HF Tunnel
HF Tunnel gives a website running on a computer a public https:// link, through an HF Panel server, without router or firewall changes.
HF Tunnel gives a website that runs on a computer (a laptop, a desktop, a test machine) a public address such as
https://shop.tunnels.example.net. Visitors open that address; the tunnel passes their requests to the site on the
computer. There is no port forwarding, router setting or fixed IP address to arrange.
How it works
- A small tunnel client on the computer connects out to the tunnel server on an HF Panel server, on port 7000, over an encrypted connection.
- The server gives the tunnel its own name under the tunnel domain:
https://<name>.<tunnel domain>, with its own HTTPS certificate. - When someone opens the address, the server's web server passes the request through the client's connection to the site on the computer, and the answer goes back the same way.
Each tunnel has its own secret key, which opens only its own name. HF Tunnel carries websites (HTTP) only.
When the computer isn't connected, visitors see a page that says This tunnel is offline.
Two ways to use it
| Way | For | Set up by |
|---|---|---|
| The HF Tunnel app | anyone with a local web server (Apache and PHP, Node.js …), with no account | nothing to set up: click Share an address, or run hf-tunnel 80 |
| Free links from the desktop app | anyone using HF Local, with no account | nothing to set up: click Share |
| Customer tunnels | accounts on the official edition's server (HostFog Ltd's own server) | HF Local's command line |
Common uses
- show a client a site you are building, without uploading it;
- test a site on a phone or tablet over the internet;
- receive webhooks (payments, forms, chat apps) on your development computer.
Warning: anyone with a tunnel's link can open the site while the tunnel is connected. Don't share sites with private data or admin pages without a password.