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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 ▶️ or press Space

From Menu Bar:

  1. Click StormTunnel icon in menu bar
  2. Click ▶️ 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 ⏹️ or press Space

From Menu Bar:

  1. Click StormTunnel icon
  2. Click ⏹️ 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