mToken v4.3.0 Released with SSH Port Forwarding Support

**Rishad** · 02-15-07, 01:40 PM

mToken, one of the coolest applications I have installed on my PPC was just updated to a new major version! This is what I got in the newsletter,

Choung Networks released mToken version 4.3. mToken is a versatile terminal emulator for Pocket PCs. It supports various connection types such as SSH, TELNET, COM port and modem, and also includes PING and TRACE-ROUTE network tools.

In the new version,

SSH port forwarding now supported!

SSH port forwarding (also known as tunneling) allows forwarding of normal Internet (TCP) connections to a remote machine over an encrypted channel. This feature can be used to securely access services behind firewall without switching to new set of applications. You just need to make minor configuration changes (e.g., server address and port number) to your existing software.

Enhanced SSH connection handlings.
More character code pages are now supported.
More options are added for processing newline(CR/LF).
Character input problem in Chinese version of Pocket PC has been fixed.

Download
Screenshots 1, 2

02-15-07, 02:24 PM

Thanks for the heads up. :approve:

02-15-07, 03:32 PM

Nice one Akheron - I keep meaning to try out this program ...

02-15-07, 09:20 PM

sweet! thanks for the heads up!

aximband · 02-16-07, 06:02 PM

Thank you for presenting this new version of this program. However, it seems you simply have to have used this program, or at least heard more about it from somewhere else before shooting the credit card into the computer for buying it.

From my point of view - I see nothing telling me why I would want to buy this software. Is it only for configure routers and switches? Could I connect it and downloading files from a server, computer - or read documents from a remote location? Sure telnet, ping and trace tells a lot - but surely I could use any other computer for those tools - why install it on a pocket pc?

**Rishad** · 02-16-07, 07:26 PM

Why install anything on a PPC then, since you can do all of that on a PC?!

aximband · 02-17-07, 10:17 AM

Good point - However, Pocket pc are a device that serves its true handy purpose being at a arm length away at any given time. I have no doubts that mToken would serve its purpose well in this manner.

The reason for my reply is simply because I finds no information about what true beneficial purpose mtoken servers to those who doesn't need to connect to a router, or server from a arm length distance at any time. I am thinking - it would be a true handy software if I could connect to any server, or computer and download/read any given file the same way - Sure mToken probably could do so, but it is the lack of understandable information about this software that makes me weird about its existent.

sneezie · 02-17-07, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by aximband

Good point - However, Pocket pc are a device that serves its true handy purpose being at a arm length away at any given time. I have no doubts that mToken would serve its purpose well in this manner.

The reason for my reply is simply because I find no information about what true beneficial purpose mtoken servers to those who doesn't need to connect to a router, or server from a arm length distance at any time. I am thinking - it would be a true handy software if I could connect to any server, or computer and download/read any given file the same way - Sure mToken probably could do so, but it is the lack of understandable information about this software that makes me weird about its existent.

I have not tried this software (yet, but I have downloaded it), but I think I can partially say something about it.
It could be useful for connecting in a secure way (via SSH) to your mail server running under Linux and initiating for example a Pine session and not dowloading all the mail through Outlook. Or start any job on that server during a console session. And do this SECURELY through an otherwise insecure link.

But this seems still a bit dull a reason to use the software.

What you can do, if the tunneling function works well, is doing securely almost any network job. Exchanging your mail through POP3 or IMAP, navigating through your personal proxy, using remote desktop applications like VNC or Terminal Serivices. And your fantasy can add examples.

When you are outside of your own network (and usually also within...), you may find yourself linked to an insecure or not completely trusted network. This tool can help you get a secured link between your PDA and another PC where valuable or confidential (for you, not necessarily the plans for the atomic bomb) information resides.
And with higher security than with a VPN (am I wrong on this?).

Compression also comes along if you wish, and on a slow connection this is really welcome (though is best having fast ping times for SSH to work well, but you can live also with long ones, when you are in such a dare situation).

You need SSH access to a trusted server and you have to fiddle a bit with the tunnels functions (not too much once you understand the philosophy of it) and then you are set.

I have used till now pocketputty, but there you have no tunnel function.
PocketTTY has tunneling but takes for ever to connect and VNC does not work very well under tunnel (so far for me). Connection breaks at half screen drawing (of course I manage to use everything smoothly in a desktop environment, difficulties are only for the PocketPC world).

I put some hopes on mToken.

Cheers,
Sneezie

player911 · 02-18-07, 09:38 PM

Sure you could use a PC to do many tasks this program can do... but doesn't that go for any PPC application? Can't a PC do anything a PPC can do?

The reason programs like this are nice, are because laptops are big and aren't always within reach.

If you program routers and switches regularly and not having to setup your laptop every time you needed to make a simple change is nice.

My only vice is that several programs I use make use of the F keys. Many programs I found similar to this only use F1 F2 F3 F4.

Of course ESC + # works just like a F key. But thats to say the program implements an ESC key.

Unfortunately PPC SIP keyboards don't need ESC keys or F keys.