{
  "id": 16701939,
  "title": "How to Run a Local AI Server for Your Whole Team on Windows in 2026 (Ollama Alternative, No Cloud)",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/how-to-run-a-local-ai-server-for-your-whole-team-on-windows-in-2026",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-27T03:53:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/alichherawalla/how-to-run-a-local-ai-server-for-your-whole-team-on-windows-in-2026-ollama-alternative-no-cloud-2ch6"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "To run a local AI server for your entire team on a Windows PC in 2026 without using cloud APIs, you can utilize the Off Grid AI Desktop app. This software turns a single NVIDIA-equipped Windows PC into a shared AI server for your team. Here's how to set it up:\n\n1. Ensure you have a Windows 10 or 11 PC with an x64 processor and an NVIDIA graphics card. Download and install Off Grid AI Desktop version 0.0.55 or later. You'll also need to download a chat model, such as Qwen 3.5 9B, within the app.\n\n2. Configure the gateway by opening Off Grid AI Desktop and clicking on Gateway in the sidebar. Note the Base URL (e.g., http://127.0.0.1:7878/v1) for internal use and the corresponding network address for external access. Make sure to allow the app on your network's Private settings to keep the server secure.\n\n3. Switch to Team mode by changing the Clients setting from Just me to Team. This allows multiple clients to access the server simultaneously. Choose Auto for the Requests at once option to utilize your GPU's maximum capacity. Each team member should then create their own API key within the app, keeping them secure and easily revocable if needed.\n\n4. Your team can now connect to the AI server using the OpenAI API format. Any tool that accepts a base URL and API key will work with the Off Grid AI Desktop gateway. The server offers additional endpoints for advanced AI functionalities like image generation, speech recognition, and embeddings.\n\n5. Monitor the server's activity through the Settings > AI activity menu. This will show details such as the model used, request timings, and the status of each request. The gateway also provides a status endpoint to check the current mode, active requests, and any rejections.\n\nBy following these steps, you can effectively run a local AI server on a single Windows PC and share its capabilities with your entire team, all without relying on cloud-based services.",
  "summary": "You have one Windows PC with a good NVIDIA card and a team that wants local AI, without sending your code and documents to a cloud API. Off Grid AI Desktop can turn that one PC into a shared AI server. Its gateway has a Team mode that answers several people at once, gives each person their own API key, and keeps the PC awake while it works. Every request stays on your network. What you need A…",
  "key_points": [
    "Install Off Grid AI Desktop version 0.0.55 or later on Windows PC",
    "Configure gateway with Base URL and network address for internal/external access",
    "Switch to Team mode for multiple clients to access server simultaneously"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}