Excel Wscript VBA - Hostname lookup failed: host not found

[mschaafs]

Good day! I am trying to launch a SecureCRT session from a Microsoft Excel macro, but am running into an issue with regard to the session connecting successfully. It is opening SecureCRT, but then is spitting out an error:

"Hostname lookup failed: host not found"

Macro code:

Sub Launch_SecureCRT()
    
    ' Enter credentials in custom form
    Win_Login.Show
    strPassword = passkey
    strUsername = username
    
    'host and protocol
    strProtocol = "ssh2"
    strHostname = "host.com"
    
    ' Reference the SecureCRT script file to be run upon launch
    Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    strScriptFile = "C:\Users\filepath\script.js" 


    ' Open SecureCRT and run script with login creds.
    Set objShell = CreateObject("wscript.shell")
    nResult = objShell.Run( _
        "SecureCRT /SCRIPT " & strScriptFile & _
        " /arg " & strHostname & _
        " /arg " & strUsername & _
        " /arg " & strProtocol & _
        " /PASSWORD " & strPassword, _
        5, True)

End Sub

Can someone please provide some insight? There is very little reference material for this out there.

Thank you for your time!

[ekoranyi]

Hi mschaafs,

It appears that the format of arguments being sent to the shell may not have been correct.

I had luck in launching sessions from an Excel macro using the below code:

Sub Launch_SecureCRT()

    strScriptFile = "C:\Users\filepath\script.js"
    strUsername = "username"
    strHostname = "host.com"
    strProtocol = "/SSH2"
    strPassword = "passkey"

    Call Shell("SecureCRT /SCRIPT " & strScriptFile & _
    " " & strProtocol & " /PASSWORD " & strPassword & _
    " " & strUsername & "@" & strHostname)

End Sub

Will something like this give you the behavior you're looking for?

[mschaafs]

That did the trick! Thank you so much!

[mschaafs]

Ok... Hoping you can help me with one last thing... /ARG, I am trying to pass arguments to my script... and so I added another argument to pass in as:

    ' Open SecureCRT and run script with login creds.
    Set objShell = CreateObject("wscript.shell")
    nResult = objShell.Run( _
        "SecureCRT /SCRIPT " & strScriptFile & _
        " " & "/ARG " & strArgToPassIn & _
        " " & strProtocol & " /PASSWORD " & strPassword & _
        " " & strUsername & "@" & strHostname, 5, True)

On the VBScript example, it says this can be accessed via crt.Arguments(0), but I am using Javascript. So, I tried the bit below at the start of my script, but the message box showed no value. Any ideas?

var testvar = crt.Arguments[0];
crt.Dialog.MessageBox(testvar, "TESTVAR IS");

[ekoranyi]

Hi mschaafs,

I'm glad to hear that worked for you. Hopefully you have smooth sailing from here on out.

[ekoranyi]

Hi mschaafs,

In my testing JavaScript uses the same format at VBScript.

var testvar = crt.Arguments(0);
crt.Dialog.MessageBox(testvar, "TESTVAR IS");

Does modifying your code in this way provide the desired behavior?

[mschaafs]

Fantastic... that worked. I should have thought to try that. :P Thank you again for your time!

[ekoranyi]

Hi mschaafs,

I'm glad I could help and that you're up and running.

Have a great rest of the day.