Getting your own (physical) server online is a real pain
Dynamic DNS (DDNS) needs to be setup, firewalls to configure, and your router’s address translation needs to be configured correctly before anyone can connect to your server over the internet. Make any mistake, and you can be left scratching your head. The network traffic simply doesn’t get through.
It gets worse: Carrier Grade NAT (CGNAT)
Why didn’t it work? My Internet Service Provider (ISP) had decided to put me behind their Network Address Translation (NAT) router. This meant that I had no public IP address, and my ISP’s router was blocking the traffic. This is called Carrier Grade NAT (CGNAT), and it’s becoming increasingly common.
The ISP claims to do it “for your protection,” but the truth is that they’re probably running out of IPv4 addresses to give. Plus, it’s more lucrative to rent static IP addresses at high cost to businesses who need it. Whatever the case, CGNAT makes putting a home server online impossible. Or, does it…
Reverse tunnels to the rescue (sort of)
It’s possible to work around this issue using a reverse tunnel. You need a Virtual Private Server (VPS) out on the internet. The most common technique is to use SSH to connect from the home server to the VPS, and establish a reverse tunnel.
This is the exact technique I used to test ZitaFTP Server’s automatic SSL certificate generation feature. The tunnel worked, but was a pain to set up. It took far longer than I’d like, and I’m a software engineer (i.e., I know what I’m doing). Plus, renting a VPS kind of defeats the point of having a physical server at home…
Solution: Zero configuration tunnel service
I’m considering creating a dedicated tunnel service, which would solve this problem. It’s just an idea at this stage, but would enable anyone to easily set up and run an internet accessible server from home (or their office). No messing with DDNS or firewalls. No setting up SSH and SSH tunnels, and no need to rent a VPS. You’d be able to get your server online in a matter of minutes.
While the idea comes from developing ZitaFTP Server, this could be useful for websites in general, and more.
Interested? Let us know by filling the form below…
