<p>I just set up SSHd through Cygwin on a Windows XP Pro box overseas using a RAT and discluded the openssh package from the install.
I ran the cywin shell (from c:\cywin) and ran
Now, It's under a port I know is safe and fowarded properly, but I won't share it's number. It's not a common port, but it's under 40000.
Firewalls are off etc etc.
I'm on the first Admin account made on the box. (It's full admin)
I've run the following commands</p>

<p><code>chmod +r  /etc/passwd<br>
chmod +r  /etc/group<br>
hmod  777  /var<br>
/*Created New Admin User Account To Be Used via SSH*/<br>
mkpasswd -cl &gt; /etc/passwd<br>
mkgroup --local &gt; /etc/group</code>  </p>

<p>I can connect locally, but not externally.
I know my ports etc are fine.</p>

<p>Any possible problems, as i really need this tunnel up :P</p>

Profile before attempting any optimisation.
9 times out of 10, the time won't be consumed where you might guess it is.
The usual unsuccessful strategy is micro-optimisation, when what is actually required is the appropriate algorithm.
Obligatory Donald Knuth quote:
"We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil"