DunLUG Wiki | Linux / SshTunnelling

There is an Ubuntu Package called GSTM that does all the complicated stuff listed below. If you prefer to do it graphically. Just search for gstm in synaptic package manager.

To create an ssh tunnel to a webserver within a network first do the command ssh -D 9999 username@remoteserver.com.Then go into your browser preferences and under SOCKS host put localhost as the server and 9999 as the port number. You should then be able to see any webpages that are only accessible normally on the remote network as if you were on the remote computer you have logged into.

If you prefer not to have to set up a SOCKS connection (as it requires you to reconfigure your browser for the time the connection is up) then simply use a port forward, e.g.:

ssh -L81:internalserver:80 user@loginserver

Note that internalserver is relative to loginserver, not your local machine.

Once you have that connection up you can browse http://localhost:81 and SSH will route you to http://internalserver:80

This method won't work for a web server using VirtualHosts ?.

Additionally, you may wish to acces an IMAP server, in which case:

ssh -L81:internalserver:80 -L143:internalimapserver:143 user@loginserver

And then configure your email client to use localhost as an IMAP server.

Endless fun!