and adults. Since leaving the classroom, Ben has taken his teaching experience and applied it to writing tech how-to guides and tutorials, specialising in Linux, Windows, and Android. He has a degree in History and a postgraduate qualification in Computing.Read Ben’s Full Bio

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How to Tunnel VNC over SSH#

Setting Up PuTTY#

Connecting Using TightVNC#

SSH Clients With Tunneling Support#