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Managing Tunnels

Connect, monitor, edit, and organize your tunnels.

Connecting

Start a Tunnel

From Main Window:

  1. Select the tunnel
  2. Click the play button or press Space

From Menu Bar:

  1. Click StormTunnel icon in menu bar
  2. Click the play button next to the tunnel

Keyboard: Select tunnel and press Space

Connection Progress

StormTunnel shows connection status:

  1. Preflight - Checking port availability
  2. Authenticating - Connecting to server
  3. Establishing - Setting up tunnel
  4. Connected - Ready to use

Use Your Tunnel

Once connected, access the remote service at localhost:[local port].

Examples:

  • Database: Connect client to localhost:5432
  • Web: Open http://localhost:8080 in browser
  • API: Point requests to localhost:9000

Disconnecting

Stop a Tunnel

From Main Window:

  1. Select the active tunnel
  2. Click the stop button or press Space

From Menu Bar:

  1. Click StormTunnel icon
  2. Click the stop button next to the tunnel

Quit StormTunnel

All tunnels disconnect automatically. If tunnels are active, you'll be asked to confirm.

Status Indicators

Color Status
Green Connected
Gray Disconnected
Yellow Connecting
Red Error

Click a tunnel with an error to see details.

Editing Tunnels

  1. Select the tunnel
  2. Double-click or click the edit button
  3. Make changes
  4. Click Save

Disconnect First

You cannot edit a connected tunnel. Disconnect it first.

What You Can Change

  • Name and description
  • SSH host and ports
  • Authentication method
  • Advanced settings (timeout, auto-reconnect)

Deleting Tunnels

  1. Select the tunnel
  2. Press Cmd+Del or right-click → Delete
  3. Confirm deletion

What's deleted:

  • Tunnel configuration
  • Stored password (if any)

What's kept:

  • SSH keys
  • Other tunnels

Delete Multiple

  1. ++cmd+click++ to select multiple tunnels
  2. Press Cmd+Del
  3. Confirm

Organizing Tunnels

Use the search box to filter by name, host, or port.

  • Press Cmd+F to focus search
  • Press Esc to clear

Naming Convention

Use consistent names for easy organization:

dev-postgres
dev-redis
staging-postgres
staging-redis
prod-postgres

Then search dev- to see all development tunnels.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action Shortcut
Connect/Disconnect Space
Edit Double-click
Delete Cmd+Del
Duplicate Cmd+D
Search Cmd+F

Troubleshooting

Tunnel Won't Connect

  • Check network connection
  • Verify SSH credentials
  • Test manually: ssh user@host
  • Check if local port is in use

Connection Drops

  • Enable Auto-Reconnect in tunnel settings
  • Check network stability
  • Verify server hasn't timed out

Slow Connection

  • Use IP address instead of hostname
  • Increase connection timeout
  • Check network latency

See Troubleshooting for more help.

Best Practices

  1. Disconnect when done - Don't leave tunnels running unnecessarily
  2. Use auto-reconnect - For tunnels you need reliably
  3. Name clearly - Use descriptive, consistent names
  4. Clean up - Delete tunnels you no longer use

Next Steps