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Connection Retry and Reconnect

StormTunnel has two features for handling connection failures:

  • Auto-Retry (Premium) - Retries when initial connection fails
  • Auto-Reconnect (Free) - Reconnects when an established tunnel drops

Quick Comparison

Feature Auto-Retry Auto-Reconnect
License Premium Free
When it applies Initial connection fails Established connection drops
Max attempts 1-5 (configurable) Unlimited
Default Disabled Enabled
Delay 5 seconds 5 seconds

Auto-Retry (Premium)

Automatically retries failed initial connection attempts.

When It Helps

  • Unreliable networks (public WiFi, cellular)
  • Servers with intermittent availability
  • Network handoffs (WiFi → Cellular)

Configuration

  1. Edit tunnel → Advanced Options
  2. Enable Intelligent Auto-Retry
  3. Set Max Retry Attempts (1-10, default: 3)

Behavior

  1. Initial connection fails
  2. Waits with exponential backoff (1s → 2s → 4s → 8s...)
  3. Retries (up to max attempts, default: 3)
  4. Stops after max attempts reached or connection succeeds

Note

Requires Premium license. Free users see the option but can't enable it.

Auto-Reconnect (Free)

Automatically reconnects when an established tunnel drops unexpectedly.

When It Helps

  • Long-running tunnels (databases, APIs)
  • Network instability (WiFi drops, VPN reconnects)
  • Laptop sleep/wake scenarios
  • Server reboots

Configuration

  1. Edit tunnel → Advanced Options
  2. Enable Auto-Reconnect (enabled by default)

Behavior

  1. Established connection drops
  2. Waits 5 seconds
  3. Attempts to reconnect
  4. Repeats until successful (no limit)

Production Database

Auto-Retry: Off (server is always available)
Auto-Reconnect: On (must stay connected)

Unreliable Server (Premium)

Auto-Retry: On, 5 attempts
Auto-Reconnect: On

Quick Development Tasks

Auto-Retry: Off
Auto-Reconnect: Off (manual control preferred)

Troubleshooting

Retry Not Working

  • Is Auto-Retry enabled in tunnel settings?
  • Do you have Premium license?
  • Is this an initial connection? (Retry only works on first connect)

Reconnect Not Working

  • Is Auto-Reconnect enabled in tunnel settings?
  • Was the tunnel previously connected? (Only works after successful connection)

Too Many Retry Attempts

If credentials are invalid, retrying won't help. Fix credentials first, then retry.