Why does SecureCRT^® time out and close my connection? Why does the SecureCRT window or tab close when I lose my connection?

Why does SecureCRT time out and close my connection?

SecureCRT does not have a "timeout" feature which automatically disconnect sessions. However, many servers disconnect idle sessions after a period of inactivity. Inactivity is sometimes defined by a server as no information received from the client, so it may timeout even if new data is continuously being displayed in the SecureCRT window. If you see a disconnect occur after a period of time elapses without any user input activity, the disconnect is being initiated by an idle timeout setting on the remote system or on a firewall/router/VPN server that resides somewhere in the network stack/path between SecureCRT and the remote system.

Why doesn't this happen to other applications like my web browser?

Other applications like web browsers can transparently retry failed communications because they do not have to maintain an open connection. This level of transparency is not available when SSH (or Telnet, etc.) sessions are disconnected by an idle timeout on a remote server or a firewall/router/VPN server.

Is there anything that can be done to prevent a connection from closing?

If you find your sessions being disconnected after a certain period of inactivity, you can take advantage of anti-idle features in SecureCRT to try and keep connections open for longer periods of time. You can find two anti-idle options in the Session Options / Terminal category: Send protocol NO-OP and Send string.

The Send protocol NO-OP option is available when using the SSH2 or the Telnet protocol. It sends data at the TCP protocol level and does not send any data to the remote which would be displayed. The Send protocol NO OP option is the suggested mechanism for anti-idle since it will typically not interfere with applications running on the remote system.

The Send string option simulates an actual key-press, so the data to send is sent to the remote and will be displayed (possibly interfering with an application running on the remote system). Since sending a key-press might have unintended consequences, the data to send should be chosen carefully. Simulating a space and backspace may be an optimal solution for many environments. To send space and backspace, enter " \b" (without quotes) in the Send string entry box.

Why does the SecureCRT window or tab close when I lose my connection?

SecureCRT provides an option that allows for automatically closing a window or a tab when the connection within it is closed. This option is not enabled by default so if you're seeing this behavior it's likely that you've enabled it (or it was enabled by whoever created the configuration files your installation of SecureCRT is using).

If you wish to keep the SecureCRT Window/tab open when the connection within the window/tab closes, you'll need to reset the option back to its default setting:

1. Open the Session Options dialog.
2. Select the Terminal category, and locate the Close on disconnect option.
3. Ensure the Close on disconnect option is not enabled.
4. Close the Session Options dialog to save your settings.