This one-command trick can put your localhost on the internet, no port forwarding required
"Put localhost on the Internet," was the new pitch for an old feature that had Cloudflare at the top of Hacker News and X's dev circles for the last few days. The tool has existed since 2021, and let's you run one command: cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:8000, and whatever is... Read Entire Article
A simple Cloudflare trick can make your local machine accessible on the internet without any port forwarding or complex setups. This feature, called "Quick Tunnels," has been around since 2021, but recently it became a viral sensation on developer circles after being rediscovered. By running the command `cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:8000`, you can instantly generate a public, encrypted address ending in trycloudflare.com.
This URL works as long as the process is running, and disappears once the process stops. The feature appeals to developers who need to demonstrate unfinished builds to clients, and it has been quietly used by others for years. Cloudflare's rebranding and marketing of the tool have led many to believe it's a new development, though it's actually an old feature that saw a resurgence.
However, security experts warn that this public URL can be abused, and there have been documented cases of criminals using it to launch malware. Cloudflare's founder, who originally invented this concept, noted that the company discontinued anonymous tunnels due to abuse concerns. Despite these risks, the tool remains a useful solution for temporary problems.
Written by urgent.news from TechSpot's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
