Localtonet is a tool that enables you to expose your local web server to the internet using a public URL. This makes it easy to test your web applications on different devices and share them with others. In this article, we will explain how to use Localtonet to expose your local web server to the internet using a public URL.

The first step is to download and install the Localtonet client suitable for your operating system. If you haven't registered yet, you need to create a Localtonet account and copy your AuthToken value from the My Tokens page in the Dashboard. This AuthToken is a unique identifier that ensures that only authorized users can access your local server.

Once you have downloaded and installed the Localtonet client, you can use it to expose your local server to the internet. The exact steps depend on the operating system you're using.

If you're using Windows, you need to download and install the version of the Localtonet client that matches your operating system. Once you have done that, paste your AuthToken in the appropriate field that appears on your screen after starting the application.

To get started with Localtonet on Linux, users can follow these steps:

1. Download the appropriate version of Localtonet for their Linux distribution using a tool like curl or wget. For example:

wget https://localtonet.com/download/localtonet-linux-x64.zip

2. Extract the downloaded file from the zip archive:

unzip localtonet-linux-x64.zip

3. Grant read and write permissions to the Localtonet executable:

chmod 777 ./localtonet

4. Obtain an authentication token from the Localtonet dashboard. This can be done by creating a new token in the "My Tokens" tab, or by copying an existing token.

5. By following these steps, users can set up Localtonet on their Linux machine and begin securely accessing their local or private network services from the internet.

Replace "PASTE_HERE_COPIED_AUTHTOKEN" with your actual AuthToken value.

If you're using Mac, you can download the Localtonet client and install it using the following commands:

First, download whichever version of MacOs you are using.

curl https://localtonet.com/download/localtonet-osx-64.zip -o osx-64.zip

Extract the downloaded file from the zip.

unzip osx-64.zip

In the terminal window, navigate to the folder that contains the Localtonet app files for macOS 

In order to run the Localtonet app, you need to grant the executable permissions to run.

sudo chmod +x localtonet

Type in the password of your admin account and hit enter to grant the executable permission to run

open localtonet

If you're using a virtual machine with Docker or an Android mobile device, you can download and install the appropriate Localtonet client from the relevant app store. Once you have installed the client, you need to paste your AuthToken in the appropriate field that appears on your screen after starting the application.

For Docker

Download/Update the image:

docker pull localtonet/localtonet

Run the image with an authtoken

docker run localtonet/localtonet authtoken YOURTOKEN

Before you can expose your localhost to the internet with localtonet , you need to start your local development server. This could be a simple HTTP server, or a more complex web application built with a framework like Django or Flask. Make sure that your server is running and listening for connections on the desired port (for example, port 8080).

• Go HTTP Tunnel Page.
• Select Process Type for your needs. (Random Sub Domain, Custom Sub Domain, Custom Domain)
• Select the AuthToken you entered in the Localtonet App. (My Tokens)
• Select the Server you want your tunnel to run on.
• Enter the IP and Port values that the tunnel will listen to. (e.g. IP: 127.0.0.1  Port: 8080)
• Create and Start your tunnel by pressing the Start Button from the list.

By using Localtonet , you can easily expose your local web server to the internet using a public URL. However, it's important to keep in mind that exposing your local server to the internet carries some security risks. Anyone with the public URL can access your local server, so it's important to take appropriate precautions to protect your server and your network. Overall, Localtonet is a useful tool for developers who want to test their web applications on different devices and share them with others.