The HTTPS tunnel is used for remotely accessing network resources visible to the computer running the BarracudaDrive server. We recommend viewing our online documentation if you are new to the HTTPS tunnel.
Tunnel infrastructure:
The following documentation is for the Integrated HTTPS tunnel client. Please refer to our online documentation for use cases and new client products using the tunnel technology.
The most common use case for the Integrated HTTPS tunnel client is to use the built in tunnel proxy. The Integrated HTTPS tunnel client is typically used by a road warrior using a foreign computer when out traveling.
One can click the "Start HTTPS Tunnel" button without first clicking the advanced settings. Most network applications support proxy configuration, and you can configure the application to use the HTTPS tunnel proxy. This will make the application behave as it is part of the LAN the BarracudaDrive server is connected to.
The tunnel is a Java Web Start Program loaded and installed on demand on the computer you are using when browsing to the BarracudaDrive server.
When you click the tunnel button, the tunnel is started with the following parameters:
<remotehost> h:127.0.0.1:8080 s:127.0.0.1:1080
Where <remotehost> is the domain name or IP address of the remote BarracudaDrive server. In other words, it is the domain name you have in your browser when browsing to your BarracudaDrive server. The IP address 127.0.0.1 means the "local computer". Binding to the "local computer" makes sure no other computers on the network can use the tunnel client. Port 8080 is typically used by HTTPS proxies and port 1080 is typically used by SOCKS proxies. You can do an online search to learn more about port numbers.
All Java programs loaded and installed on demand require a certificate. The Java program uses a self signed certificate, and you will get a warning when you load the Java program. You must accept the certificate despite the warning presented to you by the Java runtime.
You must configure your network programs, such as e-mail clients, browsers, etc., to use the tunnel proxy when you have loaded and started the Integrated HTTPS tunnel client. The tunnel proxy is an integral part of the HTTPS tunnel client.
The tunnel parameters are explained online, and you can also download a standalone HTTPS tunnel client.
If you are running one of the free VNC servers on your PC (Similar to GoToMyPC), you can use the tunnel to make the VNC connection secure. Click the advanced link on the settings page, click the "add tunnel" link, and enter the following in the 3 fields:
Local port | Remote host | Remote port |
5900 | localhost | 5900 |
The above is translated to the following tunnel command:
t:localhost:5900:localhost:5900