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2 hours ago
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TunnelBuddy lets you use your home internet – or a trusted friend's – when you're away. It's like using a VPN, except the VPN belongs to you or a friend, not a random company in a data centre.
- • Use your own or a buddy's home connection from anywhere.
- • Feels like you're really at home, not on a known VPN IP.
- • No admin rights needed – TunnelBuddy runs as a normal user app and configures a local proxy for your system or browser.
- • Always peer-to-peer – no surprise third-party relays.
How it works
TunnelBuddy connects two devices you trust and lets one of them browse the internet using the other's connection.
Host at home (or in the office)
Run TunnelBuddy on a device where you want to appear from – your home desktop, a small always-on machine, or an office computer. That machine becomes the "exit" for you or a buddy.
Connect from anywhere
On your laptop while travelling, start TunnelBuddy, enter a short-lived one-time code from your host, and it configures a local proxy automatically. Your browser (or system) then browses the web through that trusted connection.
Under the hood, TunnelBuddy uses WebRTC – the same secure peer-to-peer technology browsers use for modern video calls. For more details and safety notes, see the FAQ.
When you might use TunnelBuddy
Travelling, but want the internet to behave like you're at home
Log in to banks, admin portals or services that are picky about foreign IPs by exiting via your real home connection.
Borrowing (or lending) a trusted connection
A friend abroad needs something that only works from your country? Host TunnelBuddy, share a short-lived code, and switch it off when they're done. No big anonymous VPN pool involved.
Debugging and testing networks (for geeks)
Check how a site behaves from your home ISP vs mobile, or reproduce bugs that only happen on a specific network or region – without spinning up cloud servers or configuring a full mesh VPN.
Using TunnelBuddy when you can't install a VPN
On devices where you don't have admin rights or can't install VPN drivers (for example some managed laptops), TunnelBuddy runs as a normal user app and exposes a local proxy. If using a tool like this is permitted by whoever manages the device, you can still route your browser traffic via your home, a buddy's or a client's connection.
Safety, consent and responsible use
TunnelBuddy is essentially a DIY VPN between buddies. It's meant for normal, everyday things: accessing your own services while away, helping a trusted friend, or testing networks you control.
You still need the connection owner's consent and must follow the law and site terms wherever you and your buddy are. For more detail, read the FAQ and Terms of Service.
