{"id":927,"date":"2016-10-27T00:17:41","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T18:47:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/?p=927"},"modified":"2026-09-09T17:49:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T12:19:39","slug":"tunnel-setup-on-windows-without-vpn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/tunnel-setup-on-windows-without-vpn\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create an SSH Tunnel from a Local Machine to a Server"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An SSH tunnel can be used to securely route network traffic from a local machine through a remote server. This can be useful when you need to access applications or websites that are restricted to a particular network or when the destination application is available only within a private network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some common use cases include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Accessing an application or domain that is restricted to a particular network.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Accessing an application or domain hosted within a private network.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Routing browser traffic through a remote server when access restrictions are based on the source IP address.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this guide, we will configure an SSH tunnel using <strong>PuTTY<\/strong> and then configure <strong>Firefox<\/strong> to use the tunnel through a SOCKS proxy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prerequisites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before starting, make sure you have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>SSH access to the remote server.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The server&#8217;s IP address or hostname.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The SSH port number.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PuTTY installed on your local machine, or an SSH-capable terminal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Firefox installed if you want to configure browser traffic through the tunnel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Implementation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Configure the SSH Connection in PuTTY<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open PuTTY and configure the SSH connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under <strong>Session<\/strong>, enter the following details:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Host Name (or IP address):<\/strong> <code>&lt;Your Server IP address&gt;<\/code><br><strong>Port:<\/strong> <code>&lt;SSH port number&gt;<\/code><br><strong>Connection Type:<\/strong> SSH<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The default SSH port is usually <code>22<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.36.43-PM.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"896\" height=\"776\" src=\"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.36.43-PM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11588\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.36.43-PM.png 896w, https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.36.43-PM-300x260.png 300w, https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.36.43-PM-768x665.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 896px) 100vw, 896px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Configure the SSH Tunnel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In PuTTY, navigate to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Connection \u2192 SSH \u2192 Tunnels<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Configure the tunnel with the following settings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source port:<\/strong> <code>1990<\/code><br><strong>Destination:<\/strong> Select <strong>Dynamic<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Click <strong>Add<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The source port <code>1990<\/code> will be used as the local SOCKS proxy port.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.36.57-PM.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"868\" src=\"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.36.57-PM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.36.57-PM.png 900w, https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.36.57-PM-300x289.png 300w, https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.36.57-PM-768x741.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Establish the SSH Connection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Click <strong>Open<\/strong> in PuTTY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Enter your SSH username and password when prompted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the SSH connection is established, the tunnel is ready to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Configure Firefox to Use the SSH Tunnel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now configure Firefox to route browser traffic through the SSH tunnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: Open Firefox Network Settings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open Firefox and navigate to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Preferences \u2192 Options<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then go to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Advanced \u2192 Network \u2192 Settings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.37.05-PM.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"537\" src=\"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.37.05-PM-1024x537.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11590\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.37.05-PM-1024x537.png 1024w, https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.37.05-PM-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.37.05-PM-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Screenshot-2026-09-09-at-5.37.05-PM.png 1420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5: Configure the SOCKS Proxy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Select:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Manual proxy configuration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Configure the SOCKS proxy as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>SOCKS Host:<\/strong> <code>localhost<\/code><br><strong>Port:<\/strong> <code>1990<\/code><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The port must match the source port configured in PuTTY.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Click <strong>OK<\/strong> to save the configuration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Verification<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SSH tunnel is now configured, and Firefox traffic can be routed through the remote server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To verify the setup, access an IP-checking website such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"EnlighterJSRAW\" data-enlighter-language=\"generic\" data-enlighter-theme=\"\" data-enlighter-highlight=\"\" data-enlighter-linenumbers=\"\" data-enlighter-lineoffset=\"\" data-enlighter-title=\"\" data-enlighter-group=\"\">http:\/\/whatismyip.com<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the proxy configuration is working correctly, the public IP address shown should be the server&#8217;s IP address rather than your local ISP&#8217;s public IP address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An SSH tunnel provides a convenient way to route traffic from a local machine through a remote server. In this example, PuTTY is configured to create a dynamic SSH tunnel on local port <code>1990<\/code>, and Firefox is configured to use that port as a SOCKS proxy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This setup can be useful for accessing applications or services that are restricted based on network location or source IP address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. What is an SSH tunnel?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An SSH tunnel creates a connection through an SSH server that can be used to securely route network traffic between a local machine and a remote server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Why is the PuTTY source port set to 1990?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><code>1990<\/code> is the local port used for the SOCKS proxy in this example. You can use another available local port, provided the same port is configured in Firefox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. How can I verify that Firefox is using the SSH tunnel?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After configuring the SOCKS proxy, check your public IP address using an IP-checking website. If the tunnel is working, the external IP should correspond to the remote server rather than your local ISP connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related Articles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/convert-ppk-key-to-pem-on-mac\/\">Convert ppk key to pem on Mac<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/tunnel-setup-on-windows-without-vpn\/\">Tunnel Setup on Windows without VPN<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Talk to our experts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking for the right technology solution for your business? Our team of experts can help you with development, cloud, DevOps, design, and a wide range of other technology needs. Get in touch with our team&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/contact\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction An SSH tunnel can be used to securely route network traffic from a local machine through a remote server. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1022],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-web-architecture","psol-cat-web-architecture"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phn2x7-eX","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=927"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11594,"href":"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/927\/revisions\/11594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pheonixsolutions.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}