Master MobaXterm: A Complete Guide to SSH, SFTP, and Serial Sessions

Installation

Download the free edition of MobaXterm from the official website. A portable (no‑install) version is also provided; simply unzip it to a local folder or a USB drive and run MobaXterm.exe.

Creating an SSH Session

Open the main window and choose Sessions → New session (or click the Sessions button on the toolbar).

Select the SSH icon.

Enter the remote host address, port (default 22), username, and authentication method (password or private key). Optional fields: X11 forwarding, remote command, SSH‑browser (SFTP) toggle.

Click OK . The new session is saved in the left‑hand session list.

To connect, double‑click the entry in the left pane. MobaXterm will open an SSH terminal and, unless disabled, automatically display an SFTP side panel for file transfer.

Quick Session Reconnection

After a session has been created, it remains in the left‑hand list. Double‑click the entry at any time to reconnect without re‑entering credentials.

Creating a Serial (COM) Session

Open Sessions → New session → Serial .

Select the COM port (e.g., COM1, COM2) and set the baud rate, data bits, parity, and stop bits as required by the device.

Click OK . The serial session is stored alongside SSH sessions for future use.

Useful Configuration Tweaks

Hide the Toolbar Button Row

To gain vertical screen space, open View → Show menu bar and uncheck the option. This removes the extra button row beneath the menu bar.

Enable Right‑Click Paste

Open Settings → Configuration → Terminal and check Paste using right‑click . After applying, a right‑click in the terminal window will paste the clipboard contents.

Disable Automatic SFTP Panel

By default MobaXterm opens an SFTP side panel after a successful SSH login. To suppress this, go to Settings → Configuration → SSH and clear the checkbox Automatically switch to SSH‑browser tab after login .

Summary

The steps above cover the three most common connection types in MobaXterm—SSH, SFTP (via the built‑in file browser), and serial—and three configuration adjustments that streamline the interface. These basics provide a solid foundation for more advanced MobaXterm usage.