Routing Internet through SSH Tunnel

Secure Shell (SSH) is a powerful tool for managing servers and remotely executing commands. But did you know that you can also use it to securely route your internet traffic? This can be particularly useful if you’re working on an unsecured network, or if you need to access resources on a remote network. In this article, we’ll explore how to route internet traffic through an SSH tunnel.

What is SSH Tunneling?

SSH tunneling is a method of transporting arbitrary networking data over an encrypted SSH connection. It can be used to secure the network traffic of unencrypted protocols such as HTTP, and to bypass network restrictions and firewall rules.

Setting up an SSH Tunnel

To set up an SSH tunnel, you’ll need access to a remote server to which you can SSH. Once you have that, you can create a SOCKS proxy using the following command:

ssh -D 8080 -C -q -N user@your-ssh-server.com

Here’s what each parameter does:

• -D 8080: This tells SSH to set up a SOCKS proxy on port 8080.
• -C: This compresses the data before sending it.
• -q: This enables quiet mode to suppress non-error messages.
• -N: This tells SSH that no command will be sent once the tunnel is up.
• user@your-ssh-server.com: This is the username and the address of your SSH server.

Configuring Your Browser to Use the SSH Tunnel

Once the SSH tunnel is up, you can configure your browser to use it. The process varies depending on the browser. In Firefox, you can do this by going to Preferences > Network Settings > Settings, selecting “Manual proxy configuration”, and entering “localhost” in the SOCKS Host field and “8080” (or whatever port you chose) in the Port field.

Using sshuttle for Full VPN

If you want to route all your internet traffic, not just your browser traffic, through the SSH tunnel, you can use a tool called sshuttle. Sshuttle is a transparent proxy server that works as a poor man’s VPN over SSH.

To install sshuttle, use the following command:

sudo apt-get install sshuttle

Then, to start sshuttle, use the following command:

sshuttle -r username@sshserver 0.0.0.0/0

Here’s what each parameter does:

• -r username@sshserver: This is the username and the address of your SSH server.
• 0.0.0.0/0: This tells sshuttle to route all traffic through the SSH tunnel.

Conclusion

Routing internet traffic through an SSH tunnel is a powerful way to secure your network traffic. Whether you’re using it to secure unencrypted traffic, bypass network restrictions, or access remote resources, SSH tunneling is a valuable tool to have in your networking toolbox.