Configuring Ports

Define which services your app exposes for remote access by creating a port-template.yml file in the .ironflock/ directory.

Basic Example


ports:
  - name: Web Interface
    port: 5000
    main: true
    protocol: https

This makes port 5000 available for remote access. Users can enable the tunnel from the app settings on their device.

Full Example


ports:
  - name: Web Interface
    port: 1100
    main: true
    protocol: http
    remote_port_environment: TUNNEL_PORT
 
  - name: Video Stream
    port: 1200
    protocol: http
 
  - name: Remote Desktop
    port: 5900
    protocol: tcp
    remote_port_environment: VNC_REMOTE_PORT
 
  - name: LoRaWAN Gateway
    port: 1700
    protocol: udp

Field Reference

Field	Required	Description
`name`	Yes	Label shown in the device’s app settings
`port`	Yes	Local port number the service listens on
`main`	No	If `true`, this port is used for the quick-access icon on the device’s app list
`protocol`	No	`http` (default), `https`, `tcp`, or `udp`
`remote_port_environment`	No	Environment variable name where the remote port number will be stored (TCP and UDP only)

How Protocols Work

HTTP / HTTPS

For web-based services. IronFlock creates a public URL that proxies traffic to the device’s local port. Users open the URL in their browser.

TCP

For protocols like VNC (Remote Desktop) or direct socket connections. IronFlock allocates a remote port and stores it in the environment variable specified by remote_port_environment.

UDP

For protocols like LoRaWAN communication or VPN tunnels. Similar to TCP — a remote port is allocated and exposed via an environment variable.

Embedding in Boards

You can embed a device’s remote access tunnel directly into a board using the Embed Widget. This creates a seamless experience where users can:

Monitor global data from all devices
Interact with individual devices through embedded web UIs

All within the same dashboard.

Configuring remote access in port-template.yml does not automatically activate tunnels. Only privileged users can enable or disable tunnels on their devices.