Quick Start Guide

Your First Connection

Let's connect to your first network device. NetStacks supports SSH connections with password or key-based authentication.

Quick Connect

1. Launch NetStacks Terminal
2. Press Cmd+Shift+N (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows/Linux) to open the Quick Connect dialog
3. Enter the connection details:
   • Host: Your device IP or hostname
   • Port: 22 (default)
   • Username: Your SSH username
   • Authentication: Password or SSH Key
4. Click Connect

Terminal Basics

NetStacks provides a professional terminal experience with features designed for network operations.

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Multi-Tab Workflow

Work with multiple devices simultaneously using tabs and split panes:

1. Open connections to multiple devices (each in a new tab)
2. Use Cmd+1 through Cmd+9 to switch between tabs
3. Split the view to see multiple sessions side-by-side
4. Enable Multi-Send to type commands once and send to all sessions

Using AI Assistance

NetStacks includes built-in AI assistance to help with command suggestions, output analysis, and troubleshooting.

Setting Up AI

To use AI features, you need to configure an LLM provider:

1. Open Settings (Cmd+, or Ctrl+,)
2. Navigate to AI Assistant
3. Select your provider:
   • Anthropic Claude - Recommended for network operations
   • OpenAI - GPT-4 and GPT-3.5
   • Ollama - Self-hosted, privacy-focused
4. Enter your API key
5. Click Save

AI Features

Once configured, AI assists you in several ways:

• Command Suggestions - As you type, AI suggests completions based on the device type and context
• Output Analysis - Select terminal output and ask AI to explain it
• Troubleshooting - Describe an issue and get diagnostic steps
• Configuration Help - Ask for help with syntax or best practices

# Example AI interaction:
# You: "Why is BGP session down with neighbor 10.0.0.1?"

# AI analyzes your recent output and suggests:
# 1. Check BGP session state: show bgp neighbor 10.0.0.1
# 2. Verify IP reachability: ping 10.0.0.1 source loopback0
# 3. Check for ACL blocking: show ip access-lists
# 4. Verify BGP config: show run | section bgp

Enterprise Setup

If you're using NetStacks with the Controller for centralized management, follow these steps to connect your Terminal to the Controller.

Connect Terminal to Controller

1. Open Settings (Cmd+, or Ctrl+,)
2. Navigate to Enterprise
3. Enter your Controller URL (e.g., https://controller.company.com)
4. Click Connect
5. Log in with your enterprise credentials

Enterprise Benefits

When connected to a Controller, you gain access to:

• Centralized Device Inventory - Access all devices from any Terminal
• Credential Vault - Credentials are stored securely on the Controller
• Session Recording - Recordings are stored centrally for compliance
• SSH Certificates - Zero-standing-privilege access to devices
• Audit Logging - All actions are logged for compliance

Next Steps

Now that you're up and running, explore these topics to get the most from NetStacks:

• Terminal Overview - Deep dive into terminal features
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Complete list of shortcuts for power users
• Adding Devices - Set up your device inventory
• Credential Vault - Securely store your credentials
• AI Chat - Get the most from AI assistance