Settings here specify who will be allowed to administer the router and access the network, how those users connect, and more. The Admin Access menu is divided into sections. The sections include Web Admin, SSH Daemon, Telnet Daemon, Admin Restrictions and Username/Password.

This section has settings to control who can access FreshTomato's web interface, how, and from where. You can also which menus stay nested or shown. Finally, it also has settings for the interface's color scheme.

Local Access: here, choose the web protocols allowed for communication with the web interface via LAN.
Port and Wireless access options appear, depending on the selection you choose.

• Disabled - disables all LAN access to FreshTomato's web
  interface via web protocols.

• HTTP - lets LAN Ethernet clients access the web interface via HTTP.
  • HTTP Port - enter the port on which to allow HTTP administration
    traffic to flow. (Default: 80).
  • Allow Wireless Access - lets LAN WiFi clients access the
    web interface. (Default: enabled).

• HTTPS - allows Ethernet LAN clients to access the web interface
  via HTTPS (SSL-encrypted web).
  • HTTPS port: the HTTPS port to use. (Appears only if
    HTTPS is a chosen option).
  • Allow Wireless Access - lets LAN WiFi clients access
    THE web interface via HTTPS. (Default: enabled).

• HTTP and HTTPS - allows Ethernet LAN clients to access the
  web interface via HTTP and HTTPS.
  • HTTP Port - the port on which HTTP administration
    traffic will flow. (Default: 80).
  • HTTPS port: the HTTPS port to use. (shows only if
    HTTPS is a chosen option).
  • Allow Wireless Access - lets LAN WiFi clients access
    the web interface. (Default: enabled).

These options appear if you've chosen “HTTPS” or “HTTP and HTTPS” in Local Access.

Common Name (CN): the human-friendly name of the SSL web administration certificate to generate.

Technically speaking, this represents the server name protected by the SSL certificate. In this case, FreshTomato is acting as the server.

The certificate is valid only if the requested hostname matches the certificate common name. Your browser will display a warning message when connecting to an address that doesn't match the common name in the certificate. Thus, if you were to connect to FreshTomato, and the address detected didn't match the one in the certificate, you would receive a warning.

Officially, this field is optional. However, it is unwise to leave it empty. Starting with release 2024.4, this field will use “FT” as the default.

Regenerate: checking this makes FreshTomato generate a new certificate.

It then restarts the httpd service to load the new certificate.

Save in NVRAM: checking this saves the newly-generated certificate in NVRAM.

Remote Access: lets you select whether/how a user can remotely access the web interface.

• Disabled - prevents all access to the web interface via the
  WAN port/Internet. Only LAN clients will be able to access the
  web interface. This is the default and recommended setting
  for security reasons.

• HTTP - allows web access to the WAN interface/Internet
  only via HTTP protocol.

• HTTPS - allows web access to the WAN interface/Internet
  only via HTTPS protocol (SSL-encrypted web).

Unmount JFFS during upgrade: if enabled, unmounts any JFFS partitions during firmware upgrades.

This feature is supported starting with release 2021.2.

Allow Remote Upgrade: allows authenticated Internet/WAN clients to upgrade firmware via the web interface.

Remote Access: lets you specify which, if any protocols are allowed remote access to the web interface.

• Disabled - no remote access to the web interface will be permitted.
• HTTP - remote access via HTTP will be permitted.
• HTTPS - remote access via HTTPS will be permitted.

Allow Wireless Access: allows WiFi and Ethernet clients to access the web interface. (Default: Disabled).

Directory with GUI files: here, select the directory containing files that provide the web interface.

CAUTION: Don't change this unless you're experienced. It could prevent you from accessing the web interface.

Theme UI: here, choose the color scheme (theme) of the web interface. (Default: Default).

Open Menus: Menus checked here shows their submenus as open.

Menu names unchecked will display their submenus as nested.

The Secure SHell tunneling protocol lets you make secure local and remote connections to FreshTomato. With the help of the Dropbear service, it also lets you make SSH connections though the router to LAN client devices. Settings here let you enable/disable the SSH Daemon and the Dropbear daemon, and configure their operation.

Enable at Startup: checking this starts the SSH Daemon when the router boots. (Default: Enabled).

Extended MOTD: enables the Message of the Day function.

This displays a custom message when you first log in via Telnet. It can be important information, updates about the system or just a personal greeting from the administrator.

Remote Access: allows SSH connections from remote WAN/Internet clients. (Default: Disabled).

Remote Forwarding: enables the Dropbear service/daemon.

Dropbear provides SSH services on the router, including SSH port tunneling and forwarding. Don't confuse this with standard (local) Port Forwarding.

For example, say you want to access a PC on your LAN via Remote Desktop. However, you don't want the security risk of using standard port forwarding to open a port for RDP to the Internet.

Instead, you (the SSH client) can make a connection into the router (the SSH Server.) You can configure Dropbear to forward/tunnel SSH traffic through the router to another network host. In this case, say “127.0.0.1:1234” gets tunneled/forwarded through SSH to a PC with address: “192.168.1.66:3389”.

This way, when you are connected to the the router via SSH, you can run RDP on your machine, connect to 127.0.0.1:1234 and you're securely connected to 192.168.1.66 on your LAN. All traffic flows through SSH, and thus is encrypted. (To be fair, RDP already uses encryption, but it's weaker than SSH encryption). In such cases, the SSH server is known as a “jump host”, and the final destination PC is known as a “target host”.

Port: sets the port on which SSH traffic flows.

Changing this from the default is highly recommended. Port 22 is constantly scanned by Internet hackers. (Default: 22).

Allow Password Login: lets clients login via SSH with only the normal administrative username/password.

No authorized encryption key is needed. When disabled, SSH requires an authorized key to allow clients to logon.

Authorized Keys: one or more encryption keys that authorize an SSH client to access to the LAN.

Stop Now/Start Now: clicking this instantly stops/starts the SSH daemon, whichever is the opposite of its current state.

The button will display its current state, and later the opposite option after you click on it. SSH will start again at next bootup (if Enable at Startup) is enabled.

(Terminal EmuLation over the NEtwork) is a protocol which allows LAN and remote connections via a command-line interface. Unlike SSH, Telnet is not a secure protocol.

Enable at Startup: enables the Telnet Daemon, allowing Telnet connections to FreshTomato.

Port: the port number on which Telnet connections will be made to the router. (Default: 23).

Stop Now / Start Now. clicking Stop Now immediately stops the Telnet Daemon.

When Telnet has stopped, the button reads: “Start Now”. Clicking “Start Now” immediately starts Telnet again. The Telnet daemon will restart at next reboot (if Enable at Startup is checked).

Allowed Remote IP Address: the IP addresses/ DNS names of hosts to allow to connect to the FreshTomato web interface.

Addresses can be individual, comma-separated, or a dash-separated range, (“1.1.1.1-2.2.2.2”). The setting applies to local and remote administration via HTTP, HTTPS, SSH (if enabled) and Telnet (if enabled).

Limit Connection Attempts: specifies whether the number of SSH or Telnet connection attempts will be limited to number (n) at certain frequency (f). (Default: 3 connection attempts every 60 seconds).

Checking SSH limits the number of SSH connection attempts to number n at frequency f (in seconds). Checking Telnet works similarly.

You are strongly urged to change these from the default settings to keep the router and network secure.

Username: the FreshTomato logon Username to set. An empty field sets the username: “root”. (Default: “root”).

Password: the FreshTomato logon password you want to set. (Default: “admin”).

Re-enter to confirm: enter the password again to confirm it's correct. It will change only when this text and text in the Password field match.