IP was posted by accident, but has since been changed, ISP does that occasinally. According to the /etc/ssh/sshd_config it is OpenSSH

You might have both installed. Check running processes, netstat etc to see what is running. You can also probe the port with netcat (or telnet) and check the output on the system itself:

nc localhost 22

If openSSH is running you will see something like:
SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_9.2p1

Do the same thing using your public IP address.

I let securecrt accept and save the new key

On the ssh server itself, "ssh krazy@locahost" and make sure that works. There are several local things that will make it fail silently (account lock, unapproved shell).

If that works, try from a remote host.

Check in the auth log, /var/log/auth.log or /var/log/secure.

Not home to try it ATM. But considering it works from within the lan (192.168.2.x) I can assure you localhost will work. Will try when I get home.

Doing this (NC localhost 22 and for my external IP displays the same thing SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_9.3

This worked on the machine itself, but not when I tried using cell not on wifi I go into password failure loop even though it is correct. The /var/log/secure only show for sshd
Doesn't look like external connection even hitting server.

I think I found the problem.

It shows port 22 and 2222 as closed even though I have port forwarded those 2 ports to 192.168.2.25 (IP address of the Slackware box), If they showing as closed would setting as a DMZ fix this? for it something on the ISP end if I have already set a port forward for the 2 ports.

I think I am trying to perform an impossible task. Put the IP address in DMZ on the modem/router check https://www.infobyip.com/sshservertest.php on port 22, no go says cannot connect. change to an irregular port same thing went and got a dyndns address same thin on normal and irregular port. Think it is a done deal unless there is some other way to do it other then changing my ISP for I see that may be my only option to get this up and working. Thank you everyone for all your help it is greatly appreciated.

Your ISP may be blocking those ports but the typical ones are SMB/CIFS, 80 and 25. They should have a list posted somewhere.

You might be configuring port forwarding wrong. Make sure the from/to ports are the same as well as selecting TCP.

Usually ssh works with hair-pinning i.e. connecting from within your network using the public IP address with most routers so using your phone may not be required for testing. Just depends on how it is configured.

dyndns just assigns a fixed URL to your dynamic IP addressed using client software that updates their servers. It won't help if ssh does not work anyway.

Check your /etc/hosts.allow /etc/hosts.deny /etc/ssh/sshd_config files for anything that might limit ssh to listening only to your LAN. Does your sshd_config file have a specific ListenAddress or match directive to limit connections.
Use ss or netstat to check too for listening addresses on your server.

Well it is fixed. You are not going to believe what the problem was. Well you probably will.

Said and done this fixed it.