Security

What are Cloudflare tunnels and how to setup one?

Subhash Gottumukkala

• 2 min read
What are Cloudflare tunnels and how to setup one?

A Cloudflare Tunnel is a secure way to expose your local web server to the internet without needing to open any ports on your firewall. It's like creating a private tunnel from your local machine to the internet, protected by Cloudflare's global network.

Why Use a Cloudflare Tunnel?

  • Enhanced Security: Cloudflare's robust security measures protect your server from potential threats.
  • Easy Setup: The process is straightforward, even for beginners.
  • Global Accessibility: Your local server can be accessed from anywhere in the world.
  • No Port Forwarding: You don't need to configure complex port forwarding rules on your router.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create a Cloudflare Account

  • If you don't have one already, sign up for a free Cloudflare account.

2. Add a Domain to Cloudflare

  • Add the domain name you want to use for your tunnel to your Cloudflare account.

3. Install Cloudflare Tunnel Client (cloudflared)

  • Download the cloudflared client from the Cloudflare website and install it on your local machine.

4. Authenticate cloudflared

  • This will open a browser window where you can log in to your Cloudflare account and authorize cloudflared.

Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following command:

cloudflared login

5. Create a Tunnel

Run the following command to create a tunnel:

cloudflared tunnel create <tunnel-name>

Replace <tunnel-name> with a desired name for your tunnel.

6. Configure Your Web Server

  • Make sure your web server is running on a specific port, such as port 8080.

7. Start the Tunnel

Run the following command to start the tunnel:

cloudflared tunnel run <tunnel-name>

8. Configure DNS

  • In your Cloudflare DNS settings, create a CNAME record for your subdomain (e.g., my-app.mydomain.com) and point it to the hostname provided by cloudflared.

9. Access Your Server

  • Now, you can access your local web server by visiting the configured subdomain (e.g., https://my-app.mydomain.com) in your browser.

Additional Tips:

  • Security: Always keep your web server and cloudflared up-to-date with the latest security patches.
  • Configuration File: You can create a configuration file to streamline the process and automate tunnel creation and startup.
  • Firewall Rules: While Cloudflare Tunnel handles most security, consider setting up firewall rules to limit access to your server.

By following these steps, you can easily set up a Cloudflare Tunnel and expose your local web server to the internet securely and efficiently.