TG Connect – To connect with your local Environment with TG Tunnel

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Overview

A virtual private network (VPN) tunnel is a secure and encrypted connection established over a public network, typically the Internet. It enables secure communication between two or more private networks or devices. The primary purpose of a VPN tunnel is to provide a secure method for transmitting data between these networks or devices, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of the information exchanged.

VPN tunnels utilize encryption protocols to secure data during transmission. Common encryption protocols include:

  • IPsec (Internet Protocol Security): Provides secure communication by authenticating and encrypting each IP packet in a communication session.
  • SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security): Encrypts data at the transport layer, ensuring secure connections for applications like web browsers and email.

Encryption ensures that even if unauthorized parties intercept the transmitted data, they cannot decipher it without the appropriate decryption key. This makes VPN tunnels essential for protecting sensitive information over the Internet.

Prerequisites:

  • TestGrid login credentials.
  • Download the TG Connect file as per your machine or system.
  • Copy this code snippet and run it in your terminal to start a tunnel.

Start configuring your local and hosted website and production application.

 

Step 1: Log in to the TestGrid portal with valid credentials.
  • 1. Go to “More Tools” from the dashboard on the bottom left side of the screen and click on the “TG Connect” tool.
  • 2. Download the executable file for your operating system.

 

 

 

Step 2: Open the terminal. After downloading the executable, navigate to the executable directory by using the ‘cd’ command.

 

~$ cd <path_of_downloaded_executable_file>
  • Then copy the code snippet based on your operating system and run it in your terminal to start a tunnel.

 

 

Step 3: You will receive a message saying, “Connection established. Tunnelling started!”. The terminal will display the proxy port.

Next, look up the IP address or domain of your local machine or a hosted website. The terminal displays the proxy port, which is used as a SOCKS5 proxy to launch your TestGrid devices or browser. This configuration allows tunneling from the local machine’s IP address to our TG Device cloud.

 

  • Go to the Real Device Cloud and connect to your devices. Once the device is opened, ensure that you have the Socks5 proxy installed; if not, you may download it from this link.: https://socksdroid.en.softonic.com/android/download
  • The TG Connect icon will appear in the bottom-right corner.

 

 

Step 4: Enter the proxy port that you found on the terminal, then hit the relaunch button to see the “VPN Set Successfully” message in the top right corner.

 

Notes: Make sure you can enter a valid VPN port to successfully configure the VPN.

 

 

Step 5: Enter the local hosted URL into the Chrome browser to test the website, and if you want to test your debug/production app, install and launch it. You can now access your local environment via the TG Device cloud.

 

 

Step 6: For iOS, you can download the Potatso proxy app and install it on the device.
  • Go to the Real Device Cloud and connect your devices. Once the device is opened, make sure you have the Potatso proxy installed; if not, you can get it from the device’s App Store.
  • Launch the Potatso application and manually enter your proxy information. Select Socks5 as the type, and then click the Done button. Alternatively, click the TG Connect icon on the TG device cloud and add a port, then select Launch VPN.

 

 

 

Step 7: After adding the proxy, click on the device’s TG Connect icon, enter the VPN port, and then click the relaunch button.

 

Notes: Make sure you can enter a valid VPN port to successfully configure the VPN.

 

  • The message “VPN successfully set” will appear in the upper-right corner of your screen after the VPN setting is finished.
  • Now enter the URL in the Safari browser of the local environment that you want to access.

 

 

  

 

Step 8: Go to the device cloud and connect the browsers. To configure TG Connect, open your browser, click the icon, enter the port, and then click the relaunch button.

 

Notes: Make sure you can enter a valid VPN port to successfully configure the VPN.

 

  • After clicking on the relaunch button, TG Connect will start. Now you enter the URL in a new tab for the local environment that you want to access.

Step 9: To Abort TG Connect from Your Network

a) To terminate TG Connect, use Control or CMD+C in your command-line interface environment.

b) If TG Tunneling testing is completed, you need to disable the VPN on your mobile devices. For Android devices, open the SocksDroid app; for iOS devices, open the Potatso app, and turn off the VPN.

c) After disabling the VPN, your devices will reconnect to standard Wi-Fi and mobile networks, restoring normal functionality.

 

Note: When aborting the TG Tunnel, ensure that your normal device connections are properly restored. This step is crucial to avoid any connectivity issues and to ensure that your devices return to their standard network configurations.

 

Happy Testing!

 

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